Modern technology allows us to look at an old film in new ways. A mix of HD upscaling, colorization, stabilization, and other methods makes these images from Detroit, Michigan, in the 1920s appear much more modern. The restorer artificially adds the sound. The exact date on display in this movie isn’t available, but the YouTube comments suggest that it might be a montage of vignettes from different times.
In terms of automobiles, it’s shocking how many examples of the Ford Model T are on the roads in this video. While not the only cars on display, they dominate the streets in this period.
The Model T went into production in 1908 and remained in assembly through 1927. Since this video comes from various times in the ’20s, we are roughly seeing the height of the Tin Lizzie during the model run.
Beyond the many examples of Model T, Detroit’s roads include lots of street cars, a few double-decker busses, and even a couple of horsecarts. At the three-minute mark, watch as a car narrowly avoids a collision with a street-cleaning truck.
There are also lots of glimpses of everyday life in Detroit in the 1920s. There are people coming from or going to work. At an open-air market, people buy live chickens. A large playground looks like a deathtrap by modern standards, but the kids seem to be having lots of fun.
After getting a bird’s-eye view of the city, the theme of the video transitions to Detroit’s waterfront. A big ship has “City of Cleveland III” prominently on the side. The site Historic Detroit describes it as “one of the finest passenger liners to ever sail the Great Lakes.” Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co operated the watercraft. The maiden journey was on June 4, 1908. A crash in 1950 took it out of service.
