Detroit Historical Society’s Scope of Collecting

The Detroit Historical Society primarily collects materials that document metropolitan Detroit. Our current collection includes more than 200,000 artifacts that represent more than 300 years of our region’s unique history.

Our collections focus on several areas and we continue to add to these areas all the time.

Architecture
Images and artifacts from historic locations or actual pieces are the architecture from a site

Detroit Images
Paintings, prints, photographs, postcards, etc. that include scenes from Detroit

Fashion
Locally-made articles of clothing, clothing worn by local celebrities and significant pieces that speak to a particular era

Glancy Trains
This is a large collection of model trains and accessories from Alfred R. Glancy Jr. (1908-1973), real estate financier and former co-owner of the Empire State Building. His collection was donated by the Glancy family.

Maritime
All Great Lakes and “the Straits” artifacts and materials

Military
Locally-made and worn uniforms and related materials

Paintings and Sculptures
Local sculptors and painters or sculptures or paintings of metro Detroit locations

Prints and Photographs
Local photographers or photographs and images of locations or people from metro Detroit

Social History
All things having to do with the homes of local residents, including quilts, dinnerware, etc…

Sports
Professional sports memorabilia, uniforms and other items from local teams. This category also includes amateur sports, local association teams and Olympic athletes.

Toys
Locally-made toys or toys owned by local celebrities

Transportation
Anything automotive that was made in metro Detroit

Click here to view the current collections of the above categories.