Good 2007 post on the proving grounds, especially with the old aerial view. Too bad it’s raining today, it will diminish the outdoor activity, but I will go there anyways to get on the grounds and inside the buildings. I believe there is a very active Packard Car Club operating keeping the memory alive
Good shot of the Packard Plant. Looks like a World War II picture of Stalingrad after the seige…. or perhaps a German arms factory (Krups Steel works) after an ally bombing. Black and white is a good effect.
I’m going today to see the Packard Proving Grounds on Van Dyke and 23 Mile today (open house from 1-5PM). The vintage Albert Kahn buildings are still intact. A volunteer museum operates the property. Admission is free. See link to recent article in Macomb Daily.
You know Dennis, I could swear that my painting professor from school lived in the Goebel house in Indian Village. It was one of the beer families homes for sure.
Outstanding! Very stark. At the risk of sounding sappy, one can only imagine what it must’ve been like when some of those grave occupants were actually sitting on some of those porches, drinking some Goebels while listening to a Tigers game. That would definitely add some color!
Thanks George – but the strange thing is that many of those shots simply wouldnt have much color in them anyway, due to the wasteland with grey skies and such. And on the other hand, some of these have a curious beauty, as the B&W seems to cause a clean and less detailed image.
The Poletown area is just a ghetto prairie, plain and simple.
Good 2007 post on the proving grounds, especially with the old aerial view. Too bad it’s raining today, it will diminish the outdoor activity, but I will go there anyways to get on the grounds and inside the buildings. I believe there is a very active Packard Car Club operating keeping the memory alive
Did you see my post of the Proving Grounds from a few years back ?
http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=581
We used to play little league baseball on the track before they turned it into subdivisions.
Good shot of the Packard Plant. Looks like a World War II picture of Stalingrad after the seige…. or perhaps a German arms factory (Krups Steel works) after an ally bombing. Black and white is a good effect.
I’m going today to see the Packard Proving Grounds on Van Dyke and 23 Mile today (open house from 1-5PM). The vintage Albert Kahn buildings are still intact. A volunteer museum operates the property. Admission is free. See link to recent article in Macomb Daily.
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2010/04/19/news/doc4bcc36b374bc6626304470.txt
Wonderful shots – my favorite was the one with the cracked pavement and abandoned houses in the tall weeds – just amazing, as always!!
I always like to see your B&W work. Bare trees look so cool against the sky. And Packard really works in B&W.
You know Dennis, I could swear that my painting professor from school lived in the Goebel house in Indian Village. It was one of the beer families homes for sure.
Outstanding! Very stark. At the risk of sounding sappy, one can only imagine what it must’ve been like when some of those grave occupants were actually sitting on some of those porches, drinking some Goebels while listening to a Tigers game. That would definitely add some color!
Thanks George – but the strange thing is that many of those shots simply wouldnt have much color in them anyway, due to the wasteland with grey skies and such. And on the other hand, some of these have a curious beauty, as the B&W seems to cause a clean and less detailed image.
The Poletown area is just a ghetto prairie, plain and simple.
Great use of B&W to bring out the stark reality of the dissolution of parts of Detroit.