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Fareastsider
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Username: Fareastsider

Post Number: 17
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 8:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does anybody have, or know of a website that posts old aerial photos of Detroit. preferably before 1950. I already know of the DTE photos on the Wayne State Website, I am looking for earlier aerials than these. I am also interested of old photos of the city from 1920-1950. Images of areas before they developed or as they are being build are of interset to me. Can anybody help?
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A_franklins_son
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Username: A_franklins_son

Post Number: 58
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 8:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There is an aerial on here thats from 1949...

http://detroit1976.naviciti.co m/
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Burnsie
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Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 796
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 9:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Do you actually mean pre-1949? There's complete 1949 coverage on the WSU site. I don't think there's much else on the web. You'd have to dig deep into libraries and archives, both public and private, to find anything else.
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Hagglerock
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Username: Hagglerock

Post Number: 355
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 10:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

FlybyDon on this forum should know, he has been taking aerial photos of Detroit for some time now.
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Jimaz
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Username: Jimaz

Post Number: 1166
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 10:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This raises a question about the origin/history of the DTE/WSU CULMA Collection.

Were these aerial photos made possible only by WWII technology? I can imagine WWII vets returning home and creating, for the first time, such images as a public service. If so, earlier photos may not exist. I would expect at least a link there to earlier photos if they existed.
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Erikto
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Username: Erikto

Post Number: 489
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 4:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just recommended this book on another thread last week, I think- this is an excellent photo book of many American cities, I indulged myself in this purchase during a Boxing Day sale a few years ago- Thomas (?) Campanella- Cities From The Sky... great 1930's aerial shots, I think most are dated.
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Mikem
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Username: Mikem

Post Number: 2923
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 5:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Have you checked the Virtual Motor City archives?

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/v/vm c/topic.html

Do a keyword search on "aerial"

JimAz, those photos were taken for Detroit Edison (probably by Abrams Aerial of Lansing, a nationally known aerial survey photo company) for use in planning transmission line routes.
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 516
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 10:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Jimaz

Aerial photos were first taken in Boston in 1860 by using a balloon. I would assume a that WW-2 provided more skilled people to do this work.

GPS (Geographic Positioning Systems) helped some, and allowed for better flight lines to be developed. This started to be developed by federal govt for civil defense begining in the 1960's and was not allowed for consumer applications until the 1990's.

The real innovations in this technology came with the onset of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and digital photography. GIS gave a basemap to marry photos to datapoints, buildings, bus stops, streets, sewer lines, public facilities and population and income data.

FlybyDon, does take great shots. His work seems specialized in obliques aerial photos, which are great for things such as promotion and historical vies of project development. I'd be interested on his take on this as well. Here's hoping he posts.
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Flybydon
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Username: Flybydon

Post Number: 70
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 11:08 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Perhaps this link will answer some questions as to when the
first recorded aerial photograph was taken over Detroit.



http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=147&category=people

Don
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Lowell
Board Administrator
Username: Lowell

Post Number: 3429
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 11:14 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Geez Don, didn't you freeze flying that thing? :-)
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Flybydon
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Username: Flybydon

Post Number: 71
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 6:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ok Lowell, Lets not pre-date me that much!
Then again it does look like it might be a fun machine to fly.

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