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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1526
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 3:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

AIW - whom seems to know and understand more about Detroit architecture than almost anyone else, (one reason that I am in favor of illegal immigration - let's get this guy over here) tipped me off recently to the Parducci Studios pre 1947 studio. New information has come to light that it was located at "1241 Tenth Street." But I need more - - a lot more. Some folks adhere to the van der Rohe dictum, "Less is More", but I am definitely a "More is More" kind of a guy. So, is this building extant? If "yes", show me more, show me more. If "no," well . . ...... ?

Also surfaced recently is a 1948 newspaper article (likely the Freep) on CP that includes the statement regarding the pictures included, "and a sample of Parducci's work over the entrance to the Free Press Building." However, the picture is sadly missing from what I have. Most of us consider the Free Press Building to be Ricci territory, at least the main entrance, so to what does this tantalizing tidbit refer ? Feel free to join the folks shadowing Parducci. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek
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Aiw
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Username: Aiw

Post Number: 6493
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 2:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Carp, from the best I can tell, it looks like the old studio is long gone.

Hopefully someone else can chime in with help on the article.
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Gazhekwe
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Username: Gazhekwe

Post Number: 1263
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Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 2:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hmm, that address is right at the corner of Tenth and Howard. Tenth deadends at Howard, a block west of Trumbull. The satellite view makes it look like the terrain probably is different than when the studio was there, one building and three parking lots are now at that corner.



(Message edited by gazhekwe on January 10, 2008)
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Aiw
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Username: Aiw

Post Number: 6496
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Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 10:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Article was from 1931 if memory serves me right...
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1533
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 12:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My feeling is that CP worked there until his new studio opened in 1947. I found the address on an old business card of his.

A parking lot? Actually I need to start a list of Parducci sites that are now parking lots. I believe that the footprint of the Times Building is now more or less that. eek
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Mikem
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Username: Mikem

Post Number: 3545
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 1:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

1241 Tenth Street was located between Howard and Abbott in a neighborhood that was a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses. Here's an aerial photo from 1949 centered approximately on his pre-1947 studio site:


1241 Tenth 1949



By 1961, the area had been cleared as part of the Corktown urban renewal project, which had started just a year or two earlier:


1241 Tenth 1961



A 1940 directory gives this listing:

1241 Tenth St
Litho Plate Grainers of Detroit Inc.
Parducci Studios, sculptors

(The same directory lists his home as 21 Colonial Rd, Grosse Pointe Shores)

It is the only address on that block on the east side of the street. Looks like it was a small shop or garage, located next to the alley. A 1935 directory has the location as "vacant".

The site today:



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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1536
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 1:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

MikeM: You are an angel sent from above. Which could explain the angle of all these shots. Corktown. it just won't quit. eeeeeek
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Aiw
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Username: Aiw

Post Number: 6497
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 2:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

His house in GPS was quite a work of art.

Is it still standing? I read once that he worked on it during the lean years during the depression.
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1537
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 7:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, his house is still standing. The owner (no names, please) is quite a knowledgable CP fan. The house has several interesting sculptural components built into it. Also some painting inside that CP did. But this is someone's home, keep that in mind. No paparazzi action. eeek
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Mikem
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Username: Mikem

Post Number: 3546
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 7:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Who was Rebecca? Wife?
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1538
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Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 11:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, I do believe that CP's wife was named Rebecca. Where did you dig that up from? eek
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 1390
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 12:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

From Polk's 1928 Detroit City Directory:

Parducci listing
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 1391
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 12:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here are the listings of the businesses on W. Congress between First and Second Avenues in 1928:

listings on West Congress, including Parducci's Studio
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Mikem
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Username: Mikem

Post Number: 3547
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 3:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Carp, as MikeG's post shows, the wife's name is usually listed in parentheses. My 1940 directory lists both a studio address and a home address, but it was odd to see his wife listed at the studio instead of the residential address. The next question is, who was Walter? Brother?

Between the 1928 online directory and my 1940 directory, I have a 1935 directory. There is no listing for Parducci or his studio, the 529 W Congress address doesn't exist, and the residence on Newport is occupied by someone named Brubaker. The future studio address on Tenth is vacant, and his future home in Grosse Pointe is occupied by a John D. Lucas. Where was he hiding?
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1540
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 4:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

CP's brother Rudolph P shows up in Detroit at some point around then. I've not heard of Walter before.

His house in GP gets built about1928, I pretty sure that it was up by 1935. Might just be a whoooops in the Directory? eeek
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Aiw
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Username: Aiw

Post Number: 6499
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 5:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here is a small scan of the stuff I send to Carpy to kick off this thread.

The Images are from the March 1934 issue of "Architecture".

That's curious that MikeM's 1935 directory has it listed as vacant. A short lived location perhaps,or just an inaccuracy in the directory?


1



2



3



4



5



6
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Mauser765
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Username: Mauser765

Post Number: 2332
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 6:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Also some painting inside that CP did."

Stencil painted walls during the Great Depression to keep himself busy and sane.

Info courtesy of Elaine Latzman Moon. She also said that Joes coffee always tasted like clay. Hahhaha ! (Joe is what he called himself, Elaine only referred to him as "Mr. Parducci" of course)
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1541
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 6:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hmmmmmmmmmmm? any relationship to Glen Calvin Moon who took the pictures of CP home right after he left this earthly plane? Copyrighted pictures that I can't post or use in my book? EEEEk
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Mccarch
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Username: Mccarch

Post Number: 150
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 7:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Kudos to Carpster and MikeM for this thread, and especially to Aiw for posting the article about Parducci's studio. What a great looking building, built of some plain, rough concrete block and what looks like one custom repetitive cast piece for the cornice. Nowadays we use concrete block for finish walls, and it usually ends up looking like crap.

Good inspiration.

Btw, I own a self-published book of the works of Hugh T. Keyes published in 1939. The back of it contains several page of ads, one of which is an 1/8 page ad by Parducci, listing the Tenth Street address.
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1543
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Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 9:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mcccccc; How do you feel about scanning and sending me CP's ad? He did not do a lot of them (some say he NEVER advertised, but that's not quite true) eeklon at yahoo etc. if you're so inclined.

CP did quite a few commissions for Keyes - I'll see what I can find, maybe we can trade. eeek
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Aiw
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Username: Aiw

Post Number: 6500
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 12:04 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would love to see the ad too if we're sharing :-)
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Mauser765
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Username: Mauser765

Post Number: 2335
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 10:37 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Glen Calvin Moon" - yep yep, Elaines xhusband. Remember I sent you photos of her personal Parducci objects, including those interior house photos taken the day after Parducci passed away ? (the ones you have already that you got from his son)

Glen has an original clay sculpture of one of the downspout gargoyles from the Fisher Building that Parducci gave him.

A few of his photos are in the AIA book btw.
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1544
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 11:15 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

it would be very useful to me to know what exact work CP did on the Fisher because Maroti, Ricci and DiLornezo also did work on it. Any chance of my either connecting with Moon or having you siphon info through? eeek
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Mauser765
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Username: Mauser765

Post Number: 2337
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 3:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Have not spoken with her recently, and as she was looking to pull out of dodge asap, so I am not sure if she is still in town. I do talk to her daughter via email occasionally, so I'll drop her a line and see where her mother is these days.

I was surprised to learn that each and every gargoyle on the building was in fact done by Parducci. This is direct info, like I said, Mr Moon has one of the original clay versions as a gift from Parducci.

Heres a pile of info on the Fisher Building, all of which I gleaned from my visit to Elaines home in Lafayette Park. She let me look through her personal library of data on the Fisher. She used to do the tours for the Fisher and New Center. Amazing lady.

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_pt1.html

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_pt2.html

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_pt3.html

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_pt4.html

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_pt5.html

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/fisher_building_info.html

And if folks dont know who we are speaking of, you should read her book:
http://wsupress.wayne.edu/afri cana/afrhistory/moonut.htm

An aside, I went to church with Elaine one day and she gave me a tour - fantastic building !

http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/metropolitan_united_metho dist.html

The original photos I took of her documents and objects are trapped on a frozen hard drive - perhaps AIW still has copies of these.
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Carptrash
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Username: Carptrash

Post Number: 1547
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 4:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Great series of links. You've documented the Fishers as I needed to see it done. Naturally I would not be me if I did not have some issues. Maroti, for example, in my book, is a Hungarian and not a Czech. Also, that he was brought to Detroit by Booth, but following Saarinen's recommendation. That Ricci produced sculpture that Parducci designed seems odd, given that CP had been UR's apprentice? Still, the world is filled with oddities. And so it goes. Mostly thanks for the links.
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Mauser765
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Post Number: 2338
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 4:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

emailed you - emailed elaines daughter.
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Carptrash
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Post Number: 1550
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Posted on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 6:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks. I also have been frittering away some time trying to blog (no threat to Mouser, AIW or any of you types) and have a couple of Parducci thoughts that can be found here http://archsculpt.blogspot.com /

I'm also really in need of some traffic. eeeeeeeek