Dan Austin is a former Detroit Free Press columnist and editor, and recently served as Mayor Mike Duggan’s deputy communications director. He has been chronicling Detroit’s history for more than a decade and has also written Lost Detroit and Forgotten Landmarks of Detroit. He runs the online architectural resource HistoricDetroit.org.
"""Greetings from Detroit"" by former Detroit Free Press journalist Dan Austin is an excellent reference and resource book for those who have fond memories of the large metropolis. --Ray Walsh ""Lansing State Journal"" Dan Austin delivers an enjoyable tour of Detroit during the great era of postcards--1890-1930--a period coinciding with vibrant growth and architectural development in the city. The color images show the most memorable structures and popular parks, but also the fleeting moments and trifling views enjoyed by our peers a century ago. Well-researched captions put the scenes in context, making this a valuable addition to any Detroiter's collection. --Joel Stone ""senior curator at Detroit Historical Society"" Dan Austin, former Detroit Free Press journalist, first fell in love with these images of Detroit gone by when a colleague brought in a binder full of them. Thus, a deltiologist (postcard collector) was born. This book charmingly offers over two hundred of these glimpses, each with a very helpful paragraph-long description. The book is organized into geographic sections (East side, West side, Midtown, and Downtown) as well as including chapters on Parks and Steamers. Prepare to set aside a few hours once you open it, as these little works of art, and the stories they tell, are truly captivating. --Susan Eileen Paton ""The Michigan Historical Review"" Old postcards not only give us a nostalgic view of the past, they show us what the past thought worth viewing. Dan Austin gives us the Detroit of the past as it saw itself and as we might like to see it. --William M. Worden"