It is raining with lightning and thunder in Minneapolis today. Taking my cue from the weather, I’ll share another mysterious “M” numbered negative from the Bell Museum of Natural History records: – Stub of Pine tree splintered by lightning, Itasca…
It is time once again to share images from the “M” numbered, or “Mystery,” negatives in the Bell Museum of Natural History records. This installment is about three images from the negatives in drawers 51-56 of the 6,918 glass plate…
When we started our Itasca themed week, we shared the story of how beavers were introduced to Minnesota’s first state park. It is only fitting then that we close our week-long celebration of the establishment of Itasca State Park with…
In 1907, the state legislature passed a bill that designated Itasca State Park as a State Forest and assigned Park management to the state Forestry Board. The legislature also granted the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota permission…
Welcome to day three of Itasca State Park Week, the week that Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History celebrates the 123rd anniversary of Minnesota’s first state park by sharing early images of the park found within the natural history collections at the…
On April 20, 1891, the Minnesota state legislature adopted an act to establish the first public park for the state of Minnesota on land that surrounded the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. “An act to establish and…
While I don’t claim to have a photographic memory, my work over the past several months on the Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History project has fine-tuned my ability to remember images. Having viewed over 12,000 images from negatives, lantern slides, and…
In theme with an upcoming holiday, here is an array of eggs: – Red-eyed Vireo nest and eggs, July 1902, Itasca State Park – Junco nest and eggs, June 1902, Itasca State Park – Ruffed Grouse nest and eggs, May…
On this day, the first day of spring 2014, let’s remind ourselves of what will soon be sprouting up… – Erythronium albidum, White Dog-Tooth Violet, Liliaceae, 1943 – Calypso bulbosa, Fairy Slipper, Orchidaceae, Itasca State Park, 1937 – Cypripedium parviflorum…
With Minnesota fishing licenses set to expire tomorrow, we thought we should share some of the fishy photos from the negatives in the Bell Museum of Natural History records to commemorate the close of the 2013 angling season. Cast your…