Elks Arch Out of Order in Cadillac Square

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Convention Decorations of 1910 in Detroit, Michigan, the honorable  Aug. Herrmann Presiding…

Preparing for the great convention of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, this strange monument in the midst of Cadillac Square was some kind of “Arch de Elk” constructed and paid for by the City of Detroit.  Apparently, the city council authorized a $30,000 expenditure (which eventually lead to over $100,000) to decorate for the convention.  To put things into perspective, retailers were projected to make at least one million dollars in sales during the convention, which, at that time, was a bloody fortune. Since this photograph is dated 1916 and the convention was held July 11-18, 1910, the memorial was apparently semi permanent as money for demolition would clearly not have been an issue.   Ironically, while this amount would be an astronomically  higher number if multiplied to a modern equivalency, even the original $30,000 (much less $100,000) would be an amount of consequence in the Detroit we know today.

Most likely honoring the presence of the animal in the area before the true urbanization of Detroit,  this male and female duo atop the monument are beyond absurd…

Apparently, it was a permanent feature of the expensive affair.  Either way, this is a true flame bag of architectural absurdity lingering from the 19th century.

We have previously reviewed an old elks lodge in Newburgh, New York, where a certain specimen of similarity was also seen.  And while defaced, it is, at least, at the moment, extant…

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