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A recent thread discusses the loss of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Up and down Detroit’s streets, buildings stand abandoned and in ruin. French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre set out to document the decline of an American city. Their book “The Ruins of Detroit“, a document of decaying buildings frozen in time, was published in December 2010. This is a different perspective on the DSO situation, and is very hard to look at: http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
Blues and Boogie-Woogie piano teacher.
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ALl the more reason to fight the loss of the orchestra..
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Thank you for the link. I visited Detroit back in 1964 when it was a very different city. This is so unbelievably sad.
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If anyone doubts the decline of our proud country, all one need do is check out Detroit.
Our infrastructure is crumbling and we're drowning in debt.
Sad and depressing. And I don't sense the will to do anything much about it. We're too busy fighting stupid wars and fighting among ourselves..
Thank God for music is all I can say.
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I've seen many of these places firsthand and in my younger years visited some of them (the train station, in it's glory days, comes to mind). I've seen these photos as well not long ago as a few friends have posted them on Facebook. Some of the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen does sit crumbling away, but it's not quite as dire a picture as the OP makes it seem with the everywhere-you-look line of, "Up and down Detroit’s streets, buildings stand abandoned and in ruin." When the race riots took place in 1968 (which really polarised Detroit racially afterward) a great deal of the population fled and so did many businesses. Big industry and small businesses alike abandoned the city and took the population with them and unfortunately abandonment is exactly what took place with many of the structures you see in these photos.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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... but it's not quite as dire a picture as the OP makes it seem with the everywhere-you-look line of, "Up and down Detroit’s streets, buildings stand abandoned and in ruin." Thats not from me, but rather is a quote from the Denver Free Press Blog that hosts the pics. I was going to give quotation credit to them, but somehow didn't.
Blues and Boogie-Woogie piano teacher.
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Yes, Detroit is a tragedy.
Here is a crazy idea. Let's invite the Japanese out of their soon-to-be-radiation-impregated land and ask them to move to Detroit. They can revitalize the city, revamp the old auto plants, build some Toyotas, Hondas, etc., They can clean up the lake and stock it well with eels or whatever other things they liked to eat at home. Detroit will have the best school test scores in the US--everyone will be clamoring to move there. Add some nice, hard-working people to the US. Kill about 6 birds with one stone.
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A recent thread discusses the loss of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Up and down Detroit’s streets, buildings stand abandoned and in ruin. French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre set out to document the decline of an American city. Their book “The Ruins of Detroit“, a document of decaying buildings frozen in time, was published in December 2010. This is a different perspective on the DSO situation, and is very hard to look at: http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/Yes, "The Ruins of Detroit" is a very telling document. The pictures would be even more powerful if they were viewed side by side with photos from nearby Grosse Point, where some homes sell for millions of dollars. Tomasino
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do so with all thy might." Ecclesiastes 9:10
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Not to say Detroit isn't falling apart, but not every building is so trashed as that photo gallery seems to suggest. The art museum, orchestra hall, and opera house, for example, are all beautiful. Each year, a huge 5K/10K race on Thanksgiving day ("The Turkey Trot") begins at the Comerica building, the inside of which looked quite nice and in good condition to me every time I was there (last time I was there was a few years ago). I highly recommend the gorgeous botanical gardens.
And yes, many of the buildings do look depressingly awful, too, but that gallery just makes it seem like everything is so completely in shambles.
Sam
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God... so sad.
It looks like the death of an American city... the abandonment of civilization... almost post apocalyptic.
Just look how far it all fell.... so sad.
Charles Walter Model W (190)
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.†J.S. Bach
"I just want to know, if we came from monkeys and apes, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?" George Carlin
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Looks like there's an intact baby grand piano left in one of the churches, and a whole bunch of books at the libraries...
Professional pianist and piano teacher.
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Excuse me... Was there a war, or some kind of nuclear accident in Detroid? Cause these pics look like something happened...
I've seen similar pics, but they were from Chernobil... Completely different case I hope.
Again please excuse my ignorance
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Detroit is the center of the American automotive industry, which has fallen on hard times. Many cities which relied on manufacturing have had problems. The so-called "Rust Belt" of the United States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_BeltIt's also been the victim of suburbanization. Many people have left Detroit for the suburbs. Rather than stay in and continue to develop and revive the city, people have moved outwards. This has happened in a lot of American cities, but many have made a strong effort to keep downtown areas healthy. The "Max" was part of just such an effort. When people say the Symphony is vital to the health of a city, they're absolutely correct. The orchestra and the downtown music center are part of an important effort to revitalize Detroit's downtown and bring the people back.
"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt) www.pianoped.comwww.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed
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Thing is that the images shown depict a situation were people left urgently. Grand pianos left there, other pianos, books, etc. Not something that people move out to, in order to move to the suburb. I do know about Detroit and the hardships there, but I had no idea it was like that...
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That's the sad part. They didn't leave urgently, they just didn't want the pianos or books.
"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt) www.pianoped.comwww.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed
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To answer Nikolas... while it is true the auto industry has fallen on hard times and therefore Detroit has been widely abandoned, the reason of the sense of urgency is the violence and crime that follows a civilization in decay.
Many people tried for many years to endure and patiently put forth an effort to bring business and jobs back to the city but to no avail. Some of the business, churches and schools most likely were foreclosed on and the occupants had to evict.
The reasons why the auto industry is in peril is source of debate but it wasn't just Detroit that was affected as they were auto plants all over the country. The reason can be traced back to a President i actually admire a lot... Kennedy.
For instance when Kennedy signed the Free Trade Act early in his presidency, 5 auto plants in California closed down in less than a decade and many more followed across the country.
The free trade act coupled with President Woodrow Wilson's removal of the equatable tariffs allowed foreign imports to be poured into America at far less quality, safety and prices than what we produce. Many countries that made the various products did not pay what the workers as much as American workers because they had no advocates such as unions to make sure they weren't taken advantage of so many products are still made with slave labor. How can any democratic republic compete with that?
The fact of the matter is that greed is destroying cities like Detroit. Greed of large companies and politicians that would rather pay a worker in India 1 dollar a day to make a rubber chicken than an american 20 bucks an hour so he can feed his family.
Hows that for patriotism?
Charles Walter Model W (190)
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.†J.S. Bach
"I just want to know, if we came from monkeys and apes, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?" George Carlin
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Dave
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To answer Nikolas... while it is true the auto industry has fallen on hard times and therefore Detroit has been widely abandoned, the reason of the sense of urgency is the violence and crime that follows a civilization in decay.
Many people tried for many years to endure and patiently put forth an effort to bring business and jobs back to the city but to no avail. Some of the business, churches and schools most likely were foreclosed on and the occupants had to evict.
The reasons why the auto industry is in peril is source of debate but it wasn't just Detroit that was affected as they were auto plants all over the country. The reason can be traced back to a President i actually admire a lot... Kennedy.
For instance when Kennedy signed the Free Trade Act early in his presidency, 5 auto plants in California closed down in less than a decade and many more followed across the country.
The free trade act coupled with President Woodrow Wilson's removal of the equatable tariffs allowed foreign imports to be poured into America at far less quality, safety and prices than what we produce. Many countries that made the various products did not pay what the workers as much as American workers because they had no advocates such as unions to make sure they weren't taken advantage of so many products are still made with slave labor. How can any democratic republic compete with that?
The fact of the matter is that greed is destroying cities like Detroit. Greed of large companies and politicians that would rather pay a worker in India 1 dollar a day to make a rubber chicken than an american 20 bucks an hour so he can feed his family.
Hows that for patriotism?
Well, obviously it's an extremely complicated issue, and indeed, valid arguments exist on both sides. Overall though, I believe it's the right thing to do.
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I'm curious Ling, what exactly are you referring to when you say "its the right thing to do?"
Charles Walter Model W (190)
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.†J.S. Bach
"I just want to know, if we came from monkeys and apes, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?" George Carlin
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