Bonstelle Theatre - Old photos
Bonstelle Theatre
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An image of the temple, date unknown.
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A car burns in front of the Bonstelle, during its Mayfair Theater days, during a race riot June 21, 1943.
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The Mayfair Theater during the 1943 race riots
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The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2882/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-2_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2883/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-3_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The Bonstelle was originally the Temple Beth El and was overhauled after the Jewish congregation moved to other quarters.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2884/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-4_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2885/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-5_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2886/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-6_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2887/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-7_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2888/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-8_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2889/Bonstelle_Original-Interior-9_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original interior of the Bonstelle, a Jewish temple, was covered in decorative plaster and ornate woodwork.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2890/mr0777jp2-re2-final-Edit-2.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2891/mr0776jp2-re2-final-2.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2897/Bonstelle_Construction-1_ca1902_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The Bonstelle under construction about 1902. It was originally the Temple Beth El.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2898/Bonstelle_Construction-2-dome_ca1902_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The theater's dome under construction about 1902
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The theater's dome under construction about 1902
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2895/Bonstelle_Original-Exterior-6_unknown_Burton-Edit.jpg)
The original entrance to the theater, before Woodward was expanded and knocked it out.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2892/mr0775jp2-re1-final.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2893/mr0774jp2-re1-final.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2894/mr0773jp2-re1-final.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2896/mr0771jp2-re1-final.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2900/eb02f214jp2-re1-final.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2901/bonstelle-wsu.jpg)
The theater was known for a while as the Wayne University Theatre before the school changed its name back to Bonstelle.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2902/bonstelle-loc.jpg)
The Bonstelle, with its original facade, in its days as the Temple Beth El
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2904/20293jp2-wi-he-re1-x0-y0-sw-sh-ro-fina.jpg)
The original facade of the Bonstelle, in its days as the Temple Beth El and before the front was lopped off for the expansion of Woodward Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2905/11470.jpg)
The Bonstelle, with its original facade, in its days as the Temple Beth El
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2906/dfpz41247.jpg)
The Bonstelle Playhouse with its grand entrance, lost when Woodward was widened.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2907/dfpz41249.jpg)
The Bonstelle with its new canopy, replacing the old Mayfair Theatre marquee
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/2908/dfpz41253.jpg)
The Bonstelle, in its days as the Wayne University Theatre and sporting the marquee from its days as the Mayfair Theatre