GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids is getting ready to celebrate 175 years with a big birthday bash on Saturday, showcasing the rich history of the city through a special photo exhibit.
The exhibit features one photograph for each year of the city's existence, offering visitors a chance to step back in time and see how Grand Rapids has changed since its founding.
Grand Rapids City Archive Officer Tony Wright showed FOX 17 its media room that is filled with anywhere from 20-25,000 images. Some of these images date back to the 1800s. Wright helps manage the collection.
"So https://grandrapidsmicityarchives.omeka.net/ has our city for photographs," Wright said.
Wright, along with the archives team including the Grand Rapids Public Library, the Public Museum, the African American Museum, the Historical Commission and the Historical Society, curated a special collection for the anniversary.
"We're going to have 175th anniversary exhibit Grand Rapids, 175 images for 175 years, which means from 1850 to 2025, we have an image for every year to highlight an event, a person, some things that are well known and some things that have been flying under the radar through history,” Wright said.
The exhibit includes one photo representing each year of Grand Rapids' history.
"For fun. I do like the widening of Division Avenue," Wright said.
Wright appreciates this particular photograph because of the construction project.
"In 1928 we actually widened the street so street cars and automobiles could get through. And not only did we have to widen the street, we actually had to cut into some of the buildings as well to make space for the street. So if you think construction is crazy today, you should have been here in 1928," Wright said.
Visitors will see some historic moments captured in time.
"President Ford and Mrs. Ford were at the opening of Frederick Meyer Gardens, we highlight President Ford's funeral," Wright said.
The collection also includes some lighter moments in the city's history.
"We have the advertising. Pop Tarts, from Grand Rapids," Wright said.
The exhibit aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the city's development over nearly two centuries.
"We wanted to make sure that the community as a whole was represented. We wanted to make sure we hit all the highlights. We wanted to make sure that some people who may have been lost to history or events lost to history were covered as well," Wright said.
While Grand Rapids won't celebrate its bicentennial for another 25 years, the archives team encourages residents attending this weekend's birthday bash to capture photos of the celebration. These contemporary images might become part of a future historical exhibit.
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