This is a beautifully produced collection of 100 photographs of one of America's most unique and unforgettable amusement parks. Unique because it sat on an island in the Detroit River and required a steamship ride to get there and back again-- and alive in fond memories because it meant fun and adventure outside the confines of city life for thousands of urban dwellers during most of the twentieth century. Unique because it sat on an island in the Detroit River and required a steamship ride to get there and back again-- and alive in fond memories because it meant fun and adventure outside the confines of city life for thousands of urban dwellers during most of the 20th century.
These pages of black and white photos, elegantly reproduced as duotones, capture the fun, romance, amusement rides, big boats, and nostalgic atmosphere of a beloved park and a bygone time. The book includes a history of Bob-Lo Island’s colorful life as refuge and playground to citizens of both the US and Canada for over 100 years.
Bill Rauhauser is an icon of Detroit photography who has spent the past 60 years taking pictures of the life and landscape of the city, it's people and pastimes. His work is widely represented in collections, and is included in the photographic volume "Detroit Revisited" published in 2000. The photos in his sequel represent the single largest existing collection of photographs of Bob-Lo Island and the Boats. The history that accompanies them was written by Martin Magid.
