Photos
Clark House Hotel, West Superior Street circa 1870
This uncredited photo, presumably shot by Paul B. Gaylord, shows the 100 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth looking northeast. The Clark House Hotel, in the foreground at left, was Duluth’s second hotel, opening in July 1870. (more…)
Selective Focus: Hoar Frost / Rime Ice
Instagram
232 likes, 14 comments - netsmad97 on January 7, 2021: "❄🍂
#duluthmn #minnesota #mnnice #visitduluth #duluth #tasteofduluth #exploreminnesota #perfectduluthday #befromduluth #minnstagramers #captivatemn #captureduluth #duluthandconfused #northcountryminnesota #authenticduluth #mnoutdoorlife #minnesotaexposure #destinationduluth #duluthwinter #frostfile #mnwinter #minnesnowta #frostytrees #frost #hoarfrost #rimeice".
instagram.com
The ice crystals have us surrounded. Surrender to the frost.
Collected here are select Instagram photos celebrating the wonder of water vapor condensation freezing to cold surfaces (hoar frost) and/or cooled water in the fog turning to ice (rime ice). Probably more the latter than the former. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Trolley Car and Conductors
This undated postcard photo of two conductors standing next to a trolley car comes with a few details. The trolley car has a destination sign that reads: “W. Dul. & Aerial Bridge.” And the word “Duluth” is handwritten on the back of the card. (more…)
Boats Docked at Duluth Harbor Circa 1875
Photographers William Caswell and William Henry Davy ran a studio in Duluth circa 1870-75 and were responsible for many of the stereographs circulated during the era. The image above shows boats docked somewhere in the Duluth Harbor. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Duluth Residence in 1910
Based on the postmark and the last line of the scrawled message on the back, we might presume this image is of a Duluth house in 1910. What is the address? Is it still standing? Let the mystery solving begin. (more…)
Selective Focus: A Very COVID Christmas
Instagram
1,554 likes, 33 comments - ashleybredemus on December 21, 2020: "Wishing you and yours all the love, light, and wintery goodness I can muster on this extra special Winter Solstice 🌟
#thegreatconjunction #christmasstar".
instagram.com
Select photos from Instagram of people from the Duluth area doing their best to keep spirits high and the COVID-19 infection rate low. (more…)
Consider the Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTqcRrilLTw
Celestial photography by Duluth’s Dennis O’Hara, with a song performed by Deb O’Hara.
Postcard from Drill’s Arena Marina
This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography appears to be circa 1971. (more…)
Aerial Transfer Bridge circa 1905
This image of Duluth’s Aerial Bridge, from Detroit Publishing Company, appears to have been shot during one of the first ferry-car transfers across the canal. The Library of Congress dates the images as 1905 … with a question mark. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Miss Victoria Benson
Often we don’t know who is the subject of these old studio photos, but this time it’s written on the back. So we know this is Marie Victoria Benson of 2801 W. Second St. in Duluth’s friendly West End. (Or is it 2301?) She later became Mrs. Edward Cluett. (more…)
Selective Focus: Kitties
Instagram
855 likes, 66 comments - mikemayou on December 17, 2020: "Surprisingly, the bobcats were also very comfortable sitting still, allowing me able to snap a few photos along with the video I was taking yesterday. Here are a few of my favorites. See if you can spot all three!
EDIT: I have purposefully chosen to not answer any questions asking for the specific location these were shot at to protect these animals from the potential of being bombarded by large groups of people. In addition, I would like to mention the ethics of filming wildlife with drones. As we all know, drones can potentially scare animals, especially if the drones are larger in size and get close to the creatures. After looking into the ethics of drone photography around wildlife, I realized I may have gotten too close to the bobcats for comfort, and looking back, I would not have gotten as close as I did. If the behavior of the animal changes, the drone is too close. While taking the video and photos of the cats, I attempted to maintain distance until one actually approached the drone. I will add that this wasn't a planned drone flight and I wasn't near the cats for more than a few minutes total.".
instagram.com
From household pets to wildcats, a look at Duluth-area kitty cats via Instagram. (more…)
The Slice: Photographing Icicles with Michelle Hague
Duluth photographer Michelle Hague loves to capture the beauty of Minnesota, and has a special passion for icicle photography.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Broken Duluth: Reviewing photos from a 2017 exhibit
In the video above, photographer Kip Praslowicz reviews eight large-format images from his 2017 exhibition Broken Duluth. Prints of the photos are for sale at kpraslowicz.com.
Mystery Photo: Twin ‘Tin Man’ Water Towers
The harbor looks busy in this vintage photo for sale at the Superior Salvation Army
I found this framed photo with an unusual view of the Duluth Harbor and Aerial Lift Bridge at the Superior Salvation Army last weekend. It’s signed by Tim Slattery.
Lots of questions about this picture: Was the photo taken from a structure or from an airplane? Can anyone identify the three (!) ships in the port? What jumped out to me were the twin “tin man” water towers on the hill above the bridge. Where were they located and when were they taken down? (more…)
Duluth photos repaired and colorized: 19th century people/places
Streetcar Barn (1882)
Superior Street and 11th Avenue West
All of the photos here come from the University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library through the Minnesota Reflections website. While most of the pictures on the site have been well preserved, some have been damaged over the years. For six of these photographs, I digitally repaired any damage and then added color. (more…)
Selective Focus: Pandemic Persistence
This week, a quick update on two artists we’ve featured earlier this year. Carolyn Olson and Annelisa Roseen both started projects at the beginning of the pandemic, and are still regularly producing pieces based on the theme and guidelines they set for themselves. Carolyn Olson paints and draws essential workers in their settings, and Annelisa Roseen takes a selfie each day in make-up and costume of an interesting person born on that day. (more…)
Duluth Junkyard in 1937
Russell Lee shot this photograph of a Duluth junkyard in May of 1937 for the United States Resettlement Administration, predecessor to the Farm Security Administration, which eventually became part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. (more…)
Postcard from the Duluth Civic Center
This undated postcard image from the Gallagher Studio of Photography shows the St. Louis County Courthouse and Duluth City Hall behind the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the Duluth Civic Center. The card is perhaps a bit older than another postcard of the Civic Center featured on Perfect Duluth Day, which shows a more expansive garden.
The Kozy 2010/2020
Top: Kozy Apartments on Nov. 17, 2010 — two days after a fire.
Bottom: Kozy Apartments on Nov. 17, 2020 — 16 days after a fire.
Selective Focus: November Snow Scenes
Instagram
137 likes, 0 comments - daveriewe on November 16, 2020: "Early winter ❄️ on the north shore
#winter #winteriscoming #nature #naturelover #naturephotography #waterfall #river #duluth #flyhighduluth #water #rugged #outdoors #hike #hikingadventures #minnesota #mn #exposure #explore #destinationduluth".
instagram.com
Select images of pre-winter via Instagram. (more…)
Minnesota Point in Winter Circa 1875
Photographers William Caswell and William Henry Davy ran a studio in Duluth circa 1870-75 and were responsible for many of the stereographs circulated during the era. The image above depicts a typical winter scene along the shore of Lake Superior. (more…)
Mystery Photo #125: A&E Supply
Back when he was a student at East High School, Ben Marsen acquired a collection of photo negatives of scenes from around Duluth. The one above appears to have been shot on the 200 block of West Michigan Street, maybe where the rear entrances to R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon and Minnesota Surplus are located today — the proper addresses being 220 and 218 W. Superior St. (more…)
Duluth Boat Course
The Library of Congress has three photos on file labeled “Duluth Boat Course.” Above they are stitched together in Perfect Duluth Day’s attempt to see if they were intended to be used as a panorama. It almost kind of works.
Below are the three separate images, which show much better detail on their own. The photos are attributed to Bain News Service and dated “between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920.” (more…)
Mystery Photo: Owl Studio
The back of this postcard photo indicates it was shot at the Owl Studio, 10 E. Superior. St., next to Duluth’s Empress Theatre. It’s the same address as the Wide Awake Studio, which was featured in a previous Mystery Photo. (more…)