Paul Lundgren
Duluth-Superior Transit Company’s “Rider’s Digest”
Seventy years ago today.
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…)
Tom Isbell on Columbo, 1990
Tom Isbell, professor of theater at the University of Minnesota Duluth, has a lengthy professional acting resume spanning the years 1984-’94, which can be perused at imdb.com. Among his many roles on popular television shows is Sgt. Brady on the Columbo episode “Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo,” which originally aired March 31, 1990.
Classic.
West Duluth’s Alhambra Theater
West Duluth has three former theater buildings — the West, Doric and Alhambra. Of the three, the Alhambra is by far the least known. (more…)
Solar Eclipse in Duluth
#pathofobscurity
#eclipsedbyclouds
Postcard from 18th Avenue East and London Road
This postcard was mailed 112 years ago today, Aug. 16, 1905. It depicts a scene looking east from roughly the spot where a Taco John’s sits today at 1810 London Road in Duluth’s Endion neighborhood. (more…)
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.”
Superior Street and its cosmopolitan features
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Aug. 12, 1907. It shows Superior Street in Downtown Duluth looking east from about Sixth Avenue West. (more…)
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…)
Video Archive: Dino Bravo and Ken Patera cut wrestling promos for 1987 Duluth appearances
Thirty years ago today the World Wrestling Federation — now known as World Wrestling Entertainment — held its second-ever card at the Duluth Arena. Above, Dino Bravo threatens Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, saying “I’ll break both your legs in Duluth!” Below, Ken Patera promises “lumps and bumps” for Hercules Hernandez and Bobby Heenan. (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…)
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…)
Postcard from Central Avenue and Ramsey Street
The undated postcard above depicts the long-ago view facing south on Central Avenue from Ramsey Street. The modern image below references the same location, showing the Gopher Lounge parking lot, Denton Law Office, Beaner’s Central, Zenith Bookstore and Central Sales, along with a pair of obscured vacant buildings on the east side, and Pioneer National Bank and several other obscured buildings on the west side. Happy Spirit Valley Days! (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…)
Bible Translation: Story of Creation
In the beginning, God created the universe. Before that, there was nothing — not even an infinite galaxy of darkness, which would be something. God must have been around before the beginning, but it’s not something he likes to talk about.
At first the earth was without form. Everything was dark and void. This was apparently depressing to God, so he said, presumably to himself, “Let there be light!” And a light appeared. It wasn’t the sun, though. God waited a few days to create the sun. At this moment he needed a special light for creating other things before the sun.
When God saw this light, he thought it was good. It wasn’t too dim or too bright. No adjustment was necessary. God decided to separate the light from the darkness, though, calling them “day” and “night.” Apparently they were all tangled up at first, causing a sort of swirl effect.
On Tuesday God decided to divide the waters, so he said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” God called the firmament “heaven.” Many years later, people on earth would start calling it “outer space.” (more…)