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Frederic King Butters, 1878-1945

Ernst Abbe, University of Minnesota instructor, began a memorial article about his colleague Frederic K. Butters with the following quote: “‘Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas Atque metus omnes, et inexorabile fatum Subject pedibus’ – Vergil Fred Butters appreciated…


A Wellcome customer…

– Wellcome Photographic Exposure Diary, F. K. Butters, 1911, from box 83 of the collection of the Department of Botany. “The most dainty, compact and useful pocketbook for photographers. Handsomely bound and beautifully illustrated.” So reads an advertisement for…


Friday Flora

From the collection of the Department of Botany, Box 17, photo 2: Viola blanda, L. Calhoun ’00 (Lake Calhoun 1900) [Sweet White Violet]…


The Sun!

After weeks of rain in Minnesota, the sun is out on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus! These birds are as shocked as we are… – From the glass plate negative collection, Bell Museum of Natural History records….


Laying the Foundation: Newton Horace Winchell

The first dedicated study of the geology of Minnesota – and the discovery of the outstanding natural features of the state – is largely attributed to Newton Horace Winchell, the first director of the Minnesota Geological and Natural History Survey….


Bird List, June 5 1912

On June 5, 1912 (101 years ago today) Frances S. Davidson wrote in his notebook, “cloudy, cool. West wind,” and then began a checklist of birds observed from the “fields” in Annandale, MN. Davidson started a Daily Catalogue of Birds…


First Friday Flora

Welcome to Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History – the blog. On the occasion of the launch of this project, and on our first Friday of blogging, it is only fitting that we share the first image digitized – our first…