From the Collection

The First State In and the First State Out

Posted December 1, 2021 by Anonymous (not verified)

Michigan was the first state to ratify Prohibition, but it was also the first state to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition. 

The Fisher Family Story

Posted November 16, 2021 by Kayla Draper

The Fisher Body company is one of the most influential and important autobody producers in automotive history. Learn more about the family that sparked a century’s worth of innovation. 

The Iconic Fisher Body Carriage

Posted November 16, 2021 by Anonymous (not verified)

The Fisher Body Company, one of the most significant auto part producers in Detroit history, had a reputation for craftsmanship, luxury, and style. To represent these qualities, the glamorous Napoleonic coach was chosen as a fitting emblem for the auto body firm. 

The Society's Most Requested Images

Posted November 12, 2021 by Anonymous (not verified)

To date, the Society has scanned and photographed more than 50,000 objects which are now available for viewing around the clock, and around the world, by anyone with an internet connection! 

Haunted History: Detroit's Horror Movies

Posted October 26, 2021 by Kayla Draper

When you think of Detroit, you might think of cars or sports, but the city is also a generator of horror films! This is our list of the top horror movies related to the city of Detroit.

Haunted History: The Crow

Posted October 26, 2021 by Anonymous (not verified)

While today’s media landscape is dominated by comic book characters, it was actually an independent creator from Detroit who beat the Avengers and the Justice League to the punch on the silver screen.  In 1989, Detroit’s own James O’Barr debuted his character The Crow in a locally-published comic book.  From that initial seed would spring follow-up comic series, novels, a video game, a television series, four feature films, and perpetual rumors of a modern film remake. 

Haunted History: Devil's Night

Posted October 25, 2021 by Kayla Draper

The night before Halloween — on October 30, was once considered Devil’s Night in Detroit. Devil’s Night for Detroiters was marked with flames and fear, but later was recognized as an example of the power of community. 

Know Your Hats: A Quick History of Men’s Hats 1790 to Present

Posted July 2, 2020 by Jeremy Dimick

 

The Detroit Historical Society Collection is home to approximately 1,800 hats: Men’s, women’s, children’s, winter, summer, military, formal, casual, etc. These function as a critical part of the larger Costume and Textile collection which, at 20,000 artifacts strong, is the single largest grouping of objects in our holdings. A good chunk of the 1,800 hats were sold from Detroit department stores or were created by local designers, but the majority of them were collected to serve as representatives of certain periods and styles. 

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