Detroit has always been at the forefront of American popular music development, and the ragtime years and jazz age are no exception. The city�s long history of diversity has served the region well, providing a fertile environment for creating and nurturing some of America�s most distinctly indigenous music. With a focus on the people and places that made Detroit a major contributor to America�s rich musical heritage, Detroit: Ragtime and the Jazz Age provides a unique photo journal of a period stretching from the Civil War to the diminishing years of the big bands in the early 1940s.