>> Tati: WHERE TO FIND YOUR FIX FOR MACK ROONS, TOMORROW ON
"LIVE IN THE D."
>>> AS THE WORLD THINKS ABOUT
NOTRE DAME IN PARIS AND THE
DAMAGE DONE TO THE HISTORIC
LANDMARK, THERE ARE CERTAIN
FEATURES OF THE BUILDING THAT
MANY CALL GARGOYLES.
>> Jason: AND WE HAVE OUR OWN
GUARDIANS YOU MAY NOT HAVE
NOTICED.
NOTICED. >> Tati: A LOOK AT THE UNIQUELY
DETROIT FACES.
DETROIT FACES. >> I’VE ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST
IN ARCHITECTURAL SCULPTURE, EVEN
AS A LITTLE KID.
I WOULD SAY WHY IS THAT FACE
THERE?
THERE? WHY IS THAT STATUE THERE?
WHO IS THAT?
I GOT OLDER AND NOTICED MORE
AROUND DETROIT THAT GREW AND
STARTED TAKING PICTURES OF THE
BUILDINGS AND THE SCULPTURE ON
THE BUILDINGS AND SO THE
INTEREST GREW OUT OF THAT.
MY NAME IS JEFF MORRISON, A
PHOTOGRAPHER AND HISTORIAN, AND
I’VE WRITTEN A BOOK CALLED
"GUARDIANS OF DETROIT."
>> AND LOOKING AT THEM WAY UP ON
THE TOP OF THE FISHER BUILDING,
ABOUT 23 STORIES UP AND IT’S
PART OF THE MISSION OF GUARDIANS
OF DETROIT PROJECT.
YOU LOOK AT THEM THROUGH A
TELEPHOTO LENS AND YOU CAN SEE
THEM UP CLOSE AND SEE THE DETAIL
THAT’S ON THEM, THEY LOOK LIKE
THEY WERE CARVED TO BE SEEN BY
PEOPLE STANDING NEXT TO THEM
EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE 23 STORIES
UP.
UP. THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE THAT YOU
DON’T NOTICE.
DON’T NOTICE. I’M LOOKING AT THE EAGLES, ABOUT
20 FLOORS UP.
THEY’RE AMAZING!
THEY’RE AMAZING! IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUILDING
BEHIND US HERE, THE CADILLAC
PLACE NOW, THE OLD GENERAL
MOTORS HEADQUARTERS.
MOTORS HEADQUARTERS. THE SCULPTURE INSIDE THE ARCHES
AND AROUND THE DOORWAYS, IT’S
VERY INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL.
>> AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE
DIFFERENT FACES, GROTESQUE
GARGOYLES.
GARGOYLES. IT HAS A PRACTICAL FUNCTION,
DRAIN SPOTS, ELABORATE ORNATE
DRAIN SPOUNTS.
DRAIN SPOUNTS. TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT THE
CORNER OF TRUMBULL AND MARTIN
LUTHER KING BOULEVARD, AND THE
CHURCH HAS 170 DIFFERENT
CARVINGS ON THE OUTSIDE.
THERE’S SO MUCH HERE THAT MAKES
DETROIT UNIQUE.
DETROIT UNIQUE. PTHERE’S HISTORY AND BEAUTY HERE
THE LESSON IS TO TAKE A LOOK
AROUND AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE
AROUND YOU.
AROUND YOU. I’VE WALKED PAST SO MANY OF
THESE BUILDINGS BEFORE AND
STUNNED FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY
WALK BY WITHOUT SEEING IT.
A LOT TO SEE IF WE JUST LOOK UP.
>> Jason: AND JOINING US IS JEFF
MORRISON.
MORRISON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Jason: AND IF YOU WERE
LISTENING TO MICHIGAN RADIO THE
OTHER DAY, YOU HEARD ABOUT JEFF.
AND I HEARD ABOUT THE GARGOYLES
IS EVIL FLEEING FROM THE GOOD.
>> YOU SEE THE GARGOYLE MOVING
AWAY FROM THE BUILDING SHOWING
THERE’S NO WAY INSIDE FOR BAD
THINGS TO COME.
AND THEY WILL SEE THE DEMON
LEAVING AND BELIEVE THEY SHOULD
LEAVE TOO.
LEAVE TOO. >> Jason: AND SOME WERE IN
DANGER DURING THE WAR, AND A LOT
OF THEM SURVIVED.
>> ON THE OLD WAYNE COUNTY
BUILDING, THE TREASURER WANTED
TO MELT DOWN THE CHARIOTS AND
THOUGHT THEY WERE SOLID BRONZE.
AND ACTUALLY THEY’RE COPPER
SHEETING OVER AN IRON FRAME, SO
THERE WASN’T MUCH USING TO MELT
DOWN AND THERE WAS AN OUTCRY
FROM THE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY.
>> Jason: DO YOU FIND THAT
PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED ONCE THEY
START LOOKING UP OF WHAT THEY
CAN SEE IN THEIR CITY?
>> I THINK SO.
GO TO BALL GAMES A LOT WITH
FRIENDS AND YOU USUALLY HAVE TO
PARK A DISTANCE AWAY.
AND WE’LL WALK TO THE BALLPARK
AND THEY’LL BE POINTING OUT THIS
AND THAT IN PLACES WE’VE WALKED
DOZENS OF TIMES OR HUNDREDS OF
TIMES.
TIMES. AND THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE, AND
IT’S ALWAYS FUN.
>> Jason: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE
YOU TO COMPILE THIS BOOK?
>> I WORKED ON THIS BOOK FOR
ABOUT THREE STRAIGHT YEARS
PRETTY MUCH AS MY FULL-TIME JOB.
>> Jason: WERE YOU A
PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE?
PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE? >> I’VE BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER, MY
DAD GAVE ME A CAMERA AT 9 YEARS
OLD, AND I’VE BEEN A
PHOTOGRAPHER SINCE THEN.
>> Jason: YOU ALSO MADE A
COLORING BOOK OF THE GARGOYLES
SO KIDS CAN GET INVOLVED IN
LOOKING UP.
LOOKING UP. ARE THESE EASY TO SEE WITH THE
NAKED EYE OR DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE
A ZOOM LENS?
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE
BUILDING.
BUILDING. SOME OF THE BUILDINGS, THERE IS
SUCH -- AGAIN, ON THE WAYNE
COUNTY BUILDING, THERE’S A
SCULPTURE 5 STORIES UP THAT IT’S
VERY DETAILED.
VERY DETAILED. IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S MEANT TO BE
VIEWED UP CLOSE BUT IT’S FIVE
STORIES UP
STORIES UP SO IF YOU HAVE A PAIR OF
BINOCULARS OR A TELEPHOTO LENS,
OR YOU CAN JUST LOOK IN THE
BOOK.
BOOK. >> Jason: HIS CRISP PHOTOGRAPHS
ILLUSTRATE A DETROIT MOST OF US
HAVE NEVER SEEN, ALIVE WITH
GRIFFINS AND GARGOYLES.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE GRIFFINS?
>> YOU SEE THEM ON A LOT OF
BUILDINGS AND THEY’RE
HISTORICALLY GUARDIANS OF
TREASURE AND YOU SEE THEM ON A
LOT OF OLDER POLICE STATIONS AND
I THINK THAT MIGHT COME FROM THE
GRIFFIN BEING A SYMBOL OF
DETROIT BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF
THE FAILING VESSELS ON THE GREAT
LAKES.
LAKES. >> Jason: I’M SURE THEY HAVE THE
LONGER INTERVIEW, WISH WE HAD
MORE TIME WITH YOU, ON
MICHIGANRADIO.ORG.
MICHIGANRADIO.ORG. AND APPRECIATE THAT INTERVIEW
AND IT HELPED ME DO MY HOMEWORK
FOR THIS INTERVIEW.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND THE BOOKS
AND FIND YOU ONLINE?
>> THE BEST PLACE IS AT,
GUARDIANS OF DETROIT.COM.