Photos
Where very near Duluth?
For the 163rd installment of Perfect Duluth Day’s ultra-thrilling photo-trivia sensation “Where in Duluth?” we present this closeup shot of a rock with a distinguishing etching. It is located so close to the city border it’s hard to definitively say whether it’s technically in Duluth or not.
Describe where this rock is in the comments to become internet champion of the day.
Duluth’s Asian Lady Beetle Invasion of 2017
One minute, there are no “ladybugs” in Duluth. Then one sneaks up and nibbles your arm. Suddenly Asian lady beetles are swarming everywhere. And then it’s over. The 2017 invasion happened on the afternoon of Oct. 8.
Asian lady beetles tend to cluster and swarm when daylight hours shorten and a sudden warm spell occurs. They eat aphids while conditions allow, then they quickly disappear.
Mystery Photo #54: Jerry and Becky, August 1970
Just because this old photo was stored with a bunch of Duluth pictures doesn’t necessarily mean it was shot in Duluth or features Duluthians. Still, the odds are pretty good someone will recognize Jerry and/or Becky. They looked like pretty cool customers back in August 1970, that’s for sure.
Were they Duluthians? Are they still Duluthians? Who are these hot-rodding sweethearts? All the back of the photo indicates is their first names and the month it was shot.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1947 visit to Duluth
Two years after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt traveled to Duluth. While here she was made an Honorary Ambassador Extraordinary of the Dushy of Duluth — the ambassadors program of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. The photo above shows her receiving the citation from Arthur C. Young, “Prince of the East.” (more…)
Mystery Photo #53: Commonwealth Avenue?
This old photo of someone’s hot rod seems to be from the early 1970s and the scene is very likely Commonwealth Avenue in Gary-New Duluth. But if this is showing Commonwealth Avenue, where specifically? (more…)
Selective Focus: Northern Lights
We sure do love our auroras up here. There are predictions of moderate activity tonight and Saturday according to the internet experts and local astronomical legend Astro Bob.
The week of Sept. 17-23, Night Sky Week will be taking place in Duluth. Click here for more information and a schedule of events. The project is organized by Starry Skies Lake Superior, a group raising awareness of the effects of light pollution.
One of the main events will be a showing of the movie Skyglow. The trailer below is pushing some product pretty hard, but there are stunning images in it. (more…)
Selective Focus: Bryan Hansel
Bryan Hansel lives in Grand Marais, working as a photographer and educator. His photos have been published in many national magazines including National Geographic, and his classes take students to sites in the region and across the country to National Parks.
B.H.: I could say I developed my style from years of practice starting with three years of black & white photography in high school — I graduated in 1989. But, that’s not really how I came to do what I do. About ten or so years ago, I decided I needed to make my photos eye-catching and worked toward a style that accomplished that. Then about six years ago while reading a book on haiku I had an “aha” moment. I was reading about juxtaposition in poetry and it occurred to me I could do the same thing with photography. After messing around with the approach, I started teaching it at my photography workshops. Basically, it’s all about using simplicity to create flow and relationships in an image. Now I approach all my photos that way.
(more…)
Photo Archive: The Last Roar by the Shore
John’s Red Lion Bar closed on Aug. 31, 2007, after more than 35 years in business. The building at 220 E. Superior St. has pretty much always been a bar. It was built in 1910 to house the Albert Salter Saloon. From the early 1950s to late ’60s it was the Two-Twenty Lounge. Before it became the Red Lion, it was briefly the Diamond Lounge. (more…)
Log rolling in the Duluth Harbor, Summer 1911
The southeastern edge of the Aerial Lift Bridge can be seen in the upper left corner of this shot. The large building occupying most of the background is the Duluth Boat Club, built in 1903 at 1000 Minnesota Ave. on the edge of the Duluth Harbor. It closed in 1933 and was used to store boats until it was destroyed by fire in 1951.
Hansi Johnson’s “Photo that Won’t Die”
It was shot just a few hundred feet from Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, but it evokes the spirit of being in a far more remote part of the planet. Hansi Johnson’s “photo that won’t die” is so-named because in recent years it’s been in Outside magazine, the Red Bulletin, the Italian news magazine Panorama, a few calendars and as Johnson notes, it’s “been ripped off and passed around more times than I care to admit.”
Add two more to the list: Men’s Journal recently included the image among its “25 Best Adventure Photos of the Past 25 Years.” The back cover of a new book from Outside magazine, “The Edge of the World,” also features the image. (more…)
Solar Eclipse in Duluth
#pathofobscurity
#eclipsedbyclouds
Postcard from the Vista Queen
This undated postcard published by Erickson Post Cards & Souvenirs shows the mighty Vista Queen inside the Duluth Harbor. The text on the back notes “the Vista Fleet can accommodate groups from 20 to 800 on an exiting two-hour tour of Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Lunch, dinner and moonlight cruses available.”
Postcard from the Shores of Lake Superior at Lester Park in 1907
One hundred ten years ago today these gals posed on the shores of Lake Superior at Lester Park. On the left is Stella, age 17. On the right is “Miss Rhorback.” They worked at Duluth Daily Financial Record, according to notes on the back of the postcard, which was mailed to Miss Jessie Green of Excelsior, Minn.
(more…)
Postcards from the Alworth Building
Downtown Duluth’s 247-foot-tall Alworth Building has been the city’s tallest commercial high-rise since its construction in 1910. Standing at 16 stories above Michigan Street and 15 stories above its street address at 306 W. Superior St., the Alworth is also the tallest mid-block building in Minnesota. The nearby 11-story Maurices Headquarters, completed in 2016, is Duluth’s second-tallest commercial high-rise at 207 feet. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1968
The final batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represents the year 1968, and concludes with a trip to the circus at the then two-year-old Duluth Arena. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1967
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represents the year 1967. A few airport shots, and a few around Superior. Who is that dignitary getting off the plane? (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1966
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represents the year 1966. We start in Billings Park and make our way out to the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee. (more…)
Inside Duluth’s Armory
Photographer Dan Turner’s latest adventure on his Substreet website shows off the gritty and crumbling Duluth Armory, including a basement shooting range. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1965
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represents the year 1965. Other than the first two, which are scenic views of western Duluth, St. Louis Bay and Superior, the rest appear to be shot from the excursion boat The Flame, similar to the batch from 1961, but of better quality. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1962 and 1964
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the years 1962 and 1964. The first four are dated 1962, the last two are from 1964. Scenes include Rice’s Point, WCCO Radio, the College of St. Scholastica and Northwestern High School in Maple. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1961
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the year 1961. The set is a little murky, but appears to exclusively include images of, and from on, the excursion boat The Flame. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1960
This batch of photos from the Osterlund Collection represent the year 1960. Notably the John A. Blatnik Bridge is shown under construction. (more…)
Photos from the Osterlund Collection, 1950s
Paul M. Osterlund of Superior died this past May at the age of 68, leaving his son Matt a collection of photos shot around Duluth and Superior during the mid-20th Century. Most of them were taken by Paul’s father, Hartley Osterlund, who was a photographer for Superior Senior High School, UW-Superior and the Superior Telegram. (more…)