More Vintage Photos of Duluth
I’m not sure if we’ve ever discussed photos from this site on PDD before, but the vintage photography blog Shorpy just posted some new old shots of Duluth from 1905. There are a few more Duluth photos back in the archives as well, which I dug out for you. Check ’em out:
- Duluth Incline Railway: 1905 (pictured above)
- Duluth, 1905
- Duluth, cont’d 1905
- Strange Span: 1905 (construction of the Aerial Lift Bridge opening of the Aerial Transfer Bridge)
- Fitger Conetops (circa 1960. This shot is upside-down for some reason)
- Mom, 1956
- When Men Were Men and Moose Were Dead
I highly recommend clicking on “View Hi-Def Image” for the 1905 photos. Those things are huge, and allow you to see tiny details you wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Shorpy is on my RSS feed list, saw the 1905’s, but I had not looked at them full size. Heartily second Barrett’s suggestion to go large. Very cool.
The spires on the bridge look like the were designed by Tim Burton . spooky
Those are lightning arrestors.
I like the little dude on top of the train.
you’re a lightning arrestor! :0
Hes going to get his knickers all covered in filth. Dirty little dude. He’ll get the willow switch when his mother sees him.
Hes going to get his knickers all covered in filth. Dirty little dude. He’ll get the willow switch when his mother sees him.
Hard to tell if those train yard kids are working a 12 hour shift, stealing coal, or just playing. Those were the days!
I like this one and this one from Minnesota Reflections, which apparently include some of the “floating islands” that once dotted the bay.
Also, “St. Louis Avenue, Minnesota Point; Erin Go Bragh Saloon, Duluth., c. 1875 (MNHS).”
The crude wooden planks of the Erin Go Bragh, on steep tilt from bar stool to bog: Duluth had few Irish settlers remaining by the 20th century.**
**Not necessarily true or historically accurate.
Small correction:
“Strange Span: 1905 (construction of the Aerial Lift Bridge)”
That would be the aerial trasffer bridge; the lift bridge was converted from this over 1929-1930. That’s a shot of the first day the bridge was officially opened.
Thanks for the post!
Awesome. I found my house in the second photo (built in 1900). It’s among the row of similar looking houses on the very top left. What a view we could have had!
Thanks for the correction, Tony. I guess I theoretically knew about the Aerial Transfer Bridge, but had never seen a photo. I should have taken my own advice, looked at the hi-res version, and noticed the gondola full of people and horses. I’ve made the correction above.
Barrett, I’m hurt! You’ve never seen a picture of the Transfer Bridge? You obviously haven’t seen any X-comm books…. sigh…. sniff….
Another 1905 view, just added: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6941
Those are so cool! I’ve seen old images of Duluth before, but never hi-res like that.
And yet another 1905 view. This one is barely recognizable in comparison to today’s Duluth. I sort of recognize the turreted building front and center, and I guess the railyards are in the same place. But there’s a lot of strange industry that no longer exists.
Minnesota Reflections has a lot of high-res stuff, but I find the navigation a little irritating.
Barrett:
That may be because you are actually looking at Rice’s Point, not MN point. Taken above the intersection of Superior St. and Garfield Ave. That’s the railroad roundhouse that once dominated Rice’s Point. You can see the old railroad bridges, etc. and the New Clarendon Hotel (turreted bldg)–cool shot. Wish I had a copy of this when I was officing out of the Garfield News Bldg.
That’s what I thought it was, but still, I don’t see a lot of stuff that’s still in existence, other than a few buildings up front. I guess I’m not familiar enough with the bridges to recognize them. I don’t see the view from this angle very often, if ever.
It looks like a baseball game on the right-hand side.
Hey I live in the new san marco. Does anyone have any pictures of the old san marco? Its on the corner or 3rd ave west and 3rd st.