Collecting pieces of Minnesota's past for the future
About
The Minnesota Historical Society preserves and makes available a wide range of materials chronicling Minnesota's history and culture. The goals of the Collections Department are to collect and preserve; provide access and interpretation; and engage in education and outreach. This blog is a tool to share these stories and let people know what is happening in the department.
Green Giant Umbrella
This is a promotional umbrella for the Green Giant Company of LeSueur, Minnesota, from 1968.
Please note the giant hand and the tag line of "Ho Ho Ho."
Snow Umbrella
This photo shows two women hiding under an umbrella at a news stand during an early April 1937 snowstorm.
Hopefully we will not repeat this scene this year!
Horse buying Defense Bonds
Happy April Fool's Day!
For today's silliness we present this photo of a horse purportedly buying war bonds, taken in April 1942.
Environmental, Native Rights - Winona LaDuke
For the rest of Women's History Month, we will be highlighting a few Minnesotans who have worked to make our state and the world a better place.
Winona LaDuke is an environmentalist, economist, and writer, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation as well as sustainable development. She helped found the Indigenous Women’s Network, Honor the Earth, and the White Earth Land Recovery Project. She was also active in the Standing Rock Protests and ran for vice-president in 2000.
Climate Change, LBGTQ Rights, Empowering Girls - Ann Bancroft
For the rest of Women's History Month, we will be highlighting a few Minnesotans who have worked to make our state and the world a better place.
Ann Bancroft is recognized as the first known woman to have reached both North and South Poles. She made history once again in 2001 when she and Liv Arnesen became the first women to cross Antarctica. She has raised awareness of Global Warming and campaigned against a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution to make same sex marriage illegal. She is also an internationally recognized leader who is dedicated to inspiring women and girls around the world to unleash the power of their dreams.
These cats-eye sunglasses were used by Bancroft during the 1986 North Pole expedition.
Civil Rights - Nellie Stone Johnson
For the rest of Women's History Month, we will be highlighting a few Minnesotans who have worked to make our state and the world a better place.
Nellie Stone Johnson was an African American union and civil rights leader from Minneapolis. She believed unions and education were the best paths to economic security for African Americans, especially for women. Her dedication and pragmatic worldview contributed to a long and meaningful life.
This photo is of a group of leaders in the NAACP office during the Little Rock "Incident", 1954. Johnson is on the far right.
Voting Rights - Clara Ueland
For the rest of Women's History Month, we will be highlighting a few Minnesotans who have worked to make our state and the world a better place.
Clara Ueland was a lifelong women’s rights activist and prominent Minnesotan suffragist. She was president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association when the nineteenth amendment was passed in 1919. That same year, she also became the first president of the Minnesota League of Women’s Voters.
March Kites
This watercolor called "March Kites" was created by Minnesota artist Faith Miriam McNaughton Lowell between 1970 and 1975.
Hooray Spring!
Spring Coat
There are several surprising things about this woman's spring coat. It's made of bark cloth (which is exactly what you'd guess) and dates to between 1920 - 1930, not the 1960s! The coat retailed at J.M. Gidding & Company of Duluth.
Spring Waterfall
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