Review
"Jeff Morrison's "Guardians" is a beautiful and exhausting tour of Detroit's classic buildings, as well as the gargoyles, griffins and various creatures which adorn them. The 350-page book has more than 750 photographs which are accompanied by a crisp history of the building and the men who built them."―Bill Castanier, Lansing City Pulse
"Lavishly illustrated, [a] coffee table book to be savored and paged through at leisure."―Michael Hodges, The Detroit News
"Jeff Morrison's work is a welcome addition to the growing body of texts celebrating Detroit architecture. Well researched and lovingly illustrated with thoughtfully composed photographs, Guardians of Detroit inspires the reader to explore our culturally rich city. It provides a unique vantage point, and a complimentary perspective to the works of W. Hawkins Ferry, Eric J. Hill, John Gallagher, Dennis Nawrocki, and Balthazar Korab. In a time of ephemerality of information and ideas, it is refreshing to discover the enduring gifts of artists in metal and stone."―James E. Hanks, Detroit Institute of Arts Research Library and Archives
"The book will be helpful for art and architecture students, researchers, and practitioners, especially those interested in the history of art and architecture in the region as well as to general citizens and city leaders interested in rich artistic traditions in Detroit. Through illustrative documentation of architectural sculptures from eight decades in Detroit's history, the book offers a critical insight into the architectural scene in Detroit. It also argues for a much-needed case for documentation, preservation, and historic conservation in the city and the region to identify, protect, and celebrate its rich heritage in art and architecture."―Anirban Adhya, Michigan Historical Review
"Until Oxford, Michigan, photographer and writer Jeff Morrison decided to photograph these incredible adornments they were undocumented and often overlooked."―Bill Castanier, City Pulse
"Jeff Morrison's Guardians of Detroit: Architectural Sculpture in the Motor City is a must-read for any Detroit enthusiast, a thoroughly engaging visual and historical tour through the city's remarkably ornamented past. Morrison writes with a light, knowing touch, every bit as easy with architecture as the sculpture adorning it. His crisp photographs illustrate a Detroit most of us have never seen, alive with griffins and gargoyles, while his pictures of familiar buildings are often fresh and indelible. This is a book worth savoring, one that will stimulate interest in Detroit on the part of anyone lucky enough to page through it."―Michael H. Hodges, Author Most Recently of Building the Modern World: Albert Kahn in Detroit (Wayne State University Press, 2018)
"Jeff Morrison is a gifted photographer whose lens offers up a stunning world of sculptural detail to all interested in architecture and art history. As Detroit rebuilds and interest in the city is on the rise, Guardians of Detroit, with its place specificity and pictorial richness, comes at just the right time to remind us of the value of the city's rich design legacy."―Catherine J. Phillips and Deirdre L. C. Hennebury, Co-Chairs, the Albert Kahn Research Coalition
Review
"Jeff Morrison's "Guardians" is a beautiful and exhausting tour of Detroit's classic buildings, as well as the gargoyles, griffins and various creatures which adorn them. The 350-page book has more than 750 photographs which are accompanied by a crisp history of the building and the men who built them."—Bill Castanier, "Lavishly illustrated, [a] coffee table book to be savored and paged through at leisure."—Michael Hodges, "Jeff Morrison's work is a welcome addition to the growing body of texts celebrating Detroit architecture. Well researched and lovingly illustrated with thoughtfully composed photographs, inspires the reader to explore our culturally rich city. It provides a unique vantage point, and a complimentary perspective to the works of W. Hawkins Ferry, Eric J. Hill, John Gallagher, Dennis Nawrocki, and Balthazar Korab. In a time of ephemerality of information and ideas, it is refreshing to discover the enduring gifts of artists in metal and stone."—James E. Hanks, "The book will be helpful for art and architecture students, researchers, and practitioners, especially those interested in the history of art and architecture in the region as well as to general citizens and city leaders interested in rich artistic traditions in Detroit. Through illustrative documentation of architectural sculptures from eight decades in Detroit's history, the book offers a critical insight into the architectural scene in Detroit. It also argues for a much-needed case for documentation, preservation, and historic conservation in the city and the region to identify, protect, and celebrate its rich heritage in art and architecture."—Anirban Adhya, "Until Oxford, Michigan, photographer and writer Jeff Morrison decided to photograph these incredible adornments they were undocumented and often overlooked."—Bill Castanier, "Jeff Morrison's ty is a must-read for any Detroit enthusiast, a thoroughly engaging visual and historical tour through the city's remarkably ornamented past. Morrison writes with a light, knowing touch, every bit as easy with architecture as the sculpture adorning it. His crisp photographs illustrate a Detroit most of us have never seen, alive with griffins and gargoyles, while his pictures of familiar buildings are often fresh and indelible. This is a book worth savoring, one that will stimulate interest in Detroit on the part of anyone lucky enough to page through it."—Michael H. Hodges, Author Most Recently of Building the Modern World: Albert Kahn in Detroit (Wayne State University Press, 2018) "Jeff Morrison is a gifted photographer whose lens offers up a stunning world of sculptural detail to all interested in architecture and art history. As Detroit rebuilds and interest in the city is on the rise, , with its place specificity and pictorial richness, comes at just the right time to remind us of the value of the city's rich design legacy."—Catherine J. Phillips and Deirdre L. C. Hennebury, Co-Chairs, the Albert Kahn Research Coalition
Book Description
Building-by-building pictorial and historical survey of the remarkable collection of architectural sculpture found in Detroit.
About the Author
Jeff Morrison is a historian and photographer who has been taking pictures since his parents gave him his first camera at age nine. He has a bachelor's degree in history and art from Eastern Michigan University and over thirty years' experience as a graphic artist. Jeff lives in Oxford, Michigan, with his lovely wife, Susie, and their wonder dog, Manfred.
