December 26, 2017 This unmarked pressed glass cruet set was used at the Russell Hotel and Coffee Shop, located at 14-18 South Fourth Street in downtown Minneapolis. The set consists of a glass caddy with stainless steel handle and four glass [...]
December 19, 2017 Though foreign to us today, warming stones like this one have been used for centuries, and they have been made from all kinds of stone. Soapstone, however, was preferred for its ability to heat up quickly, retain the [...]
November 27, 2017 By Jack Kabrud, Hennepin History Museum curator This dress, a classic 1920s fantasy of white and pink chiffon heavily embellished with sparkling silver metallic embroidery, silver tissue leaves, and silver bead flowers with a pink and silver nosegay [...]
November 19, 2017 By Jack Kabrud, Hennepin History Museum curator Demetrios Giorgos Villas was born in Niata Greece in 1883. He immigrated to the United States, alone, at the age of twelve, arriving at Ellis Island in the winter of 1895. [...]
November 16, 2017 Sometimes the most interesting part of an object is the mystery surround it. We don’t know much about the origins or history of the caboose stove that is today’s Object Lesson, but up until very recently, we didn’t [...]
October 25, 2017 The history and demise of the West Hotel and the Tiffany urn that was created to honor the founders The West Hotel was known to be a destination of luxury in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. [...]
September 27, 2017 A Tale of an Extraordinary Ship and an Ordinary Bowl The USS Monitor was the first ironclad ship, and although it did not have a long life, it left quite a legacy. In fact, Winston Churchill stated, "The [...]
September 18, 2017 By Evan Walker This desk was made by students in the industrial arts class at South High School for the 1892 Republican National Convention. The chairman of the Republican Party, James S. Clarkson, sat behind it during the [...]
August 30, 2017 By Evan Walker Today’s Object Lesson might be one of the most exciting objects so far--at least to photograph. At almost 5 feet wide by 3 feet deep, the only way to fit the entire desk in the [...]
August 15, 2017 Above: one of two copy presses in the Hennepin History Museum collection. The letter copying press was invented in 1780 by the Scotsman James Watt, also the inventor of the steam engine. Watt's machine eliminated the need for laborious [...]
