Paul Lundgren
Leave a Message at the Beep — Twice But Nice Edition
In 2004, Scott “Starfire” Lunt amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in thrift stores.
“These are spectacular glimpses into people’s lives and I can’t believe they get so casually discarded,” Starfire wrote at the time.
Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of the old Twice But Nice store.
The streak is over! A level III predatory offender has been released to a Duluth neighborhood that isn’t the West End
The Duluth Police Dept. announced on Tuesday a level III predatory offender has been released and is living on the 700 block of Boundary Avenue in Duluth’s Bayview Heights neighborhood, on the Duluth/Proctor border. It marks the end of a streak in which eight consecutive sex offenders released in Duluth chose to live in the West End neighborhood. This was over a span of exactly one year, going by the dates of DPD news releases — April 8, 2013 to April 8, 2014.
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R.I.P. Memorial Community Center
The community center building at Memorial Park in West Duluth is no more. The PDD Drone did a fly through on Sunday for posterity.
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Where not in Duluth?
In a twist on our usual game of “Where in Duluth?” we note this time the image was not shot in Duluth, yet the flag references Duluth’s Enger Park. Ready? Set? Describe the location where this photo was shot.
Duluth Mystery Photo: Holt Caterpillar
This week’s mystery photo is an illustration, really, but the small print indicates it’s a “drawing from photograph.” The text of this 1922 advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post refers to Duluth, which leads one to assume the illustration is based on a photo shot in Duluth. Is it? Does anyone recognize this location 92 years later?
Homegrown Field Guide 2014 is out!
The Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide 2014 is lukewarm off the presses. Most of them are in stacks of boxes at the Chicken Shack, 207 E. Superior St., and will be distributed around town in the coming days. As of 2:30 p.m. Friday there was one box at the Electric Fetus, so you might be able to grab a copy there at this very moment.
Duluth Man on the Street circa 1994
The low quality of this video is not just because it’s 20 years old; it’s also because I was the camera man and I probably neglected to white balance or something.
The low quality of the content is because it’s all made up on the spot. My then-UWS classmate Trent Jameson simply asked me to go shoot some video of people on Superior Street with him. (more…)
Duluth Mystery Photo: 1891 Couple
This photo is dated 1891 and is from the studio of Lars N. Liden, 1619 W. Superior St. in Duluth’s West End, a location that is presently a parking lot. That’s all we’ve got to go on. It’s a long shot, but can anyone name these two 19th Century Duluthians? Or at least write some good fan fiction about them?
Images from Diorama-rama 6
Images from the sixth iteration of the Diorama-rama. (more…)
Select Images from East’s 1974 Birch Log
“Moods” was the theme 40 years ago when Duluth East High School published the 1974 edition of its Birch Log, the school’s yearbook. Some of the many moods were captured by student photographers; we share select images here simply because a copy of the book was sitting in a crate at Globe News in Superior with the meager asking price of $8 on it.
Some of the photos have captions, which you can read by hovering over the image. You can also click on the images to see them larger and read captions, then use the left and right arrow keys to view them as a slide show. If the photo had no caption in the book it is simply titled by the page number it appeared on.
Homegrown flashback through one lens
Photographer Rich Narum strung together all of his 2013 Homegrown Music Festival photos — the good, the bad and the out of focus — for this silent video. Running time is well over an hour, so grab a beverage.
Candy Done Here: Sweeden Sweets
The Agen Block at 601 Tower Avenue — better known as the Tyomies building — is now home to a candy store. Sweeden Sweets opened on Jan. 24, serving up home-made chocolates, fudge and candy. An ice cream “jerk bar” is under construction in the other half of the ground floor, and is expected to open this summer. (more…)
PDD Drone over the ice … and on the news
The PDD Drone’s latest mission took it to the skies of Grand Marais last week, hovering across the icy shore of Lake Superior. Before the trip, however, the drone and its “pilot,” Cory Fechner, spent some time with the Northland’s NewsCenter’s Kevin Jacobsen for the report below.
Apologies for the commercial before the clip, which we can’t control.
Mystery Photo: Paul and Virginia Gilmore of Gilmore Comedy Theatre
This postcard is for sale on eBay under the headline “MN antique real photo rppc post card Gilmore Comedy Theatre Duluth Minn.” The description reads:
This is an antique real photo postcard captioned “No. Shore Blvd., Paul and Virginia Gilmore Summer Stock, Duluth, Minn.” The sign on the building reads “The Gilmore Comedy Theatre.” Just below the caption in the lower left corner, you can see a road sign for Motorola TV Sales and Service. Printed on Kodak paper (stamp box indicates in use from 1950 and later).
So, who were Paul and Virginia Gilmore and what was the deal with their theater? Well, the internet provides some easy answers this week, so there’s not much mystery in this week’s mystery photo.
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Portage – Columns
The band Portage was formed in Duluth, but is now located in Minneapolis. Band member Trent Waterman shot and directed this video. Portage plays at Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe on May 2 during the Homegrown Music Festival.
Jolly Fisher: “If it swims, we have it.”
Jolly Fisher is one of Duluth’s best-remembered old restaurants. It was in business for 50 years, from 1942 to 1992. The original location was at 15 E. Superior St., where the Duluth Technology Village sits today. After 1979 it was at 10 W. Superior St., presently the Minnesota Power Plaza.
Jumbo fried shrimp was the specialty, but as the slogan noted, Jolly Fisher had everything that swims. Chet and Mary Turnbull were the original owners, followed by Paul Andrews. “Skipper Andy” and Gloria Maras ran it for its last 30 years, until competition from Red Lobster proved to be too much.
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When the Dames opened for Melvins
On March 19 and 20, 2004, a little Duluth band called the Dames opened for Melvins at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill in Coon Rapids. Unlike a lot of old, abandoned blogs, Tony Bennett’s Journal is still parked on the web with the story of his brush with the influential punk metal band.
They’re my heroes, you know. They’re my band. Just like there are tons of rockers out there with old Metallica or Kiss or Led Zeppelin fixations (me included), the Melvins are up there just like that. They’re an obsession for me. So it’s a little weird suddenly standing there with all three of them, shaking hands and having Buzz say “Yeah, I remember you guys from last year; you were good.” And then following that up with “Did you cut your hair?”
Yes, king Buzzo asked me about my hair. Does it get weirder than that for a Melvins nut from Duluth? I don’t know.
Homegrown 2014 schedule released
The schedule for the 2014 Homegrown Music Festival, April 27 to May 4, is now available on the Homegrown website. PDD’s Homegrown Chick App also has the schedule formatted for easy viewing on smartphones. There are 200 acts in this year’s festival. Plot your future bar hopping, and rest up for now.
Duluth Mystery Photo: Father Daughter?
We’ve had some good luck identifying locations and other details of mystery photos, but this one is a doozy. We have no clues at all, other than the assertion that it was shot in Duluth and whatever can be gathered by looking at it. Good luck. It looks like a late winter shot, so it seemed appropriate for this week, as the snow melts.
Glen Avon outdoor hockey is postcard classic
In an era of kids walking from heated SUV seats to climate-controlled arenas, Duluth is home to one of North America’s last all-outdoor youth hockey leagues. (Story via KARE-11.)
Do you find green beer to be bilious?
This ad is from 1906.
Dad’s Acid – “Red Surf”
This music video from Duluth band Dad’s Acid kicks a reasonable amount of ass. The footage is from the film They Call Her One Eye.
“Plumb” by Caleb Wood
Caleb Wood drew columns of freehand animation directly onto the gallery wall at Duluth’s Prøve Gallery for this snappy little video.
Actual Wolf – “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” (Live at First Avenue)
Duluth band Actual Wolf performs “You Can’t Leave” and “Honey Honey” at First Avenue in Minneapolis as part of the Current’s ninth birthday celebration.
Duluth Mystery Photo: Darling Blond
This photo is for sale on eBay under the title “Vintage Photo Girl Child Tricycle Antique Cars Duluth Mn Houses Picture #166.”
The description notes it is “a great vintage snapshot picture of darling blond girl riding a tricycle on a street in Duluth Minnesota. Picture is from the 1920. In the background are old cars and houses. Found in a photo album of pictures of a family living in Duluth.”
Can anyone identify the house? Pin down the neighborhood? Identify the darling blond?