U-Matic
Eastern Market's 100 Year Birthday Celebration
Eastern Market Cut-A-Ways
5-4-1991
U-Matic tape containing footage of Eastern Market's 100th birthday celebration on May 4, 1991. The video includes footage of the morning's Eastern Market Fun Run, the Eastern Market Centennial Parade, the ceremonial presentations and ribbon cutting, and finally footage of vendors and shoppers in the market. An earlier generation of the parade segment is available on tape 2015.008.240.
The tape begins with silent footage of participants in the Eastern Market Fun Run heading southeast along Russell Street near Adelaide Street. As runners and traffic pass, the camera pans around Russell Street to show the market's sheds and the exteriors of adjacent businesses such as Country Boy restaurant and Bert's Marketplace. In one shot, the camera zooms out from streetlight banners which read, "Eastern Market, A Detroit Jewel." During a series of shots taken of flower displays in Shed 1, on the south corner of Russell Street and Alfred Street, the camera begins recording audio.
After a brief cut, footage of the parade begins. A police motorcycle leads the group, followed by a pair of people carrying an "Eastern Market Centennial Fest" banner. They are followed by a Vietnam Veterans of America color guard, a horse-drawn carriage carrying Grand Marshal Sal Ciaramitaro, members of the Detroit Police Department's Mounted Police, the Detroit Fire Department's Ladder 7, a Detroit Fire Department clown group, and another fire truck. After a cut, a group of dancers on roller skates in matching black suits perform a routine. They are followed by a Detroit Metro Fruit Vendors Association banana cart, a group from the American Legion, another firefighter clown, and another Metro Detroit Fruit Vendors Association cart. MacKenzie High School's Band of Renown follows next. While the band approaches the camera turns to film several spectators. And as the band passes they can be heard performing Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight." They are followed by a 40 and 8 Voiture 1002 float in the form of a truck made up to resemble a blue train engine, pulling a caboose. Signs on the float read "Le Blue Goose," "Voiture 1002, Suburban Wayne County, Michigan, "Vote for Benji in '92," and "Benjamin Harrison Presidential Campaign Reenactment." After the train passes, the camera gets more shots of the crowd. The camera cuts back to the parade as a forklift carrying a crate of watermelons and pulling a cart of produce passes. A sign on the cart reads, "Wholesale Center District Council." Next a group of young people in police uniform--presumably the Detroit Police Department's Junior Cadet Corps--march past. They are followed by another group of young people holding signs with historical information about 1891. Two people in large pig masks march among them. Next from the center of the street, the camera films as the Crestwood High School marching band from Dearborn Heights marches past. A clown and a group of children in matching Alexis Company shirts then perform a cheer for the camera. They are followed by two people in eagle mascot costumes. After more shots of the crowd, a car pulls a small float containing a jazz quartet seated on pallets. The camera then cuts to the Eastern Market Merchant Association float consisting of a giant cake on a trailer pulled by a truck. People in large flower costumes pass next, followed by a float promoting Flower Days. This float consists of a truck pulling a flower cart with a sign providing the dates of flower days. The float is followed by a group of cheerleaders clad in black and red, a group of Boy Scouts, and the Martin Luther King High School marching band performing Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'." After a cut, filming resumes with the Detroit Department of Transportation's mascot dancing past the camera, ahead of a group of Boy Scouts, and Buttercup the clown in a tiny car. A calliope then travels past, playing "You Are My Sunshine," and "When the Saints Go Marching In." After another cut, a clown attempts to hand a bedpan to the driver of a passing Pepsi truck. The parade footage wraps up with shots of the crowd, and announcer Mal Sillars on a platform adjacent to the route.
After another cut, the ceremony portion of the tape begins with Mal Sillars, Mayor Coleman Young, Nicholas Hood, Hansen Clarke, and others on a Detroit Recreation Department stage trailer beside Russell Street. A Catholic priest and Rev. Nicholas Hood provide opening prayers. Sillars, as the master of ceremonies, then introduces everyone on the stage. The list includes Bella Marshall, the City of Detroit's finance director; Jim Vitale of Faro Vitale and Sons; Joseph Kuspa, co-owner of Metro Produce; Joe Smith of Frank Smith and Sons and the Michigan Flower Growers Association; Mickey Green of the Wholesale Distribution Center District Council; Patty Watson of Basket Case; a representative from a realty company; Ed Deeb of the Eastern Market Merchants Association; a representative from Comerica; an independent wholesalers; a representative from the Metro Detroit Fruit Vendors Association; an independent farmer; State Representative Hansen Clarke; a representative of State Representative Barbara Rose Collins; and Grand Marshal Sal Ciaramitaro. Sal Ciaramitaro then gives a brief speech.
Ciaramitaro is followed by Mayor Coleman A. Young who resents proclamation about Eastern Market to Sal, and a trophy to Joseph Kuspa. Young then reminisces about going to the market as a child, and talks about the importance of the market. He mentions efforts to expand the market including the Pepsi plant.
Joseph Kuspa, joined by a person in a chicken costume, and then instructs the crowd to put on their Eastern Market rooster masks, and to wish a happy birthday to the market. Hansen Clarke then presents Ciaramitaro with a resolution from the Michigan State Legislature. Next, the MacKenzie marching band leads the crowd in singing happy birthday. Finally, Young and Ciaramitaro end the ceremony by cutting the ribbon that spans the stage.
The remainder of the tape consists of about sixteen minutes of footage shot in Eastern Market's larger sheds of vendors, customers, and close-ups of their produce.
The recording is on a 3M UCA 60 U-Matic tape with a handwritten 3M label on its top. The tape is housed within a black plastic case with a matching label on its cover.
Request ImageRelated Records
U-Matic
Eastern Market
Cut-A-Ways
5-17-91
