This 1910 promotional film touting the Grand Rapids area shows that while we've changed in some ways over the past 106 years, in others ways, we're still the same.

'Grand Rapids...is the Gateway through which thousands of tourists swarm each summer to the vacation land of Western Michigan...' claims this travelogue from 1910, which was shown in theaters throughout the Midwest to drum up tourism. Well, that certainly is still true, however we no longer host the World's Furniture Market twice a year.

This is a delightful look back at a by-gone era, but it's also entertaining to see how many things you can still recognize.

This view of the Grand River still looks familiar.

MojoHandle/YouTube
MojoHandle/YouTube
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And this graphic tries to sell Grand Rapids relative closeness to most of America.

MojoHandle/YouTube
MojoHandle/YouTube
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Like today, the film's main reason for existance is to sell Grand Rapids as a convention destination, touting our many hotel rooms and facilities, as well as our 'Finest Speach (sic) Amplification Systems'. (They clearly didn't have spell check back then, or maybe that was the way they spelled 'speech').

The film also says you can drive to the beach on 'concrete pavement' and the beaches had trees!

MojoHandle/YouTube
MojoHandle/YouTube
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