Did you Know?
While the Society has close to 250,000 objects, only about 5% of those are on display in our Museums at a given time. The rest is tucked away in our collection storage warehouse waiting to be rotated onto display. At least, that is how it was until 2010.
That year, the Society applied for and received funding through Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create an online database to give the public the same access to the artifacts in our care as the curatorial staff.
To date, the Society has scanned and photographed more than 50,000 objects which are now available for viewing around the clock, and around the world, by anyone with an internet connection. Just visit https://detroithistorical.pastperfectonline.com/search and have a look around!
To help offset the cost of this ongoing digitization of the collection, the Society also offers digital files of all the images in the online collection for purchase. With 50,000 things to choose from available there is naturally a lot to pick from. Here are the 10 most requested images from our uniquely Detroit online collection!
Image Purchase Details
These images can be used to create unique gifts, holiday cards, prints and posters. To purchase a high-resolution digital copy of anything you see on the Past Perfect Online site simply click on the “Request Image” button in the lower-left corner of the enlarged image. From there, enter your contact information and how you plan to use the image and our staff will be in touch to walk you through the process.
The Society has a sliding scale of fees depending on how the image(s) will ultimately be used, but personal use (defined as a display in your home or office) is only $20.00, with a 10% discount for Society members, and for orders of 5 images or more. Please note, once purchased the image(s) will come in the form of a digital file. You can then print it out anywhere with a photocounter or send it to an online printer to have it made to your specifications. At this time the Society cannot provide physical prints.
