Paul Lundgren
Duluth Album Releases in 2022
Abe Curran
Self titled
(Jan. 11)
Available on Spotify
Bigbabyjay
Latto World
(Feb. 4)
Available on Spotify and Apple Music
The Christopher David Hanson Band
Whippoorwill
(Feb. 10)
Available on Bandcamp
Postcard from the Palladio Building
This undated postcard shows the original Palladio Building at 401 W. Superior St. in Downtown Duluth. The eight-story office building was designed by Chicago architect Henry Raeder and built in 1889. It was demolished in 1937 and replaced by the headquarters of WEBC Radio.
The new building later became known as the Palladio and housed the Chinese Lantern until the restaurant moved up the block in 1976. The second Palladio was demolished in 2015 to make room for the new Maurice’s headquarters, which opened in 2016.
Duluth Harbor Circa 1870s
Although this old photograph is labeled “Duluth Harbor,” it’s not what we think of today as the harbor. Based on a similar photo posted to Perfect Duluth Day in 2020 and the resulting discussion surrounding it in the comments, it was determined that the tall building shown in our photo here is the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Grain Elevator A and was located roughly where the Northland Vietnam Veterans Memorial is today. (more…)
Postcards from the Duluth Arena-Auditorium
Included in this post are four postcards, all published by Gallagher’s Studio of Photography, showing the early days of what is now known as the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Numerous buildings have been added to the DECC campus over the years, but these postcards show only the original two, then known as the Duluth Arena and Duluth Auditorium. (more…)
Selective Focus: Presidents’ Day Blizzard of 2022
Instagram
17 likes, 4 comments - margaretharstad on February 22, 2022: "I love when the snow is half way up your windowsill.".
instagram.com
Somewhere in the range of 17 inches of snow fell on Duluth from Feb. 22 to 23, blowing into tall, fluffy snow dunes. Collected here are a few images from around the region, via Instagram. (more…)
Postcard from the St. Louis County Courthouse at Night
This undated postcard features a nighttime image of the St. Louis County Courthouse, which opened in 1909.
Mystery Photo: Alice
This special Valentine’s Day Mystery Photo comes from the Duluth Public Library, where it was found in an office after one of the librarians retired. The photo is dated Oct. 28, 1918 and comes with a message of love on the back. (more…)
Postcard from Duluth, St. Lawrence Seaways Westerly Terminus
This undated postcard, published by Northern Minnesota Novelties of Crosslake, Minn., offers a nice pre-freeway aerial view of Downtown Duluth on it’s upper image and a shot of the Aerial Lift Bridge and shipping canal on the lower side. (more…)
Selective Focus: Winter Recreation and Icy Silliness
Instagram
62 likes, 6 comments - mazie_thechessie on January 16, 2022: "Leave it to the Chesapeake to swim in 33 degree water 🥶
#chesapeakebayretriever #chesapeakebayretrieverofinstagram #chessiesofinstagram #chessie #chessielove #chessielove #chessieoftheday #chessielife #chessiepuppy #chessiesofig #chessietails #duckdog #duckdogsofinstagram #dogsthathike #retriever #retrievernation #retrieverlifemagazine #wildlifemag #retrieversgram #retrieverlife #retrieveroftheday #retrieverpuppy #retrieverlove #minnesotaretriever #gundoghunting #minnesotagirl #duluthmn".
instagram.com
Sledding, paddling, lollygagging … drifting off on an ice chunk. Collected here are a few images from Instagram of simple winter pleasures. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Drag Racing on Lake Superior
Allouez Bay in Superior was recently the scene of a stock-car racing event called NASCAR on Ice, which might have seemed like a newish idea, but … the undated photo above has a handwritten message on the back that reads: “Taken on Lake Superior. Duluth in distance. Thousands on ice at time of races. A new sport. 24 in. of ice at time.” (more…)
Bob Mason with the save in 1982
This 40-year-old press photo shows University of Minnesota Duluth goalie Bob Mason about to make a save at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. It is credited to Star Tribune photographer Cletus “Pete” Hohn. (more…)
Selective Focus: Seeking River Stories
The St. Louis River Alliance typically organizes an annual Winter Walk event in February, but the rise in COVID-19 cases led the organization to cancel it for the second year in a row. Instead, stories, photos and videos are being collected throughout the month to to be shared on the alliance’s social media accounts to encourage people to get outside and enjoy winter.
Featured in this post as examples are photos by the alliance’s development director, Alyssa Johnson. (more…)
Postcard from a View on Duluth’s Hillside
This undated postcard shows Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, ships on the lake, the Duluth Arena-Auditorium, parts of the Downtown and Canal Park areas and more circa perhaps 1980 or so. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: February 2022
As we ease in and out of mask mandates and public health challenges, the world of arts, athletics and leisure carry on. And the PDD Calendar has all the details as usual. Each month we reach out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Red pennants make sliding safe for kids at street intersections
An update to the post “Sledding Duluth’s Avenues in 1921“:
By 1922 it was determined that the safe thing to do is hang red pennants to warn drivers about popular sledding intersections. (more…)
Selective Focus: Beargrease 2022
The 38th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is underway. Collected here are a few select photos via Instagram. The 300-mile race is expected to finish on Feb. 1 in the afternoon. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Carl Thiel Cabinet Card
The identity of the woman in this photo is almost certainly lost to history, but on Perfect Duluth Day it’s always worth trying. What we know about this photo is the photography studio it came from and roughly when it was shot. (more…)
Postcard from a Scene in Fairmount Park
This postcard depicts a scene in Fairmount Park where Kingsbury Creek flows under the Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway bridge in West Duluth. It’s not clear if the postcard predates the 1923 opening of the Duluth Zoo, now the Lake Superior Zoo, just downstream of the location shown. The bridge is still there, now part of the DWP multi-use trail. (more…)
Matchbooks from Superior-area Restaurants and Bars
One year ago Perfect Duluth Day published a collection of “Matchbooks from Duluth Restaurants and Bars.” Now we honor the neighboring city of Superior, and the rest of northwestern Wisconsin, with a collection of matchbooks from Superior-area restaurants and bars. (more…)
Postcard from a Typical Lumber Camp in Northern Minnesota
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Jan. 18, 1912. It depicts a “typical lumber camp in northern Minnesota.” (more…)
Postcard from the Duluth Yacht Club
The Duluth Yacht Club was organized in 1890 and incorporated 1905. It’s facilities were on Minnesota Point at South 14th Street. (more…)
Minnesota Point Lighthouse Painting
This painting by the late Sylvia S. Reasor was sitting among the Pink Floyd lighters, Bob Marley patches, bongs, sex toys and whatnot at the Last Place on Earth liquidation auction this past weekend. (more…)
Ferocious Finn falls to Polish strong boy in 1922 mat tussel
It was 100 years ago today that Henry Karhunsaari, “the Ferocious Finn of Virginia,” was knocked unconscious in the deciding fall of what Duluth Herald sportswriter Sandy MacDonald called “the most spectacular and most fiercely contested wrestling match ever staged in this city.” (more…)
Monthly Grovel: January 2022
We urge everyone to proceed with caution while the Omicron variant works to spoil the parties, but events go on and the PDD Calendar has all the details as usual. Each month we reach out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Postcard from a Bird’s Eye View of Duluth
This undated postcard photo of Duluth’s Downtown and Central Hillside area must have been shot from Point of Rocks, probably in the very early 1900s. (more…)