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Strong Images Comprehensively Depict "The Ruins of Detroit"

By Rain Noe - May 3, 2012

in Photography

Photographer Kevin Bauman's "100 Abandoned Houses" project showed the empty domiciles of Detroit, but French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre have gone further: Their photo book The Ruins of Detroit is far more chilling because it displays the disintegration of livelihood at every level. It's one thing to see empty houses, but Marchand and Meffre's shots show abandoned banks, train stations, dentist's offices, police stations, ballrooms, hotels, schools, churches and more.

Over the past generation Detroit has suffered economically worse than any other of the major American cities and its rampant urban decay is now glaringly apparent during this current recession. Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre documented this disintegration, showcasing structures that were formerly a source of civic pride, and which now stand as monuments to the city's fall from grace.

"Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes, small pieces of history in suspension. The state of ruin is temporary by nature, the volatile result of the end of an era and the fall of empires. This fragility, the time elapsed but even so running fast, lead us to watch them one very last time: being dismayed, or admiring, wondering about the permanence of things. Photography appeared to us as a modest way to keep a little bit of this ephemeral state."

Alas, while people left Detroit because work was in short supply, Marchand and Meffre's book is scarce because people can't get enough of it. Until publisher Steidl kicks off its fourth print run, The Ruins of Detroit is currently sold out.

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Scott

12 years ago

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I went to design school in Detroit, grew up two hours north in Mid Michigan, and my dad worked on the assembly lines for GM. Its a shame what's happened to the state as a whole, however I don't believe I've known more hardworking, strong and hopeful people. Although I'm on the west cost, I'm still and always a Michigander.
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Mistry

12 years ago

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Its interesting to see manufacturing being diverted from Detroit to the South. Mercedes, Kia and BMW have factories in the South and is bringing a lot of money to these smaller cities. Are these factories not as Unionized as the ones in the North?
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paul

12 years ago

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Of course, it's convenient to ignore the fact that labor unions and progressive policies built all that stuff: it has only fallen to ruin with the rise of vulture capitalism, the MBA trend with labor as just another cost to be trimmed, industry consolidation, and the sense of entitlement to "Lower Prices. Always."

The expectation of lower prices, no matter what, is a big piece of this: raw materials cost what they cost but with advent of containerized shipping and the internet, things can be made wherever the labor is cheapest. That means jobs are exported and cities based on manufacturing are hollowed out.

As for Boeing leaving Chicago, why wouldn't they? They left Seattle without looking back. Maybe if they had competition, they would have to, you know, compete for sales rather than cheaper labor and tax subsidies.

Consolidation is antithetical to capitalism and markets and that's what we have. Two commercial airliner makers in the world: does that make sense? In the US, how many national banks? Four. How many national telcos? From the seven baby bells and Ma Bell, we're down to four. Railroads, carmakers, cable networks, etc.: less competition, more anti-competitive behavior.

I don't think the NLRB is to blame here.
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Tom Mc

12 years ago

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Dan:

Chicago is on its way! The news keeps it secret but businesses can't leave this state fast enough.

Politicians and liberals just don't understand business. Why should they? They are entitled, after all. And so pride comes before the fall.
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thom

12 years ago

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I'd always been curious to see just how extensive this kind-of-thing is in Detroit. It was fascinating to finally visit, with camera firmly in hand, and see these hulking ghosts at nearly every turn, the lonely GM building glittering in the background. I always thought the train depot was IN the main city a la Grand Central, but it was almost stranger to realize it stands alone by the highway, gutted, waiting to fall.
Baltimore is almost worse, but bombed out row houses have nothing on the infrastructure of an entire industry.
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Dan

12 years ago

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Absolutely heartbreaking, especially as a native Michigander. If we have another term with progressives and labor unions at the helm of this country I'm sad to say I think we'll find the remainder of the U.S. a stark resemblance in the not too distance future. Can't wait to see Boeing plants looking like this in the next decade or so as France and China take over the commercial aerospace industry while labor unions and the NLRB destroy YET another industry in the U.S. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014824566_charleston21.html
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