Lost Ann Arbor - New Paintings from Asha Jordan
"I recently put on a show in downtown Ann Arbor on Main Street called Being Black in America: Ann Arbor Edition. It entailed the black experience in its entirety. Lost Ann Arbor puts more focus on the history. It includes pieces of artwork that focus on the Black history of Ann Arbor, the accomplishments, the stories of our ancestors, and how they have come to Ann Arbor and their experience." - Painter Asha Jordan
The paintings Asha created for Lost Ann Arbor below are also currently available to view in a virtual gallery from Saganverse. A walkthrough video of this gallery was also created to enable a permanent record of the exhibit.
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Being Black in Ann Arbor |
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502 N. 5th AVE "Thomas and Janie Ross resided in a home on 5th ave. Their name was on the deed but the landowner told them to either pick the house up and take it off his land or move out. From the fear inflicted they just left." |
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North Side AA "Asian Americans were weaponized to oppress Black People, they were given loans to open businesses in Black communities. Even though Black People were not able to receive loans in their own community." - An Asian American |
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The Lost |
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Cousin Charlene "What did it look like to live in Ann Arbor as a black woman? BLACK WOMEN IN THE 80s SOMEWHERE IN ANN ARBOR." |
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AAA on Main Street "Posing across the street from the big house. Being unapologetically Black was a lifestyle never forget. Roy Campbell, Carlene Campbell, and Bobby Ross." |
Media
Was Here / Now Gone - A film by IS/LAND
"Was Here / Now Gone is an experimental film by AAPI performance collective IS/LAND. With some members of IS/LAND having grown up in Ann Arbor during the 1980s, there is a keen sense of how much the city has transformed over the last forty years. With many storefronts and institutions that were cultural anchors (Borders, Schoolkids Records, Stucchi’s, etc.) from the city now gone, Was Here / Now Gone is both an elegy for a time now past but also an exploration of how memory itself can both secure and tether us to the past.
Monochromatic images from the past twist in our memory and collide with kaleidoscopic footage composed of multiple hours of vibrant imagery documenting while walking through the city—these multilayers of imagery merge into kinetic landscapes of the past's echoes, colliding and merging with the present day.
The idea of what was used to be there and what’s there now, and how we can see it as an appreciation of it being part of our lives, is at the same time a reality of change and how culture changes. Our hope is that this film encourages our audience to live grounded in gratitude for what came before while also embracing the potential of this city’s future." - Filmmakers Chien-An Yuan, Kyunghee Kim, S Jean Lee
Visuals + Sound: Chien-An Yuan
Voice + Poem: Kyunghee Kim
Producer: S Jean Lee
Photos from the AADL's Ann Arbor Historical Signs Collection
Ceramic Leaves and Leaflets from Native Tree Species by Neha Chheda
Upon moving to Ann Arbor a few years ago, I was immediately struck by all the large, mature trees. Watching them respond to the change of the seasons is fascinating. My eye is drawn from the excitement of the first fuschia flowers of the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) in spring to the towering Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) that ripen so much fruit at the height of summer, from the large Maples (Acer rubrum and Acer saccharum) that turn bright red and yellow in autumn to the Swamp White Oaks (Quercus bicolor) that hold tight their crisp browned leaves until February. There's always something beautiful to observe in the trees that live among us.
The shape and structure of plants and leaves have always interested me, and when I started working with clay, I was most often inspired by nature's forms. For this project, the process of finding the actual native leaves was not always straightforward. While the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan both have helpful interactive online tree maps (here and here), once I found a tree, there was still the problem of getting the leaves. If the tree was too tall, maybe I would find some on the ground, but more often than not, I would have to go back to the map and find a shorter tree. The process got a little easier when my partner, Andrew Clapper, helped me by downloading and filtering the underlying data sets using GIS software to identify the most promising specimens.
Each individual piece in this collection was made using a real leaf pressed into stoneware clay using a rolling pin and left to dry. I then carefully peeled the leaf from the clay, revealing an impression that I hand painted with a watercolor underglaze. Next, the pieces were bisque fired, then glazed, before the second and final firing.
One of the most enjoyable parts of this project was visiting areas of Ann Arbor I had never been to in search of specific trees. Many were found by walking in my neighborhood, some via biking, and a few I had to drive to get. You can follow my explorations on the map linked here, which shows where each native species’ leaves were gathered. - Artist Neha Chheda, Samaaj Ceramics
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American Beech |
Basswood |
Bitternut Hickory |
Black Maple |
Black Oak |
Blackgum |
Bur Oak |
Butternut |
Chinkapin Oak |
Cockspur Hawthorn |
Dogwood |
Eastern Red Cedar |
Hackberry |
Ironwood |
Musclewood |
Northern White Cedar |
Pawpaw |
Pignut Hickory |
Red Maple |
Red Oak |
Redbud |
Sassafras |
Shagbark Hickory |
Shingle Oak |
Sugar Maple |
Swamp White Oak |
Sycamore |
Trembling Aspen |
Tulip Tree |
White Oak |
Yellow Birch |
Beauty's in the Eye of the Tree-Holder: A People's Catalog of Ann Arbor's Trees
"Ann Arbor is Tree Town. But which trees are the towniest?
In honor of Ann Arbor’s bicentennial and the Ann Arbor 200 celebration coordinated by the Ann Arbor District Library, we decided to ask residents if they have a favorite individual tree within city limits – and why it was meaningful to them. We made a survey. We shared it widely. Happily, we received a lot of thoughtful responses and selected 20 for this catalog.
We followed respondents’ directions—sometimes exact GPS coordinates, sometimes vague hand waves toward a general wooded area—and found their trees. Some were exceptionally big, or colorful, or otherwise stand-out spectacular. Many of the trees our respondents identified may have seemed ordinary at first glance, yet they held deep, personal significance in their lives. To our surprise, the experience of seeing Ann Arbor through our neighbors’ eyes turned out to be profoundly rewarding. It renewed our appreciation for the iconic trees we already knew and loved and it allowed us to marvel at trees we might not have otherwise noticed—but whose acquaintance makes our lives in this city richer, more personal, and more beautiful.
Beauty, as it were, is in the eye of the tree-holder.
This catalog contains a subset of Ann Arborites’ favorite trees, in their own words, paired with custom oil pastel portraits by Jenny. We included a map so readers can behold these special trees and render their lives richer, too. We highly recommend it."
–Jenny Kalejs & Sam Ankenbauer
Recreated Postcards by Artist Anusree Sattaluri
"This project is my interpretation and re-creation of old Ann Arbor photos and postcards of everyday places with a modern twist. While looking through the old photos, I was attracted to those that reminded me of Ann Arbor today despite being from decades ago. I went through many iterations of paintings of both indoor and outdoor spaces and selected these few for this project which to me capture Ann Arbor's natural beauty while introducing some of today's elements into them. These paintings were made using Gouache on Hot Press Paper. " - Artist Anusree Sattaluri
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Dam on the Huron River
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State Street
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Huron River "Where Nature is Instructor"
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Island Park
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View on Huron River
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Black History Bicentennial Mural
About the Mural
Following the Ann Arbor District Library's Call for Artists in 2024, AADL installed its Black History Bicentennial mural on the south side of Library Lane. The community-based project is the culmination of nearly a year of work between AADL staff, the local arts community, and a community review panel featuring Jamall Bufford and Marianetta Porter. Artistic Coordinator Avery Williamson helped lead the project and contributed art for one of the eight panels, which includes work from seven other artists reinterpreting images they selected from the AADL Archives: T'onna Clemons, Scott Wesson Everett, Cheyenne Fletcher, Takeisha Jefferson, Lauren Mills, Rachel Elise Thomas, and Ricky Weaver. Two additional panels were selected for permanent display at the AADL Archives by Asha Jordan and Gyona Rice.
About the Photos
As the creative coordinator for this project, Avery Williamson curated over 50 images from the AADL archives and invited the artists to select a single photograph to reinterpret and make their own. The images chosen were of life in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti from the 1850s to the present. Avery wanted this selection to represent the fullness of life: graduations, protests, parades, theater performances, church services and sporting events. Artists chose images that resonated with them for a diverse set of reasons. Some photographs reminded them of their own experiences or those of their relatives. For other artists, the images spoke to themes they explore in their work outside of this mural – music, dance and childhood. Throughout the process the artists explored their experiences and relationships to this city and region, and the power of art to shape the narrative of a place. In the eight images displayed at the Downtown branch, and the two on the wall of the paper vault at the Archives building, artists elevated joy, play and community. It is our hope that these artists and their work can help us better know the Black history of this region and formulate questions to guide us towards the future we want to live in.
Panels & Artists
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Avery Williamson Ypsilanti, MI |
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Dunbar Center Girls, August 1936 Childhood is childhood regardless of race or color and these youngsters raise their voices in joyful harmony at Dunbar Community center. In 1923, the Reverend R.M. Gilbert, pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, spearheaded the effort that led to the establishment of the Dunbar Community Center. The original intent of the Center was to provide housing for Black laborers working on area roads and University of Michigan building projects. The Center's first building, located at 209-11 North Fourth Avenue, was used primarily for sleeping quarters, but there were also a few areas set aside for club meetings and social events. Gradually the purpose of the Center changed from one of providing temporary housing to that of being a place where Ann Arbor's Black population could gather for social, recreational, and civic activities. In 1926, a new administrator, Mrs. Savonia L. Carson, was appointed Executive Secretary and the Center moved to 1009 East Catherine where it remained until 1937. - Ann Arbor Community Center Records, Bentley Historical Library
What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Joy, embrace, collective" -Avery Williamson |
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Rachel Elise Thomas Detroit, MI
Having a background working with children greatly inspired and influenced this collage. I wanted to emphasize the joy, excitement, and spontaneity of learning and working together. Although this is considered a digital collage, I used crayon and watercolor paint to redesign the students' shirts, giving them a vibrant new appearance that reflects the theme of being in a band. Adding sheet music was a fun element that brought the piece together. The crayon resist paintings and sheet music were scanned, digitized, and assembled in Photoshop." |
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Ann Arbor Community Center band members rehearse for public concert, June 1961 Rousing Rehearsal: Ann Arbor Community Center band members rehearse for a public concert to be presented at 7:30pm Friday on the patio at the center, 625 N. Main St. Dawson Burt directs the band. Rehearsing are (left to right) Mike Dale, Herbert Ellis, Bruce North, Allan Lutz and Jo Ann Baker.
What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Harmony, collaboration, vibrancy" -Rachel Elise Thomas |
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Scott Wesson Everett Detroit, MI
The piece combines my love for music and portraits, using vibrant colors and dynamic lines to capture the “shapes of sounds” these young men create. Inspired by artists who play with movement and vibrancy, like Romare Bearden, I wanted to bring a sense of rhythm and pulse to the composition. In the background, I incorporated the West Park Band Shell, the historic space where these young men once performed, linking the art with the place and the voices that animated it." |
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Ypsilanti Quartet, August 1955 This Ypsilanti quartet will be one of the featured attractions at the talent show at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the West Park band shell. The singers (left to right) are Waverly Chauncey, William Rhan, Albert Roper and Kenny Robinson.
What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Togetherness, Leadership, Joy" -Scott Everett |
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T'onna Clemons Ann Arbor, MI T’onna Clemons is an Ann Arbor based artist specializing in murals, paintings, comic art, videography and design, and president of Youth Art Gallery (Michigan). Finding inspiration in kids and youth, T’onna’s work aims to inspire viewers.
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Children Along The Ypsilanti Christmas Parade Route, December 1954 What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Polaroids, vintage, kids" -T'onna Clemens |
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Lauren McHale Mills Ypsilanti, MI Lauren McHale Mills is a Graduate of Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan. She is based in Ypsilanti and is a freelance artist pursuing her master’s degree. Lauren’s work is narrative driven and ethnographic in nature, while also centering on the history, culture, and literary legacy of Black Americans. This Mazda is a Lemon was my attempt at giving a new life to an archival image that was already powerful on its own. Figuring out the best approach was difficult for me at first, for that very reason. In the planning phases of this piece, I was definitely inspired by Mickalene Thomas' use of mixed media, and Titus Kaphar's use of cut-outs. For this piece, I was striving for balance, but also for a colorful and lively feeling. Earlier this year, I began cutting silhouettes out of wood, to use as the foreground of my portraits. I decided to use this technique here, not only to achieve that palpable dimensional feeling you see here, but also to physically separate the past and the present. Another thing I'd like to point out, is that the car was "painted" with cut paper. This technique is a very exciting first for me, that I will likely continue in the future! The only paint that was used, was acrylic for my uncle's portrait, and latex for the blueish/gray background."
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Paul Wasson Drives a "Lemon" Mazda in Ypsilanti, August 1975 What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Pimp-liscious, laidback, comical" -Lauren McHale Mills |
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Takeisha Jefferson Detroit, MI Takeisha Jefferson is a full-time exhibiting artist and international portrait photographer from Ypsilanti, Michigan. She studied Fine Arts and is a proud, disabled Air Force veteran. Her main medium is photography printed on archival paper, and she is inspired by some of the earliest forms of photography, whose unique and timeless qualities are reflected in her work. My piece was influenced by artists such as Lina Iris Viktor, who often uses gold halos to elevate Black figures, and Harmonia Rosales, known for reimagining classic themes with Black representation. I chose vibrant colors to honor the richness of Black heritage, and the gold halos symbolize reverence and divine dignity for the women in this portrait. The figures are members of my own family, which speaks to the theme of generational connection, and I included my elementary school music teacher at the piano as a tribute to her influence on my early love for music." |
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Dunbar Civic Center Quintet, May 1944 The Dunbar Civic Center Quintet, which will broadcast over WJR between 9:15 and 9:45 tomorrow morning and sing for the Center Celebration at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, is shown practicing for their performances. They are, left to right, Colene Bacon, Edith McFadden, Arlena Scott, Theodosia Lee, and Hortense Bacon. Mrs. Virginia Lee Ellis, director, is at the piano.
What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Legacy, Heritage and Luminary" -Takeisha Jefferson |
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Ricky Weaver Detroit, MI Ricky Weaver is a photography based Artist born and raised in Ypsilanti. Her object-oriented work challenges the viewer’s understanding of space and time and gives space for picturing images that extends beyond the photograph. Her work questions how body, hymn, scripture, and the everyday appear as image and how that image functions as both archive and vessel. Arthur Jaffa's cinematography in Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust inspired the overall aesthetic appearance of the image. I wanted to reference this important conversation migration as most folks I know had grandparents that migrated here from the south. I wanted to reinforce the idea of generational connection between us as a community no matter where we are, there is something that ties us together." |
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Dancers Strike a Pose at the African American Downtown Festival, June 1998 What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Black, girls, share" -Ricky Weaver |
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Cheyenne Fletcher Ypsilanti, MI Cheyenne Fletcher is an Ann Arbor based artist. Informed by their work as a Library Technician at Ann Arbor District Library, Cheyenne’s art is narrative driven, drawing on their own experiences to inform their characters and establish stories. I am typically inspired by the color palettes of Kerry James Marshall, Ayako Rokkaku, Faith Ringgold, and Hideyuki Tanaka. I wanted to keep the dancer's original leotards in my piece, so I lifted those from the photo. I'm a big fan of highly saturated colors, so I think keeping those black leotards in allowed me to stay faithful to the original photograph while still adding in an interesting element (i.e. texture). For the background, I layered in string as I often do with my pieces. I also took a picture of my friend's braids to layer onto the curtains of my piece. I'm ultimately interested in physical and cultural forms of connection." |
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Phil Stamps, Ann Arbor Recreation Department, Teaching African American Dance at Jones School, 1968 What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Motion, follow, youth" -Cheyenne Fletcher |
Other Works
Artists Asha Jordan and Gyona Rice contributed works that were selected for permanent installation on the wall of the paper vault at the AADL Archives building.
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Asha Jordan System 80 through the lens Ann Arbor, MI Instagram: @jordan.nik.art Asha Jordan is an Ann Arbor native whose family roots to the area date back five generations. She is a freelance artist who finds opportunities to create representation in her home city. "My favorite place to go in Ann Arbor was the library. I felt safe to be myself and free to be black. The computers and reading programs we had on them felt like a virtual adventure where my imagination took over. I see these little girls reading on this old school reading device and could only imagine how cool they thought it was back then. When I was 11 years old drawing the power puff girls, my art teacher seen me drawing and said "You're going to be a famous artist one day." I have been pursuing my career ever since. I took it so serious that I joined the arts league of Michigan at age 12 and did the Ann Arbor art fair every year up until I was 17. I also studied with college students at the age of 15 to perfect my craft. From age 12 I had my mentors Hubert Massey and Henry Heading as my inspiration and teachers to become the artist I am today." |
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Reading Lab at Perry School, Ypsilanti, January 1976 What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Black Girl Joy" -Asha Jordan |
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Gyona Rice Handcrafted in Pride Westland, MI https://gyonarice.my.canva.site/portfolio-artwork Instagram: @gyonarice Gyona Rice is a graphic designer and multidisciplinary artist who is passionate about creating innovative designs that bring ideas to life. She enjoys working in different artistic mediums, and each piece is deeply personal and rooted in her family’s history and the experiences of Black women. "As a multimedia artist and printmaker, I explore Black identity and heritage through the innovative use of materials. This piece, inspired by a photograph of two young brothers in a parade, serves as a heartfelt tribute to the Black community that once flourished in Ann Arbor. The artwork delves into themes of patriotism, childhood, and Black pride, using fabric and paper to recreate the paper-decorated float from the photograph. By incorporating American flag patterns and denim, I highlight the community’s contributions and sense of belonging. The mixed media approach—blending rich textures with delicate details—invites viewers to connect with the vibrant spirit of this community and reflect on its enduring legacy and impact. What drew me to the archive photograph for this project was my realization that, despite living in Michigan my entire life, I never recognized Ann Arbor as a significant Black community. Learning about its history touched my heart and highlighted how a city can erase its past. This discovery inspires much of my art, as I strive to tell the stories of unheard or underrepresented voices. I felt that my artistic skills would be a perfect way to honor these narratives and showcase that they, too, were a part of this community. This piece is a recreation of a photograph of two young brothers on a parade float, beautifully decorated with paper made by the women in their community. Inspired by the incredible work of artists like Judy Bowman, Bisa Butler, and Deborah Roberts—who use paper and fabric to explore Black identity. I wanted to honor the creativity and love those women put into creating the paper parade float. To symbolize American pride and the patriotism of this Black family, I chose materials like denim and fabrics with American flag patterns, both of which are prominent in American culture. By simplifying the boys' features, I aimed to make their figures stand out as powerful symbols of resilience and patriotism, even in a world that may not have fully embraced them. The layers of fabric and paper not only bring the boys' float to life but also celebrate the joy and determination of Black families who proudly embraced their country while continuing to claim their rightful place within it. This artwork serves as a vibrant reminder of their legacy and the enduring spirit that lives on today, inviting you to reflect on the rich history and contributions of the Black community that used to live in Ann Arbor." |
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Eldridge & Zonnechris Askew In The Bethel A.M.E. Nursery School Parade, August 19, 1949
RIDE IN PARADE: Eldridge Askew, 3, and his little brother, Zonnechris, 22 months old, rode in a paper-decorated wagon yesterday in the parade that climaxed summer activities at the Bethel A.M.E. nursery school. A plan to continue to the nursery school through the winter is now being discussed.
What 3 words come to mind when you look at your chosen archival image? "Joy, Heritage, and Resilience" -Gyona Rice |
Media
Craig Walsh: Monuments
This short from filmmaker Fred Culpepper documents the creation of the Monuments public art installation from artist Craig Walsh. Walsh was commissioned to create a set of his living sculptures in celebration of Ann Arbor's bicentennial. Those chosen to be represented in the project were community leaders Bonnie Billups Jr., Joyce Hunter, and Martin Contreras & Keith Orr. This video provides in introduction to these figures as it tracks Walsh in the capturing of source material and the installation of his large-scale, temporary public sculpture piece. The installation was on view in Albert Wheeler Park September 4-8, 2024.
Natural Ann Arbor: A Map by Marcy Marchello
Ann Arbor 200 is proud to debut a newly-created piece that is both a map and a work of art: the Natural Ann Arbor Map by Marcy Marchello. The Natural Ann Arbor Map focuses on the nature of Ann Arbor, featuring both contemporary and historical elements. It is an expression of place, rather than a navigational tool, highlighting the Huron River, parks, trails, wildlife and more. Hand-drawn illustrations and text form a mosaic of information that opens the viewer to new understanding.
The Natural Ann Arbor Map is available for sale as an art print and provides alternative frames of reference compared to conventional road maps. Marcy’s map is oriented to the watershed and historical paths of travel through the area. You won’t find most of the built elements in town you are used to seeing and yet you are likely to see something new with multiple viewings!
The Natural Ann Arbor Map evolved over 8 years, through Marcy's explorations while in town visiting family, online research, and 500 hours in the studio. Everything on the map was drawn multiple times to position elements for lively interaction and meaning.
Marcy is thrilled to offer the Natural Ann Arbor Map to the community during Ann Arbor’s bicentennial year. The art print is available in both black and white ($40) and in color ($75), in a 24” x 36” size, printed with soy-based inks on 30% post-consumer waste recycled paper. The color edition can be purchased downtown at Found Gallery. Both maps can be purchased online at Ferncliff Studio on Etsy. You can learn more about Marcy and how she developed the map on the Ferncliff Studio site.
About the Artist:
Marcy is an Ann Arbor native who grew up in Dixboro and lives in Massachusetts, where she is an adaptive outdoor recreation manager for Massachusetts State Parks. While her livelihood is in service to quality of life for others, she has been an artist and naturalist since childhood. Born of two very creative parents - both graduates of the U of M School of Art - Marcy’s graphic arts have taken various forms, including cards and stationery, nature journaling, and custom maps of natural places.
Marcy recalls, “As a child, while riding in the backseat of the family car, I noticed how the cloverleaf at Plymouth Road and I-23 had brought about a change in the landscape compared to what it must have been previously. I always wanted to go back in time to experience the landscape as it was before Europeans came. This map both celebrates present nature and offers a sense of peeling back time to reveal some of the underpinnings of the area.”
She attended Huron H.S. (‘76-‘79) and the U of M School of Art briefly, worked at Ulrich’s Books as an art department manager, then left Ann Arbor to pursue her “collage” degree. Marcy traveled on the National Audubon Expedition Institute for 2 years, followed by a year at Prescott College in Arizona, earning a B.S. in Environmental Education from Lesley College (now University) in Cambridge, MA.
With much gratitude, Marcy thanks the following people for their time and support in evaluating the project in process:
- Becky Hand, Natural Area Preservation
- Bev Willis and John Kilar, Washtenaw County Historical Society
- Dave Szczygiel, Ann Arbor Public Schools
- Andrew MacLaren, Ann Arbor District Library
- Paul Steen, Huron River Watershed Council
- Anita Daly, Huron River Watershed Council
Bicentennial Blocks Papercraft
If you've been in any AADL branches lately, you have probably seen the large cardboard blocks that can be stacked up to construct some of the most iconic buildings around Ann Arbor. If you know how to have fun, you've even played with them! Read our coverage of the project in Pulp to learn more about how these came about, including how AADL selected the seven buildings from the hundreds of possibilities around town.
What you might not have noticed is that these blocks are also available for you to take home and cut out to create your very own (smaller) cardboard block Ann Arbor on your own desk or bookshelf. But maybe you can't make it in to a branch to grab your own? Well we here at Ann Arbor 200 have you covered! Below you will find links to the pdf versions of each of these sets of blocks that you can print at home on regular old 8 1/2 by 11 paper. Want to color them in with your preferred palette? Print them in black and white! Want to create your own frankenstein versions of Ann Arbor's great buildings? Print a whole bunch and stack to your hearts content!
We've also included here the text you will find on each set of blocks so you can learn a bit about each building (even if papercraft isn't your thing). All of the text on these blocks comes from the premiere source for the history of our local architecture, Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide by Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley.
Enjoy playing with your own bicentennial blocks and see the buildings you've walked past for years in a whole new way!
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Burton Memorial Tower, 1936
881 N University Ave The 10-story limestone sheath, an obelisk in the Art Deco style with a pointed copper cap and clocks on each of its four sides, was designed by the Detroit architect Albert Kahn and begun in 1935. Burton Tower originally was going to be much taller and it’s believed that Kahn’s design was highly influenced by his friend Eliel Saarinen. The Depression affected the funding, which resulted in the building we see (and hear) today. |
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YMCA Building, 1904
110 N Fourth Ave Designed by Pond and Pond, with elements of the Italian Renaissance Revival and Beaux Arts styles, this building was home to the YMCA from 1904 to 1959. The building originally housed a swimming pool in the basement and a gymnasium on the top floor. Pond and Pond was founded by brothers Irving K. and Allen B. Pond of Ann Arbor. They designed numerous buildings in Chicago, as well as a number of Ann Arbor landmarks. Pond and Pond were known for their elaborate brickwork, which can be seen in the YMCA building with its contrasting layers of hard-fired glazed brick, red brick, and limestone. The glazed brick is utilized on the street level, and is continued upward in the striped, brick pilasters and corner quoins. In 1959, the YMCA moved to a new building on Fifth Avenue and William (since demolished). Today the old YMCA building serves as the Washtenaw County Annex. |
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First National Building, 1929
201 S Main St The First National Bank was the first bank chartered in Michigan under the National Bank Act of 1863. After occupying other spaces, they built their own building only to succumb to economic realities during the Depression. |
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Hill Auditorium, 1913
825 N University Ave Kahn used a special reinforced concrete system developed by his brother Julius (who had two degrees from U-M) known as the “Kahn Bar.” The building underwent a major renovation and was re-dedicated in 2004. Hill has been the centerpiece of the cultural scene in Ann Arbor since its opening in 1913. |
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First National Bank Block / Goodyear's, 1867
120-124 S Main St For almost 100 years this building was known as “Goodyear’s” because of the department store that over the 20th century eventually occupied the entire building. Goodyear’s was the major retail anchor of downtown for almost a century. It closed in 1983. |
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Michigan Central Railroad Depot, 1886
401 Depot St The station was a port of entry into Ann Arbor for visiting students, tourists, and presidents of the United States. Cabs met them there and traveled up State Street to the main campus. Soldiers left from here during both world wars. After World War II, passenger service declined and the station closed in 1967. In 1968, Chuck Muer bought the property and restored it, opening a seafood restaurant with a railroad theme called the Gandy Dancer. |
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Glazier Building, 1906
100 S Main St Frank Glazier was the State Treasurer in 1906, but was jailed over corruption charges for using state funds to build this building and pad his own bank. The Panic of 1907 caused the collapse of his financial empire and in 1910 he was convicted of embezzlement and sent to Jackson Prison. |
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Celebration and Recognition: A Woven Portrait of Local Female Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Businesswomen - Original Collage
"This collage celebrates the seen and unseen female leaders, entrepreneurs, and businesswomen of Ann Arbor." - Johanna Liao, Collage artist
Title: Celebration and Recognition - A Woven Portrait of Local Female Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Businesswomen
Dimensions: 40"x32"
Materials: Paper, Fabric, Yarn, Thread
The following images were selected by the artist and used in the creation of this collage, from left to right (top to bottom):
- New Women Bus Drivers to Help With Manpower Shortage, September 1943
- Weights and Scales Lesson at Perry School, Ypsilanti, January 1976
- Judith A. Goodman Addresses National Council of Negro Women Local Chapter, February 1976
- League of Women Voters Members With Posters, March 1969
- Dr. Eliza Mosher, first Dean of Women
- Christine Liu - Author Of 'More Nutritional Chinese Cooking', September 1982
- Lola Jones, April 1972
- Hairdresser Vicki Honeyman, 1998
- League of Women Voters Members With Posters, March 1969
- Cheryl Bass-Lee Plays With Annise Summerhill At Noah's Ark Learning Center In Ypsilanti, March 22, 1995
- Carol S. Hollenshead - Director Of Center For The Education Of Women, April 1992
- Kun Hui Ko Serves A Kana Customer, November 1983
- Susan Wineberg, March 1978
- Restaurant Owner Beverly Taylor-Glaza Prepares Caribbean Food, January 1994
- Susie Chen - L'Ultima Clothing Boutique, March 1986
- Barfield Cleaning Company, August 24, 1968
- Huron High School Principal Joetta Mial, April 1989
- Miss Emma J. Pratt - New Program Director At The Ann Arbor Community Center, September 1962
- Patricia Wulp, assistant director of the Center for the Education of Women (CEW), May 1974
- Marguerite Bryant - Ann Arbor Trust Building Elevator Operator, August 1960
