Vintage, early 20th century Singer sewing machine on display in the Lodge House at the Packard Proving Ground.Hilary Davis

Small-Scale 20th Century Design: The Singer Sewing Machine

A different kind of 20th Century engineering! Exploring the Singer sewing machine.
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Check It Out: Continuing the PPG Library Project

Our holdings include a diverse array of print publications, newsletters, magazines, and Packard-original documents that we plan to preserve and protect for the long term.
Color image of people working on the east-facing window of the Lodge House at the Packard Proving Grounds.

A Look Through the Glass: Albert Kahn’s Redesigned Windows

Taking a closer look at the Albert Kahn design for residential and factory buildings - specifically, windows!
Emily R. Benoit
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The Smallest Room in the House: Exploring 20th Century Bathrooms

A public exposé on any house's most private room.
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Albert Kahn, Architect of the Packard Proving Grounds

At the time that Henry Joy picked Albert Kahn to design the Packard factory buildings in Detroit, the German-born Kahn was a young but brilliant architect. He built a reputation for tackling large projects with the construction of Army…
photo of the lodge building after some restoration work had been done, and Hilary Davis is standing in front with a proud smile at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic SiteHilary Davis
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Serendipity – Part 11

Now I am a volunteer at the PPG, giving tours, working on restorations, serving on committees, writing articles.  The site is in good hands and its future is bright.
black and white image of the entrance gate at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site in 1998Hilary Davis
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Serendipity – Part 8

We went to the township government officials to see if they could acquire the property in order to make it a local historic attraction.
black and white image of the Carriage Garage building in terrible disrepair at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic SiteHilary Davis
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Serendipity – Part 6

The Section 106 review puts a halt to demolition while a site is being investigated. 
black and white image of a roadway tunnel on the PPG testing propertyHilary Davis
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Serendipity – Part 4

We drove the test track many times over the next few years, dodging protruding rebar to avoid flattening a tire.
black and white photo of the Repair Garage Building in disrepair taken in 1998Hilary Davis
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Serendipity – Part 3

This was to be the first in a long line of big and little disappointments during the early days of discovering the PPG.