Ypsilanti Water Tower, Michigan 1948
$20.00 $10.00
Instant royalty-free digital download. No watermark. You will receive a JPG image of between 3000 and 4000 pixels on the longest side. Perfect for prints, books, media, creative projects, and more. The download link will appear in the checkout after successful purchase.
This authentic 1940s color photograph, captured in 1948, features the famous Ypsilanti Water Tower located at the intersection of Summit Street and Congress Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The archival image highlights the tower’s unique Queen Anne Revival architecture, constructed in 1890 from local fieldstone and capped with a massive, shingled dome roof. In the foreground, several period automobiles are parked along the curb, including a black 1938 Ford Deluxe Tudor and a light gray 1941 Plymouth. In the background, a sign for Sunoco Gas is visible, along with the red brick facade of a nearby school building. Designed by architect William R. Coats, the tower has long been a humorous and beloved local landmark due to its phallic shape, eventually earning the “Most Phallic Building in the World” title in a lighthearted international contest. The Ypsilanti Water Tower is still standing today, meticulously maintained as a functioning part of the city’s water system and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This factual record preserves the architectural grandeur and quiet street life of this historic Michigan college town during the late forties. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.
About Retro Stock Photography
Retro Stock Photography specializes in genuine vintage color photographs from the 1950s through the 1990s, all available as royalty-free instant downloads. Our photos are popular for editorial features, books, magazines, websites, documentaries, advertising, social media, local history projects, creative design, and as unique gifts when printed.
All of our images are scanned directly from original slides and negatives, preserving their authenticity, detail, and character. And because we own the original photographs and copyrights, all of our collection is exclusive to us and not available elsewhere.
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