America's Thanksgiving Parade: 88 years strong
Since 1924, Detroit has hosted America's Thanksgiving Parade and this year, like it was in 1973, will be no different.
In 1973, America's Thanksgiving Parade made its way down Detroit's historical Woodward Avenue. As the floats, bands, and entertainers marched on, this group of children sat on a brick sidewalk, taking in the amazing show.
It shares the honor of being the second oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. The tradition was started in 1924 by Hudsons's after success of a Santa Claus parade in Toronto.
In 1943 and 1944, it was suspended because of material shortages caused by World War II. Hudson's resumed the parade in 1945 and continued the tradition until 1979 when it became too expensive. Four years later, Hudson's downtown location closed for good.
However, the parade is alive and well thanks to the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.
The above photo is part of a series called Documenting Detroit. From 1972 to 1984, the Detroit Historical Museum partnered with the Center for Creative Studies (now the College for Creative Studies) to create Documenting Detroit. Students explored aspects of documentary photography using the people and landscape of Detroit as their subjects. Many of the photographs were exhibited at the museum, and all became part of the Detroit Historical Society Collection.