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Detroit before the Automobile: The William L. Clements Library Collection

Drawn from the extensive holdings of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan (U-M), this exhibition illustrates the rich history of the city of Detroit through maps, letters, prints, and photographs. From its beginnings as a French outpost to its emergence as a manufacturing powerhouse based on the automobile at the end of the nineteenth century, the exhibition will focus on the city’s growth, its people, and its legacy.