Not unlike the divided household of Downton Abbey, we have a dramatic example of upstairs/downstairs life right here in Minnesota. The ldquo;Empire Builderrdquo; James J. Hill and his family were the primary occupants of 240 Summit Avenue but another, less familiar group of people lived there as well: the 10 to 12 live-in domestic servants who did the cleaning, cooking, laundry, and maintenance work at the house. In piecing together the stories of these servants, information is culled from a variety of sources that can be found in the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Explore the curious, cute, weird, and wonderful world of mascots who represent the Great State of Minnesota. From a lumberjack and Twins to a gopher and a duck, the mascots are a recognizable part of life in Minnesota and often our ambassadors to the world beyond.

Often students come in to the Library with assignments to do research in primary source materials, but find that they're not quite sure what a primary source is. This video provides a brief discussion of primary and secondary sources with examples from the Society's collections.

This informative piece on the history of bow ties focuses on those in the Minnesota Historical Society's Collection. Consider updating your look using tried and true retro fashion! Part of the 'Things Used to be Cooler' series. Watch for more fashion and living tips from the past coming soon!

The events, politics, movements, music and television of the late Sixties return in The 1968 Exhibit. Objects Curator Matt Anderson takes a look at some of the exhibitrsquo;s artifacts drawn from the Minnesota Historical Societyrsquo;s collection.

Music credit: "Slow Burn," performed by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 3.0).

Learn More:

The 1968 Exhibit

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Hubert H. Humphrey

Eugene McCarthy

The Kensington Runestone has been a point of controversy, contention, pride, and interest since it was discovered in 1898 by Swedish immigrant farmer Olof Ohman. Reference Specialist Debbie Miller discusses the story behind this important piece of Minnesota history and some of the resources the Minnesota Historical Society has relating to it. Uppsala University Professor Henrik Williams also gives a brief introduction to what runes are and what they are not.

The Minnesota State Fair is nothing if not full of spectacle. Collections Assistant Christopher Welter shares a few of the thousands of State Fair photos in the Societyrsquo;s collection, with a special emphasis on the fairrsquo;s more spectacular offerings over the years.

Learn More:

See more State Fair images

Minnesota State Fair Walking Tour

Watch Minnesota State Fair in Archival Footage

Purchase book about the State Fair from the MHS Press

Minnesota has a vast railroad history, both as a gateway to the Pacific Northwest and as home to several major railroad companies. The Societyrsquo;s collections document this legacy through artifacts used on the railroads and through the corporate papers of the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, the Soo Line and others. Curator Matt Anderson and Reference Librarian Hamp Smith take a closer look at these collections.

Learn More:

History Topics: Building Railroads

Family History #38; Genealogy Resources: Railroad Records

James J. Hill Family Collection

Jerome Liebling began his career as a photographer in New York in the 1940s. In 1949, his move to Minnesota shifted his work to a more rural landscape. His art, however, maintained its focus on people and the spaces that they occupy. During the late 1950s, a time when Minnesota was becoming nationally known for its politics, Liebling began photographing Minnesotan politicians. Recently, Jerome Liebling donated to the Minnesota Historical Society nearly 200 black and white photographs of these images, the majority of which are documenting activities of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. During his years in Minnesota, he trained countless artist photographers in the Fine Arts department at the University of Minnesota. In this way, as did the politicians in his photographs, Jerome Liebling has left his own legacy in our state.nbsp; He passed away on July 27, 2011.

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Photos by Jerome Liebling in the Minnesota Historical Society's collection

More photos by Jerome Liebling

The 1968 Exhibit Blog: Wallace Visits MN, Liebling is there

Item of the Day

The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to make available a silent film clip featuring Michael J. Dowling (1866-1921). Dowling, a Minnesota politician, newspaper publisher, businessmen, and spokesperson for those with physical disabilities lost both legs, most of one arm and part of another to frostbite when he was young. During and after World War I Dowling crusaded for the rehabilitation of veterans disabled during the war. This film clip, first shown at a meeting of the American Medical Association in 1918, graphically demonstrates how Mr. Dowling was able to function very successfully in spite of his handicap. He is shown driving a car, traveling, and conducting regular business operations. This film when fully cataloged will become part of the Dowling family papers and available for research use in the MHS Library.

A quote from Mr. Dowling after the film premiere: ldquo;Now, an arm being gone is a mere bagatelle, two arms donrsquo;t amount to anything, and I can assure you from personal experience that it doesnrsquo;t mean anything to have both legs and both hands gone. There is just as much fun in living. What the so-called cripple needs is not charity but a chance.rdquo;

Duane Swanson

Manuscripts Curator