Detroit: 1900-1930

Images of America: Michigan

by Richard Bak

In this new addition to the Images of America series, Richard Bak takes us on a visual journey through Detroit’s golden era, encompassing the first three decades of the twentieth century. It was during this time that the City of Detroit experienced its most rapid physical growth and underwent an unprecedented pace of social and technological change. Detroit: 1900–1930 contains nearly 190 illustrations, including studio portraits, snapshots, postcards, song sheet covers, and period advertisements. Collectively, these images evoke a past that is often too easily forgotten as older Detroiters pass away. As you thumb through the pages of this book, you will encounter such influential people as Henry Ford and other automotive pioneers who helped to “put the world on wheels.” Experience daily life as it was lived at the time of the First World War, and discover the major role Detroit played in this historic conflict. This volume highlights the wave of immigration that occurred here at the turn of the century, when roughly half of the city’s population hailed from other countries. Also featured are various scenes from the “Roaring Twenties,” the ill-fated experiment in Prohibition, and the effect of the Great Depression on the city’s economy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 1999

About the author

RICHARD BAK is a Detroit-based journalist and the author of twenty-five books, including 'Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire' and 'Peach: Ty Cobb in His Time and Ours.' He has received three ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year awards, the Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Prize for Literature, and two Emmys for his work as writer and coproducer of "Stranded at the Corner," a feature-length documentary about the fight to save Detroit's Tiger Stadium.

Reviews

[Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot of things about Detroit that I didn't know and it was much easier to read than most of the books in the "Images of America" series.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very cool to see how the automotive industry began growing

[Jonathan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the hell happened?

Detroit a once beautiful city. Today's blight makes me want to vomit from depression...what the hell happened???

New York has gone through tough times, but it bounced back. What makes Detroit unique in that it cannot??

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting info, great pictures