Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Detroit circa 1911. "Boulevard view, Packard auto plant." Expansion of the Albert Kahn-designed factory building on Grand Boulevard, now an infamous urban ruin. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Here is a picture from inside the bridge. I am very familiar with the Packard plant and have been in the plant many times as I work for a local govt agency that oversees some of the issues there. This bridge is where the cars would go from the body/frame area, across the bridge to the engine plant, where the engines would be installed.
My dad worked there during the war. Packard kept him home being they thought he was too valuable.
The plant's new owner has begun to secure and restore the massive complex.
Trees grow on the roof, now.
The Packard Plant was recently bought by Spaniard Fernando Palazuelo. He plans to rehab the plant; cleanup efforts started in August when he finally got clear title to the property. Successful rehab projects in Madrid and Lima, Peru boost his credibility. Rumors that he is the brother of the Most Interesting Man in the World are untrue.
But still fascinating.
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5