Downtown Detroit Skyline and Hotels Madison-Lenox from Grand Circus Park (Circa 1924)

An elevated perspective across downtown Detroit rooftops toward Madison Avenue and the illuminated Hotels Madison-Lenox sign. — Downtown Detroit Skyline and Hotels Madison-Lenox from Grand Circus Park (Circa 1924) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Shooting from an upper floor near Grand Circus Park, Donald A. Hall Sr. recorded this expansive view of the downtown Detroit hotel and theater district along Madison Avenue. Dominating the skyline is the Renaissance Revival brick facade of the historic Madison-Lenox Hotel, complete with its prominent illuminated rooftop signage. The negative preserves the booming urban landscape of Detroit during the mid-1920s when Hall contributed to pioneering all-metal commercial aviation at Dearborn.