The Founding of the Museum
When attorney and historian Clarence M. Burton donated his collection of historical papers to the Detroit Public Library in 1914, he triggered a chain of events that led to the creation of the Detroit Historical Museum. In December 1921, Burton brought together 19 prominent local historians to found the Detroit Historical Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the city’s history. In 1927, membership offices were leased and treasurer J. Bell Moran was appointed to set up a museum. A curator was hired and on November 19, 1928, the “highest museum in the world” opened in a one-room suite on the 23rd floor of the Barlum Tower, now the Cadillac Tower downtown.
The Museum’s History
Although the Great Depression in the 1930s hit the region hard, the 1940s brought success to efforts to build a permanent museum. In 1942, popular Detroit News columnist George W. Stark became president of the Society. Stark commanded the respect and influence necessary to raise the considerable funds needed to construct a new museum. By 1945, more than $250,000 had been raised and decided to offer both the money raised and the 15,000 item collection to the City of Detroit, in exchange for the city’s agreement to create a historical commission to build and operate the planned museum.
On July 24, 1951, the 250th anniversary of Detroit’s founding, a ceremony took place to dedicate the new museum. In attendance were dignitaries including Governor G. Mennen Williams, Mayor Albert E. Cobo, U.S. Senator Homer Ferguson, the French and British ambassadors and Detroiter Ralph Bunche of the United Nations.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, the Museum became one of the leading cultural institutions in the Midwest through its changing exhibits, tours, special events and educational programs.
Recent History
By the 1990s, the Museum rode a wave of success. In 1993, nearly $4 million for exhibits were raised, educational programs and an endowment fund for the Museum. A new permanent exhibit, made possible by the success of the campaign, opened in 1995 -- The Motor City. This exhibit traces Detroit’s development into the Automobile Capital of the World and includes an operating assembly line with a two-story body drop from the General Motors Cadillac Division Clark Street Plant. In 1998, the Museum opened another permanent exhibition, Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701-1901. This exhibit depicts the city’s first 200 years, as it grew from a French fur trading post to a major industrial center.
More on the Detroit Historical Museum coming soon.