Fading Ads of Detroit - by Betty Weibel Paperback

Book Synopsis

Detroit Free Press journalist Robert Allen sifts through these advertising fossils, exposing the gripping stories connected to the Motor City's historic rises, falls and eccentricities.

Across Detroit, fleeting symbols of the past hide in plain sight, behind weeds and under veneers of paint. Demolishing a vacant building among empty storefronts on the west side uncovered the telltale gold and green of a Vernors Ginger Ale sign, preserved almost as vibrantly as the artist intended. In faded red, white and blue, Mac-O-Lac Paint makes an expired pitch to passersby on Gratiot near Eastern Market. On the east side, Mohawk Rock and Rye still declares itself the World's Finest! Carhartt, Stroh's and Faygo appear in odd, deserted places.

About the Author

Robert C. Allen writes about crime, history, disasters and craft beer for Detroit Free Press. He has covered wildfires, floods, the Flint water crisis, the Standing Rock pipeline protest and the consumption of more than one thousand craft beers. He has won numerous awards and been featured in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the Denver Post, the Arizona Republic, the Indianapolis Star, the Des Moines Register, the Cincinnati Enquirer and others. He lives in Ferndale, Michigan, with his wife, Rachel. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, his interests include barbecue, football and the wilderness.