Hidden in Plain Sight

The Vanity Ballroom: Detroit’s Lost Temple of Rhythm

Episode Summary

April 28, 2026 ~ In this episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, Dr. Robert Livernois takes us to Detroit’s east side to uncover the fading grandeur of the Vanity Ballroom, an Art Deco landmark along Jefferson Avenue whose quiet exterior still echoes with nearly a century of music and motion. Designed by renowned architect Charles N. Agree and opened in 1929, the Vanity rose as a beacon of optimism just before the Great Depression—its geometric façade and pastel details promising escape and celebration in uncertain times.