Detroit is a city seething with irony. This beautiful city rose out of the Detroit River on the might of the industrial revolution– yet as that revolution fades into history, so does this city seem to fall right back into the flowing water. Detroit, Michigan swelled to 2 million residents strong at the peak of the auto industry’s growth. Later in 1967, the city was crushed by race riots and a resulting exodus of most of its population into the suburbs. Plants closed, business shuttered, and this misunderstood city fell into a deep depression.
There are some, however, who see beauty in urban decay. Photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre are amongst these ruins seekers whose passion took them to the Motor City. Their photo novel titled “Ruins of Detroit” is a touching look into the pain and beauty this city has in its difficult history. While this city rose to prosperity on the back of industrial progress, these pictures show the high water mark before it sank into a depression of cultural and economic bankruptcy.
