When Robert C. Allen discovered the narratives found in the ads lining antiquated buildings of downtown Detroit, he decided to document his findings and compile them in a new book called “The Fading Ads of Detroit.” Monday, Allen will be sharing these stories with Hillsdale’s campus.
A reporter and editor for Detroit Free Press, Allen uses his investigative skills and story-building abilities to represent the city of Detroit through photographs. He will be sharing the history of old downtown Detroit through these images.
The book’s synopsis says, “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.”
Allen previously wrote for The Coloradoan in Fort Collins, Colorado, where Assistant Director of the Dow Journalism Program Maria Servold was his colleague for about a year.
“Robert was a wonderful colleague and is an excellent reporter and writer. He is always enthusiastic about the next story, and that drive is evident in his new book,” Servold said. “It’s full of stories that will educate and delight readers.”
Join Allen for this Dow Journalism talk this Monday, Sep. 17, at 7 p.m. in Lane 124.
