Michigan’s Automobile Factories, 1900-1961 – 3/8/10 – Edited by Doug Aikenhead

The industrial adventurers and entrepreneurs who launched Michigan’s automobile industry came from various backgrounds. Some of them began as carriage makers, like William C. Durant who would go on to found General Motors in 1908. The earliest automobiles, like their horse-drawn predecessors, were constructed largely from wood and were built individually until the assembly line evolved to accelerate production and incorporate standardized, mass-produced parts. As automobile manufacturing progressed, the role of the worker changed from traditional craftsman to skilled assembly line specialist. This series of historical photographs traces the evolution of Michigan automobile factories from 1900 until 1961.

The Deli Guy – 1/26/10 – Photos and audio by Roy Feldman

Reasons why Alex Yushkovsky left the Ukraine were to avoid violent anti-Semitism and his father’s refusal to join the Communist party. Alex is now part owner of a delicatessen in Royal Oak, from which he imparts to us some deli lore and a little philosophy in his quest to find the American dream.

Early Automobile Photography – 1/11/10 – Automotive photography by Walter Farnyk. Classroom photography by Doug Aikenhead. Audio/video production by Eric Smith

In the early 1950s, General Motors photographer Walter Farynk and colleagues in other studios pioneered techniques that helped feed the American appetite for automobiles. In the 1970s, Walter began his second career, educating the next generation of commercial and fine art photographers. Jim Secreto narrates a sampling of Walter Farynk’s professional work and pictures of him in action as a teacher.

The Horse Doctor – 1/5/10 – Photos and audio by Roy Feldman

Dr. Roland Thaler and his wife Bonnie run a successful equine veterinary practice based in Metamora, Michigan’s Horse Country.

WPA Art in Michigan – 12/21/09 – Photos by Dirk Bakker

Roosevelt’s “Public Works of Art Project” began in 1933 and was responsible for the painting of dozens of murals in Michigan’s post offices and other government buildings. Dirk Bakker began photographing “WPA” art in Michigan in 1978, eventually documenting over 50 WPA projects across the state.

The Artist: Stephen Magsig – 12/3/09 – Photos and audio by Roy Feldman

Everyday Stephen Magsig creates an oil painting of urban Detroit, and soon he will have completed his 800th painting.

Parade in Waiting – 11/19/09 – Photos by Eric Smith

The Thanksgiving Parade that fills Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit for several hours every year is actually an ongoing work in progress that has delighted spectators for decades.

Home – 11/9/09 – Photos by Austin R. Hermann

A pictographic examination of Michigan’s current economic housing crisis, with interviews from each participating member.

What We Eat: It’s Your Choice – 10/5/09 – Photos by Eric Smith

A look at the obesity crisis in Michigan.