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The Color of Winter

Despite sub-zero temperatures and record snowfalls, Minnesota winters can be dramatic and spectacular. Curator of Art for the Minnesota Historical Society, Brian Szott, highlights several works of art...

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Mendota South

Mendota South Alexander Masley Wood Engraving on Paper, circa 1935. Alexander Simeon Masley grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he began a long career as an artist, student, and educator.  During...

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Leading Minnesota: Items from four governors and their times

Mark Dayton was inaugurated on January 3, 2011, as the 40th governor of Minnesota. In honor of this event, the Minnesota Historical Society created this slideshow featuring unique items from the MHS...

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George Resler’s views of Saint Paul

Many iconic locations contribute to the personality and identity of the capital city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. George Resler, one of Minnesota’s first printmakers, explores these places as well as the...

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Smith & Wesson revolver in a Vulcan display case

This Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver has a six-shot fluted cylinder, blued frame and checkered walnut grips with S&W medallions. It was manufactured by Smith and Wesson in Springfield,...

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Minnesota Breweriana

Minnesota has a long and proud history in the brewing industry. From the first breweries opened by early German immigrants to Surly Brewing’s latest concoction, the history of brewing in Minnesota is...

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Minnesota State Training School for Boys Inmate Case Files and Commitment Papers

St. Paul was once well known as safe haven for thugs, hooligans, and ne’er-do-wells like the Barker Gang and John Dillinger.  But it also held to its bosom one of Chicago’s gangland luminaries—and Al...

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An Arsenal of Armaments

Of over 300 firearms in the Minnesota Historical Society’s holdings, these highlights selected by collections assistant Sondra Reierson exemplify the breadth of the collection.  They span 250 years of...

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Mississippi River Log

This chart tracks when the ice went out on the Mississippi River between the years 1844 – 1887. It shows the date the ice broke; the name of the first boat arrived; its Captain; date; the name of the...

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Knitting machine from the Munsingwear factory

This Wildman brand rotary knitting machine was used for knitting tubular knits at the Munsingwear Corporation, which was a Minnesota knitwear manufacturer for nearly 100 years, circa 1890-1980. It was...

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Manual Traffic Signal

This 8 ½ foot tall traffic signal was used in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and is manually operated. The signal was made circa 1900 and used until approximately 1930. A movable rod handle on the...

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Bob Dylan’s lyrics for Temporary Like Achilles

One of the first times in my career that I asked myself A) do I really get to do this for a living? and B) will I get my butt fired for buying this? was when I purchased a Bob Dylan manuscript. The...

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1964 Hollywood Vassarette Munsingwear Sales Promotion Kit

Today, the “Penguin” golf shirt may be Munsingwear’s most recognized creation, but underwear was the company’s foundation. From 1890-1980, Munsingwear produced innovative undergarments, including the...

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Two teapots by Richard Bresnahan

The Minnesota Historical Society houses a small but important collection of Richard Bresnahan pottery including these two early teapots. Bresnahan has been artist-in-residence at St. John’s University...

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Human Hair Jewelry

Hair work jewelry originated in France and England in the 1700’s, evolving from the craft of wig makers.  Initially, the jewelry functioned as a mourning memento and was a common funeral gift in the...

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William LeDuc’s Civil War Body Armor

When Captain William G. LeDuc, of Hastings, Minnesota, reported for duty to the Union Army Quartermaster’s Department in 1862, he brought with him a bit of insurance: a vest made from jointed steel...

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Purple Rain Document

Anyone that knows anything about Prince’s Purple Rain (1984 film) or the First Avenue & 7th Street Entry music club knows that the latter features prominently in the former.  Here we find an...

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Why is Minnesota the gopher state?

[Click above to enlarge cartoon] One of my favorite things in the Collection is this political cartoon from 1858. I’m sure I don’t get all the points (155 years is a long time and well, one probably...

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“New Frontier” anti-JFK board game

I recently came across what is now one of my favorite things in the Collection:  a board game entitled “New Frontier.”  This witty, politically-inspired game offers a spin on the popular Parker...

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Depression era art favorites

Acting Head of Collections and Art Curator Brian Szott was on MPR’s Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer discussing the Depression era Public Works Art Project, the new exhibit “1934: A New Deal for...

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Fragmentary history

Forget the History Channel.  If you want to learn about a particular period in the past, take a look at the objects that were around at the time and lived to tell the tale.  Museum artifacts are...

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Paul Kramer, artist

Self Portrait, 1964 We are sorry to note the passing of artist and gallery owner Paul Kramer. Kramer was not only a member of Minnesota’s Greatest Generation (having served in the armed forces during...

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Confederate Soldier’s Bible

This inconspicuous cloth-bound copy of the New Testament has a remarkably full story to tell. It was published in 1851 by the American Bible Society in New York and by the time the southern States...

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Fractional currency

If the words “United States” weren’t printed on it, you might think that this unusual bill came from Canada or Great Britain.  But it’s very American, and evidence of a curious chapter in the history...

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1970s – the Do Something Decade?

Oh, the 1970s…they were quite a time. There has been renewed interest in this period lately, both scholarly and in popular culture. From the movie Argo to the book being published this fall by MHS...

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Treasure in the Minnesota State Archives

In April 2011 a Library patron found an 1862 dollar bill in a Winona County District Court civil case file.  The case file itself is routine, so the real treasure is the dollar bill.  The well worn...

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Ded Unk’Unpi: We Are Here Exhibit Acquisitions

The Minnesota Historical Society strives to make history relevant to the lives of contemporary Minnesotans. One of the ways in which the Society carries out this mission is by collecting and caring for...

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At the State Fair

This is a cross-over Favorite Things / What’s New post. We are always lucky when something new to the Collection becomes an instant favorite! Maybe it’s the time of year talking, but when “At the...

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Football and puns and Floyd

Football and puns, what could be better? You get both in this 1966 University of Minnesota Homecoming Pin. College homecoming football games have been going on since 1909. Usually the homecoming team...

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Meet Writer-in-Residence Chris Martin

We are very excited to announce the writer-in-residence in the Minnesota Historical Society Library! In collaboration with Coffee House Press’s exciting project Writers and Readers Library Residency...

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Barbie and Ken, 1962

When Mattel toy co-founder Ruth Handler suggested an adult-bodied female doll to company executives in the early 1950’s, they were less than enthusiastic.  After all, infant dolls had dominated the...

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Newspaper carriers’ greetings

Take a look at these short pieces about the newspaper carriers’ holiday greetings in the MHS Library Collection! They are beautiful mementos of earlier holidays. Enjoy! Delivering greetings, Saint Paul...

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Remembering Matthew Little

The Collections Department is proud to highlight two notable manuscripts collections that document the work of civil rights activist and long-time Minneapolis NAACP president, Matthew “Matt” Little...

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American Indian Collections Outreach

Our very own Ben Gessner, Associate for American Indian and Fine Arts Collections, is the featured member on Connecting to Collections. He shares details about his work with American Indian material...

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Hardanger Fiddle

The Hardanger fiddle, or hardingfele in Norwegian, is a traditional instrument of Norway. The fiddle is much like a conventional violin with one major exception; where a typical violin has 4 strings...

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Reception gown worn by Mary LeDuc

How torn Mary LeDuc must have felt between extravagance and necessity when assessing her social position and need for proper dress. She was anticipating her husband’s appointment as Secretary of...

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Minnesota Territorial Seal, 1849

This is the official iron stamp of the Minnesota territorial seal showing a farmer plowing, a tree stump and ax, and an American Indian on horseback with lance in hand riding toward a setting sun. The...

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Rhubarb Pie!

Amy’s Baking Delights, from Ruttger’s Bay Lake resort near Deerwood, published sometime in the 1970s. Amy Pleidrup Downing and her sister Bertha Pleidrup grew up on a farm near Verndale, west of Bay...

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1919 Fire Truck at MN State Fair

Every year we lend our 1919 Ford Model T Fire Truck to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the MN State Fair Parade.  It is one of a very few vehicles that we keep maintained in running...

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New Wonderful World of Menus Display!

Come to the Gale Family Library at the Minnesota  Historical Society during regular library hours to see the new display on Minnesota Menus! It is the time of year when people’s thoughts turn to food,...

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Consulting the Oracle

I do not consider myself a person who scares easily. That being said, when I came across a Ouija board and planchette in the storage space at the Minnesota History Center, under the watchful glass...

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Points for Creativity

How do you encourage people to go see your new production? Easy! Give them cool swag. But when posters and key chains no longer grab people’s attention, marketing offices need to get creative. This...

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Saint Paul Winter Carnival Royalty, 1978

On a January evening in 1978, young women dressed all in white began arriving at the St. Paul Municipal Auditorium. They were the Royal Princesses of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, all hoping to be...

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Restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol

We, as the Collections Department, clearly love the Collections that tell the story of Minnesota and its people. But we also love field trips, especially those to historic sites. Many of us happen to...

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History Hounds!

Today, March 23, is National Puppy Day! With this is mind, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the fantastic dogs photographs collected by the Minnesota Historical Society. Two dogs posed on...

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Remembering “The Dome”

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, 501 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, 1982. With US Bank Stadium opening its doors for a public open house July 23-24 we reflect on its predecessor, the Hubert H. Humphrey...

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Minnesota Renaissance Fair Photographs

Huzzah! ‘Tis once again time for the greatest summer festival Minnesota has to offer! (Yeah, that’s right, I said it. The Greatest.) A group performs traditional dances on a stage with musicians, 1972....

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Power in the Pages

It’s that time of year again! The leaves change color, the air gets colder, and things at the Minnesota History Center get spookier! The Minnesota Historical Society Library is home to more than a...

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A Close Call

The Civil War is chock-full of tales of tragedy narrowly averted, often in the form of a bullet being stopped by a bible residing in the chest pocket of some fortunate soldier.  However, such...

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A Japanese Ball at the White House, 1877-1881

This silk satin and brocade reception dress was given to the Society in 1920 as part of several large donations of household goods from the LeDuc family of Hastings, Minnesota. General William Gates...

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