Postcard from the U.S. Coast Guard Woodrush Breaking Ice in Duluth Harbor

It was July 12, 1950 — 70 years ago today — that some dude with the initials H.E.W. sent this postcard from Duluth to Mr. Joe Rigatti of Pittsburgh, Penn. (more…)

History, PhotosGreat Lakes Ships and Shipping Industry, Postcards

The Slice: Gary-New Duluth’s Skatepark

A new skatepark is in the works in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. Mark Boben, president of the GND Development Alliance, describes how this undertaking is a community-wide effort. (Update: This video appears to have been removed from YouTube.)

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.

VideosSkateboarding, The Slice, WDSE-TV - PBS North
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua
Pier B Resort: Rise and Dine

Heely Tricks with JamesG: June 2020

An early-summer montage of wheeled-sneaker stunts from former Duluthian James Geisler, also known as the hip-hop artist JamesG.

He has more than 44,000 followers on TikTok.

VideosInline Skating / Roller Skating / Wheeled Sneakers, JamesG

An exotic village on the Lester River

Barbara Kiser, a former Duluthian who has lived in London since the 1980s, has published an essay that prominently references the Lester River Fish Hatchery. The article appears on Arizona State University’s Zócalo Public Square, which syndicates “ideas journalism.”

Article link: Where I Go: From Northeast London Back to Duluth (more…)

RandomLester River, Lester River Fish Hatchery
FDLTCC: Pumpin Run
Pizza Luce: Butternut Squash

Ingeborg von Agassiz – “The Alchemist”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53zrUcGvY1A

Another new track by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.

Music, VideosIngeborg von Agassiz

Rustic Bridge in Lester Park, Summer of 1899

The elaborate cedar bridge spanning Duluth’s Lester River was about one year old in the summer of 1899 when photographer William Henry Jackson visited Duluth and captured the image above. By 1931 the bridge was gone.

The book Duluth’s Historic Parks: Their First 160 Years by Nancy S. Nelson and Tony Dierckins notes the bridge was “a popular tourist stop, with picnic tables on the bottom deck and lounging on the upper promenade.” The ravages of weather limited the bridge’s life. The upper deck was removed in 1916, followed by the lower deck 15 years later.

HistoryLester Park, William Henry Jackson
Weis Eye Center

Postcard from the Flamingo Excursion Yacht

Duluth’s Vista Fleet excursion business got its start in 1959 under the name Flamingo Excursions. The 144-passenger S.S. Flamingo replaced the businesses’ original boat, the Streamliner, in 1961. (more…)

HistoryGallagher's Studio of Photography, Vista Fleet

Monthly Grovel: July 2020 Edition

(Enter the amount of your choice.)
[paypal_for_digital_goods name=”PDD Donation” url=”//www.perfectduluthday.com” btn_type=”checkout” btn_size=”responsive”]

Opportunities to be outside for live music — together with other people, but spaced apart — are starting to expand. The best way to stay on top of the concert options, farmers markets, parking-lot movie screenings and similar hoopla continues to be the PDD Calendar.

Once a month we reach out with a beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events on Perfect Duluth Day. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account, yo. (more…)

RandomPDD Shop Talk
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

Selective Focus: Sarah Brokke Erickson – Illustrating “A Common Thirst”

Artist and teacher Sarah Brokke Erickson goes in depth into her process for planning and illustrating a children’s book, “A Common Thirst.” The book was written by fellow Duluthian Gary Boelhower. (more…)

ArtSarah Brokke, Selective Focus

James Moors – “Welcome to Duluth”

James Moors‘ “Welcome to Duluth” appeared on the 2008 album Hush. (more…)

MusicDuluth Songs
Vision Pro: Year End 2026
FDLTCC: Pumpin Run

Duluth You & Me: Brighton Beach Picnic

Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Brighton Beach Picnic

Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.

ArtDuluth You & Me, Kitchi Gammi Park and Brighton Beach

Duluth Ferris Wheels

COVID-19 kept the Mighty Thomas Carnival from making its annual summer appearance in Duluth. Instead, we get our Ferris wheel kicks from the photo archive. (more…)

History, PhotosMinnesota Point and Park Point
Vision Pro: Year End 2026

Caden Dudek – “Sadist”

Caden Dudek, vocalist of the Duluth band Torment, has been recovering from a March 1 incident in which he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. In this video, he tests his vocals by covering “Sadist” by the Minneapolis band Reflections.

“A lot of people have been asking me if I can still scream since my accident,” Dudek writes on the YouTube video description. “The answer is YES. After six days in a coma, a tube down my throat, and heavy damage done to my lungs, healing has been quite the work in progress. I have refused to give up on getting my voice back. It has definitely changed my technique, but I really think I’m starting to get it down again. A traumatic experience like almost losing your life can really eat you alive mentally, but only if you let it. Thank you so much for the endless support, I owe you all my life.”

Music, VideosTorment

Fourth of July Duluth Hillside citizen fireworks anarchy Coronavirus pandemic 2020

Official fireworks canceled, fireworks sales at all-time high, some visible across the lake distantly in Wisconsin around midscreen, the region is lit. That is a full moon hidden in the clouds. This mainly posted for the audio to give the insane flavor.

Outdoors, VideosIndependence Day, Lake Superior Aquaman, North Shore of Lake Superior, Superior
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

Mystery Photo: Fourth of July Parade in West Duluth

The written caption on this postcard tells us pretty much everything we need to know, except for one critical thing: What year was this? (more…)

History, PhotosIndependence Day, Mystery Photos, Postcards, West Duluth

Musing on a Home Office

Like many people, I’ve been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is definitely foreign to me. I am a navigator at Community Action Duluth, which is a job that requires intensive, one-on-one work with people. Skills acquired when sitting next to someone have a new level of complexity via telephone. I definitely had to hone in my listening skills to know if I was hearing my letters correctly (b, d, t, s, and f). It is much easier to relate to someone face to face. I now realize the importance of visual cues in communication, and the ways I watch and listen for understanding and clarity. Navigators are now explaining complex issues without the normal go-to tools.

Health insurance information I normally would be able to visually show and describe requires a deeper level of explanation over the phone. I check frequently if the content I am relaying is being understood as intended. Thankfully I am able to scan printable material and email it to my participants. For those participants without technical devices, I am still using the postal service. My local post office is only a half block from my home. In the future I hope to meet the individuals and families I have assisted remotely, in person. I miss the one-on-one contact. (more…)

RandomCOVID-19, Saturday Essay
FDLTCC: Pumpin Run
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

The War Years: Duluth News from Above the Fold

A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.

In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This final gallery displays a few front page headlines. (more…)

HistoryDuluth News Tribune, World War II

The War Years: World War II Duluth News Clippings

A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.

In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This third gallery displays news clips related to the war. (more…)

HistoryDuluth News Tribune, World War II
Weis Eye Center
Pier B Resort: Rise and Dine

The War Years: Life in Duluth

A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.

In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This second gallery displays general Duluth-related news stories. (more…)

HistoryWorld War II

The War Years: Duluth Commerce

A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.

In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This first gallery displays advertising clips. (more…)

HistoryWorld War II
Vision Pro: Year End 2026
Pizza Luce: Butternut Squash

Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Focus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE_56wwS0D0

Another new track by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.

Music, VideosIngeborg von Agassiz

Smarter than Yeast – “On the Night Train”

According to David Syring, “The night train — a metaphor for where we are during the global crisis of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. This video offers a visual and musical metaphor for the sense that we are all immersed in this together as a global society, and we don’t know where the train is going.” (more…)

Music, Videos
FDLTCC: Pumpin Run

Selective Focus: Blackbird Revolt

Blackbird Revolt is a team of creatives and organizers who work to raise the voices and increase the visibilty of marginalized groups. They recently published APRÈS, an elegant, beautifully designed and written zine that started out as a way to honor Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie at the 100 year mark of their lynching. The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others caused them to change direction with the project. The zine now contains content to help people who want to make meaningful change happen, but may need some suggestions for next steps, and ways to sustain the energy. This week in Selective Focus, we take a look at the work of Blackbird Revolt, and hear how they use their skills as artists and organizers to support, challenge, engage and change.

Please tell us about yourself and your work, and how you came to work in your style.
Influenced by artists and activists, Blackbird Revolt was founded by Jordon and Terresa Moses who felt compelled to engage their community through art and design. The idea to form the company came about in Fall of 2016. We noticed the continued lack of representation and the intentional exclusion of diverse and intersectional voices from the dominant narrative. We are an alternative to that exclusion: A network of artists, designers, photographers, painters, writers, orators and more. Blackbird Revolt acts as a platform for these conscious creatives.
(more…)

ArtBlackbird Revolt, Design, Selective Focus

The Slice: Dinner Music at 2104

Duluth’s Richard Narum has been hosting livestream concerts from his living room — a venue named after his house number, 2104. Shows happened weekly in May and June, but future plans are for shows on the third Thursday of July and August.

The concerts can be viewed at youtube.com/user/duluthiscool.

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.

Music, VideosThe Slice, WDSE-TV - PBS North
Pier B Resort: Rise and Dine
Vision Pro: Year End 2026

Hayes Block Downtown Duluth Post Office

From 1870 to 1894, Duluth’s downtown post office was located in the Hayes Block, a building that still stands at 26 E. Superior St. as part of the Wieland Block apartments. (more…)

History, PhotosPostal Service