Happy Holidays from the Staff at the Minnesota Discovery Center

Holiday photos from around MDC.

A bird's nest made out of grass.

Textures of basketry made by our demonstrators.

A basket that uses a horn as a handle.

Lace-like basket designs. Again made by our demonstrators.

Plucky all dressed up for the holidays.

A beautiful sunset towards Hibbing from our Overlook.

Creating Panorama Photographs for Train Exhibit

Laurentian Rail Road Club Train Model 

Come check out the model train exhibit from the Laurentian Rail Road Club in our Overlook Gallery. One of the RR guys wanted to put panoramic backdrops that showed the Iron Range (which is a great idea!) so he went out and took some photographs around the Iron Range. Never in a million years did I ever think I would have to learn how to stitch photographs together in my job description as curator. But there I was, Google-ing "how to create panoramic photographs." There are many great websites that helped me and after 8 hours of trial and error I finally finished one. Here are some of my stitching efforts!

Sand Trap Panoramic

Golf Course Panoramic

 

Lumber Equipment Panoramic

Photos courtesy of John Linstromberg.

Panoramic Stitching Tutorials
Stitching Photos in Photoshop at phong.com
This one is very advanced. The author of this site prefers to tweak his photographs after he uses the
Photomerge function (Photoshop CS3: File>Automate>Photomerge). If you're interested in fixing the "mask" yourself, this one will be helpful.

Photoshop Cafe Auto Alighn and Auto Blend at photoshopcafe.com/cs3/smith-aa.htm
This one is more straightforward and for someone who is new at stitching was the easiest way to do it. You will need Photoshop CS3 (not sure if the other versions work... try it!)

8 Guidelines to taking panoramic photos with any camera by Digital Photography School
Short, easy to read on taking good photographs to create panoramas.

Using Photomerge, another Technique to create panorama
Again, by Digital Photography School

TIP:
When taking the photograph, one should overlap the shots, otherwise Photoshop won't know how to stitch and blend.

Happy photographing and panoramic making!

Good stuff in the Community Gallery

We’re currently showing what I think is our best Community Gallery yet: Sketchers and Carvers. The variety of work and the number of pieces - woodburning, woodcarving, pen drawings, pencil grids, black ink on taconite-dyed paper, colored ink and more – make it an interesting show. Even if you just breeze through the space you get a sense of shapes, dimensions and texture. For a small area, it has a lot going on: 60+ submissions with more than 75 pieces from nine regional artists.

But somehow it’s not overwhelming. I feel fortunate to have been able to meet most of the artists who contributed to this exhibit. They were all wonderful to work with and I only hope they’re happy with how we’ve displayed their work. Mai did a great job displaying the carved sculpture pieces and we are extremely lucky to have an MCAD grad on staff. We all got a little creative in the layout, but it feels like it works. Many of the pieces are for sale, and there are more than a couple I would like to buy. The thing I love about our Community Gallery is it gives people with all levels of gallery experience a chance to share their work. The great response to the call for entries tells me there are plenty of talented people on the Range who want opportunities to show what they do. We’re happy to accommodate! See the show through March, and you’ll see what I mean. For artists' names and more info, click here. -BP

Museum Presentation

I made a presentation on what we are doing at the Minnesota Discovery Center to our board. Below is a short version of that presentation which defines what museums are, notes some of our exhibit and object collections challenges, includes our solutions to those challenges. I have hyperlinked websites that I find useful. I hope that you can get something out of it too!

I will write an update on what we've actually done in the museum and how it's working on another blog. Look out for it!

What is this?: Found with Kitchen utensils

Wooden kitchen utensil, slant tip, round handle; found in collection

What is this object? Help us figure out what this object is. Have you ever seen anything like it? Typically when we find an object like this we try to figure out its use and purpose. It was found with kitchen utensils during our inventory, so we believe it is some kind of tool used in the kitchen. It's round, has a groove running down the center, slanted edge and round handle at the top.

What do you think it is?

Give to the Max

 

Minnesota is one of those great states that has so much funding sources, non profits, and progressive ideas to to make our communities better. Give to the Max for the Minnesota Discovery Center (click button above). Remember that we get a dollar for dollar match; double your community support!

News: MDC Table and Small Exhibit at the Governor's Open

Come see all the excitement at Giants Ridge!
Read about the details on Range News.

Lodge at Giants Ridge
Reception 
Thursday, November 4 at 7 PM

Lodge at Giants Ridge
“Big Buck” Luncheon 
Friday, November 5th at 11 AM

We will have a table and some awesome historical photographs!

Hunters in the street displaying deer and grouse near Hibbing, Minnesota

William R. Opie Photographic Collection

Iron Range Research Center

1984.0486 0000968-tn

A Super Cute Video on Museum Manners

No Touching, No Running, No, NO NO... These are rules to confine people to themselves in museums. They are complete turn offs for me and visitors, too. However, the Minnesota Discovery Center have incredible and historical objects that need to be protected. So museums have been coming up with creative fun ways to get the message across but still be very welcoming. Watch this 2 1/2 minute video that will make you laugh, appreciate, and want to visit your local museum. "No Dragons Allowed."

How To: Simple Wall-to-Wall Inventory

One of the major responsibilities of a museum is to its object collections. About a year ago the Minnesota Discovery Center embarked on a major wall-to-wall inventory of our objects with the help of the Minnesota Historical and Cultural grant. Although some inventory was conducted before, there were incomplete information in the documentation.

Documentation is the most important part of a museum's collection. Without it no one would know where an object came from, what it is, and where it is located.

Before you start your wall-to-wall inventory, there are some basic registration (the act of registering/documenting an object) that needs to be in place. We used this type of system: 1998.2.3.

1998 represents the year that the collection came in through our doors.

2 represents that this is the second collection that came in through our doors in 1998.

And 3 represents that third object in this collection that was recorded.

1998.2 is the accession number and 1998.2.3 is the object ID number. Each object will have its own ID number.


Here is the most simple way to conduct a wall-to-wall inventory. 

Using a notebook or inventory sheet you should have this information recorded: Accession/Object ID, Description, Measurements, Home Location, Date Completed, and Completed by. Click to see an example of our inventory sheet.

Notes:
The description should describe what the object is, color, distinguishing marks, maker's marks, text that appear on the object. If you walk back into the storage using these descriptions, you should be able to make a good judgement of which object it is. The more information you have on hand, the better it is for future research on this object. If you don't have this information, save the research for another day and another project. HINT: If you tag your objects with subjects in addition to the description, it will make it easier for you to find an objects for specific searches.

The Home Location is a permanent place where you will store your object. Different areas in your storage space should be lettered or numbered, each column and/or shelf should be numbered. If you were given a letter D.4.5, you should be able to find where the object is in your collection room. D could mean it is on the wall that is given the name D. 4 means it is the fourth column, and 5 means it is on the fifth shelf. Number your storage area in a way that would make sense for you to find the objects in your collection.

Digitally recording this information will be very helpful in locating objects quickly. We use PastPerfect a museum software. It's at $870 today. Excel is simple and inexpensive alternative. Once you have the money to purchase software like PastPerfect, it can be quickly transferred into PastPerfect. A simple Google search under "museum database software" will bring up a lot of websites and other software. Interview some other historical museums (such as the Minnesota Historical Society) to learn about what they use and why they use it.

Work from one end of the room to the other. This will be a painfully long process, but the outcome will be well worth it for decades.

This is from our collection storage. Notice that we tag our objects? We include the object ID number. Notice also the documents with the objects? It helps to have these documents with the objects so that we can quickly identify what collection the object comes from. As we inventory, we also line our shelves with a polyethylene foam so that metal objects aren't touching our metal shelves and wrap sensitive objects in acid free tissue.

Here are more resources about registration, collections care, inventory, and documentation.

Running a Museum PDF - a practical handbook. Everything and anything you will need to know about how to run a museum. Includes information on care of collections, care of visitors, management, marketing, disaster preparedness, and illicit trafficking.

Connecting to Collections - Has online resources.

Re-Org: is a great resource for small museums like the ones here on the Range. It highlights storage reorganization, documentation, and offers case studies on collection care. It was created in order for "Preventive Conservation of Endangered Museum Collections in Developing Countries.”


National Park Service Museum Management Program - Thorough pdf resources on managing collections

How not to choose paint colors

By Mai Vang, Curator

We are so excited to be recipients of Valspar's Minnesota Beautiful Grant. Through the grant we received 45 gallons of paint! The Bunkhouse, Pillsbury Station, and Turntable received a facelift this fall.

BEFORE

The bunkhouse was donated to MDC by Arnold and Ethel Danielson. Track gangs, men who were building railroad tracks, stayed in buildings like this in the early 1900s.

 

Side of the Bunkhouse.

AFTER

 

Whao! Look at that blue. Like any other human being, I took a photograph of the old bunkhouse and held it up against the samples of paint. Blue Balance 40021. Perfect. On paper. After our buildings and grounds crew painted the building (thanks Loren and Glen!) it turned out to be a playful-doll-house-color-sky-blue. Do not do what I did. Always choose a shade duller and darker.

At any rate, the building is now bright and happy. Last chance to see it before winter sets in at our Family Fun Trolley this weekend October 22 and on October 29th.

Peanuts...Naturally Exhibit Summary

We had a 24% increase in visitors during the run of Peanuts...Naturally with 

8,811 visitors from June 11 - September 4th!

 

Charles Schultz created some comic strips on how his Peanuts characters view the world around them. Through the misunderstandings of these characters, the public and readership gained great knowledge about protecting the environment, about trees and birds, and about the universe. 

 

Enjoy some of the photographs from our Peanuts...Naturally programming that focused on visitors' relationships with nature and their surroundings!

Visitor with potted plant.

Butterfly release with Stefanie Carlson, Education Coordinator, and visitors.

Staff with Snoopy.

Old Cars at MDC

Last week I had the opportunity to go out the the Glen Location and photograph some of our old vehicles. In our efforts to preserve these, we are documenting and planning open storage for them. Open storage means that these large pieces will be displayed where they are stored. Which means, you, the visitor get to see them and we can preserve them at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone! Enjoy the view.

We at MDC LOVE and THANK Volunteers!

The only way a place like the Minnesota Discovery Center can exist, is through the hard work of the dedicated volunteers. The work that volunteers do in the community is mind blowing because they contribute so much. They not only contribute time, but also spirit and energy, which is what makes a community a better place to live. My new volunteer is assisting me in organizing past exhibit data by creating scrap books! It's great because now we can keep this part of Iron Range history alive and documented. So, Thank You, to all of the volunteers here and in our community!

There are so many different projects to fit the needs and wants of a volunteer here. Just ask us!

See below for volunteering facts from Volunteering In America.

Good-bye Lettter to our Long-Time Friend

Since I have been working at the Minnesota Discovery Center, I have been so very fortunate to have worked with some really amazing people, and this week I very sadly and reluctantly said good-bye to one of those most special people, Matt Rasmussen.

When I arrived here in February, I had but one staff member in the Education Department, and you guessed it, it was Matt. It was me and him against the world! I soon figured out how much I needed him and how much I had to learn from him. I followed him on a tour on my second day of work and I thought, “How am I ever going to learn all of this and do it as well as he does?” Well, I did finally learn, and am still learning every day, but I still don’t think I have the same flair he has with tour groups. He really showed me the ropes and introduced me to this fantastic museum in his own unique and special way. I think it is safe to tell him now that I have stolen some of his tricks! His love for the museum was immediately apparent to me and I just fed off of that. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if I would have learned so much so fast.

Let me tell you a little about Matt Rasmussen and his work ethic and many talents, he is truly good at everything he does, and I am not just saying that, he really is. He has done just about every job in this department and done it all over and above any expectation I ever had for him. He was an Iron Range History Player, tour guide, trolley operator, trolley conductor, and program leader. I think the only thing he didn’t do was demonstrator, and if I had asked him to do that, he would have done it with a smile and done it better than I could have imagined, I am sure of it. I also haven’t heard him sing, but I’d bet he is good at that too! (Why did I think I liked this guy? Just kidding!) And on top of all of that, he is one of the most positive people I have ever met. If I gave him a group of 25 Tasmanian Devils to tour the museum and they made his life a living hell, and I asked him how it went, he would put on a smile and find something positive to say, he never, ever, made negative comments about anything he did here, even when I knew things didn’t always go smoothly. He just has a way of shaking it off and finding the good in everything, it really is another of his many gifts.

I am certain that Matt will be great at whatever he chooses to do with his life and I wish him nothing but happiness and success. I am so excited for him to embark on this next phase of his life, but at the same time, I am so sad for myself, the other employees of the museum and for the guests of the Minnesota Discovery Center that will not have the opportunity to encounter Matt when they visit here. We really have lost a gem. He was not just a great employee, but a great friend and lover of the Iron Range story.

So, I would just one last time, this time publicly, say thank you to Matt Rasmussen for what he has brought to the Minnesota Discovery Center and what he brought to me personally.

Good-bye Matt, you will always be a part of the Minnesota Discovery Center family no matter where you go. Just don’t forget us little people when you strike it big! I would wish you luck, but I don’t think you will need it; all good things will come to you. Happy and safe travels my friend, you will be missed.

Sincerely,


Stefanie Carlson, MDC Education Coordinator

Don’t forget to keep checking back for more great profiles of Minnesota Discovery Center staff!

Swinging Door Toaster from Collection

By Mai Vang, Curator
In 1905, the modern electric toaster was the new iPad 2. It wasn't until 1906 that nichrome, a very hardy wire that can withstand high heat, was invented, that the toaster could function the way we know it today. Before that, the metal wires melted or caught on fire. A very dangerous household item. After nichrome was invented, toasters of all shape, sizes, and styles came about.

Cool dates:

1920 - Charles P. Strite, from Stillwater, Minnesota, invents the pop-up toaster

1928 - The first pre-sliced bread sold

Click on the image to see it in action!

The toaster in our museum has two swinging doors made by Landers, Frary & Clark under the name Universal. Both the front and back had swinging doors that would flip over to toast both sides of the bread. Inside are metal coils where the electricity runs through in wavy "U" formations. See how the swinging door works?

Can you find pre-modern appliances in your home?


For more information in general on toasters see The Cyber Toaster Museum.

Summer Photography Workshop at MDC

By Mai Vang, Curator

The "Grace" exhibit inspired me to host 3-Day sessions of Beginners and Intermediate workshops. Eric Enstrom from lil' ol' Bovey took this famous photograph.

Photograph taken by Eric Enstrom of Charles Wilden in 1918.

I cannot believe how many functions of a camera there are! Pete Davis, a professor from Hibbing Community College and Joe Edman, a photographer taught the two sessions. Below are some photographs I took after learning some techniques. Enjoy! (P.s. We would love to see your photographs from MDC too!)

 

The Class. Teachers, Pete Davis, third from left and Joe Edman, third from right.

 

My attempt at photography. Pond at MDC.

 

We learned the Rule of Thirds. When your

subject is in 1/3 of the frame, the photograph is more pleasing to the eyes.

 

The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) truck. It actually runs and 

was recently in the Hibbing Parade!

 

One of the greatest features of our grounds are the

historical buildings and structures.

Here are replica outdoor cooking with a beautiful water pot.

 

Using the 'macro' on the camera always gives

photographs an artistic perspective.

Mystery Solved

By Mai Vang, Curator

Backlogs of unsolved mysteries sits down in collection for years and years, to no one's fault. As any museum curator/administrator/collections manager knows, that is the nature of the beast.

When I first came on staff, one of the first emails I received was from the St. Louis County Historical Society's collections manager.When the Minnesota Discovery Center, formerly Iron Range Interpretative Center, first started we borrowed some Stuntz items from them... 28 years ago. George Stuntz was a government surveyor who discovered the Vermilion Range iron ore deposits and helped develop Duluth and St. Louis County.

“I came in 1852. I saw the advantage of (Minnesota Point) as clearly then as I do now. On finishing the survey for the government, I went away to make a report, and then returned the next spring and came for good. I saw surely knew then as I do now that this was the heart of the continent commercially, and so I drove my stakes.” -George Stuntz

A couple of weeks ago, I met with staff members from the St. Louis Historical Society and finally returned the items. This is a collection manager and curator's dream. Paperwork and artifacts are back to where they belong and we can continue our jobs in solving more collections mysteries.

Traveling Travel Exhibits

By: Mai Vang, Curator

The logistics of moving an exhibit is like moving out of your home. Small exhibits are like an apartment, large exhibits are like moving two-4 bedroom homes. Since my time at the MDC (Minnesota Discovery Center), we received three traveling exhibits. How People Make Things, the largest traveling exhibit I worked with, took up two semi-trucks and a whole week to put together.

Like some spy movie, some museum registrars may be chained to a black briefcase for very special objects while they are traveling long distances. Some might even purchase an airplane seat for it so that it would never leave their sight. That is an extreme case and becoming rare. For larger exhibits, like How People Make Things, a special carrier would be used. Some arts moving trucks would be  temperature controlled. Moving exhibits and objects, although not difficult, takes practice and careful attention. 

Imagine a Van Gogh being thrown around like a UPS package. That would not happen with these special shipping companies. And of course, some traveling exhibits are developed with traveling in mind.

To my relief, Minnesota on the Map, the next traveling exhibit, will be a lot smaller and picked up by an MDC staff from Winona History Center in a 12 foot truck/van. Click to see the logistics of Minnesota on the Map, the next traveling exhibit coming to MDC.

Map from the Minnesota Historical Society collection for Minnesota on the Map exhibit.

Minnesota on the Map Coming August 6!
The Minnesota Historical Society Traveling Exhibits Program has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. 

A great history. A great show.

By Scott Stein

One of the interesting things about living in this area is our unique cultural heritage. Many of our families settled here to work in the mines and start a new life.

We brought our cultures with us, of course, and fought (and continue to fight) to keep them alive here.

On Sunday, August 7, the Discovery Center is presenting the Duquesne Tamburitzans, the longest-running multi-cultural song and dance company in this country. The Tamburitzans are dedicated to preserving the music, songs and dances of Eastern Europe.

There, I got all the proper stuff out the way. Now, let me say this: they’re a great show!

Check them out on YouTube and come out for the show on August 7. It starts at 2 o’clock and tickets are only $10. Also, a special thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board for sponsoring the show.

Finding Mystery Boxes

By Mai Vang, Curator

 

I envy my inventory assistants. They get to handle each and every mysterious object in the collection. In my rush to leave my office to some meeting or other, I glanced at a box and rushed straight back to photograph it.

What treasures are inside of it? Where did it come from? How old is it? Although I believe Jason has learned its secret, the answers allude me, for now.

What mysterious boxes have you found in your attic? Tell us your stories.

On the left is the mystery box that Jason is inventorying.

On the right is a piece of textile that Mary has finished up and started wrapping.

Inventory: Wall to Wall

By Mai Vang, Curator

Minnesota Discovery Center received a grant through the Arts and cultural Heritage Fund in October 2010 to conduct a wall-to-wall inventory of the object collection. We have an estimated 10,000 + number of objects in the collection that includes everything from the mundane household item to large equipment to artworks.

Our goal: To inventory 10,000 objects by 2013.

Next step: Identify preservation and storage needs to properly care for these historical objects.

By April 27, 2011, Mary Erickson and Jason Scorich have inventoried 3,000 objects! Great job!