When he wasn’t in the field making bird observations in pursuit of his ornithological hobby, Thomas Sadler Roberts shared his love of nature with his family members. Here Roberts is pictured having lunch with Mrs. Roberts and their three children…
Upon first seeing the above image from the glass plate negatives in the Bell Museum collection, I was stunned. Dozens of dead birds stacked upon each other in a giant pile. The caption for this photograph reads, “Lapland Longspur,…
As I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, holding a wet washcloth to my forehead in an attempt to reduce my fever, I remembered a series of letters I read last week from the correspondence files of the…
Yesterday, we shared images from the Training Course for Boy Scout Leaders in Forestry, Woodcraft, and Scouting that was held at Itasca State Park in August of 1920. Much of the instruction at the two-week course centered upon the identification,…
A comprehensive study of ornithology considers not only the bird as subject, but also attempts to understand bird behaviors and environment. This includes the nest – structure and composition, as well as the eggs – pattern, size, quantity, etc. Thomas…
A reminder to appreciate the fall season in Minnesota – no more mosquitoes! – William Kilgore Jr. and Thomas Sadler Roberts wearing “head-nets” at Itasca State Park, 1920…
In the Annals of the Museum of Natural History 1872-1939, Thomas Sadler Roberts, museum director, listed the following entry for January 20, 1928 on a detailed timeline of museum activities and milestones: An original double elephant folio edition of John…
This Saturday marks the 73rd anniversary of the dedication of the Museum of Natural History building on the corner of Church St. and University Ave. on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus. The building was dedicated on Saturday,…
One of my favorite shows is Portlandia, an IFC original comedy created by Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. The show is comprised of a series of sketches that light-heartedly satirize the city of Portland, Oregon (with similarities witnessed to that…
Encountering images of cute animals is an endless occupational task in implementing the Exploring project. Here is an image of a baby deer, a fawn, drinking milk from a bottle at Itasca State Park in 1917. Judging by the…