Sheep in Snowy Barnyard, 1930s.

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Zoo Bison, 1930s.

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A bison in a wooded zoo enclosure. 1930s.

Snowy Driveway Family Photo, 1930s.

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Family group posing for a photo in a snowy driveway. Appears 1930s.

Woman, Baby, Dog, 1950s.

Woman, child, and dog resting on a blanket, on a grass lawn. Appears 1950s.

NDSU's Downtown Expansion

I hadn't realized this when I was going over NDSU's PML Building expansion: the Y-shaped section of 9th St North directly behind the building will be adsorbed into the NDSU Downtown campus. The wedge of green houses six mailboxes (due to one-ways it allows drivers to drop their mail off out the car window), several trees and a flower garden, and the Statue of Rollo. It appears that Rollo will stay on the grounds, and an accommodation for the mail drop will exist on 3rd Avenue (a one-way going East). I'm pleased with two things: an increase in downtown green area, and a reduction in downtown parking lots. Even when the PML building was completely occupied, the lot was rarely full - remember, the lot across the street to the west also belongs to the PML building as well. If there's one thing I hate about downtown Fargo, it's too many parking lots, not enough buildings. I don't like the loss of a downtown street, though; several other north-south streets have been closed off in the past few years due to building expansion and train safety.

Standing In The Field, February 1912.

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Two men, one in a buggy, one standing. From a photo postcard, dated 23 February 1912.

Prize Composition Studies, 1917.

Student-submitted photos, from The Rotary, February 1917.

Rural Civil Defense, 1960.

Bombs have fallen. At least one has struck St Paul-Minneapolis. Another has exploded above the Great Lakes port of Duluth-Superior. Air force [sic] bases at Grand Forks, Rapid City and maybe Minot have been hit. So have other areas...Here, there is nothing to do now but wait. Radioactive fallout, if it isn't already here, will be filtering down within the next hour or two. Heaviest concentration will be between the next 6 to 12 hours, with no one daring to leave the family fallout shelter. Tomorrow, it may be safe to run to the barn long enough to check on livestock. Not all animals could be gotten under cover, but the producing cows and most valuable breeding stock are inside.

Cold War advice on preparing your farm for the inevitable nuclear war. From a 1960 issue of The Farmer.

Small-Town Country Road, 1930s.

Driving through the plains or Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota, many small towns still look like this today: Grain elevator, church, a handful of houses, and then just more open farmland. It's likely that buildings from the 1930s are still standing, although they're far more run-down than they looked eighty years ago. This photo was taken sometime in the mid-1930s, location unknown. (click for full image)

Apartment building, 1920s.

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Car parked in front of a large lodge. Appears 1920s.

Changing the Tire, 1940s.

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Changing a tire on a snowy mountain road. Appears 1940s.

Children and Playground, 1930s.

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A caretaker or teacher, with children. Appears 1930s, possibly taken in Texas or the south-central region of the U.S. More here.

The Mysterious Talking Board Ouija! 1930.

"Many scientists claim that the "Ouija board" answers questions through personal magnetism. Spiritualists claim that invisible spirits guide its movements and an unknown power of superior intelligence rules our future," claims this 1930 advertisement for the Ouija board. Unsure how to pronounce the pormanteau title? The article alternatively refers to it as the "wee gee" board, preventing any confusion. Simple directions were sent with each board, and it claims Ouija Board parties "are the most popular attractions at many gatherings." From the Model Publishing Catalog.

Family Photo, 1930s.

A family posing for a photo in front of a house. Appears 1930s (See comments). More of this group here.

Prince of Persia, 1909.

Portraits from Persia, early 1900s, around 1910. The images are somewhat related to an entry in The Book of History describing Persia (also called Iran in the article) up until the exile of the Shah and the division of their land between England and Russia. The article ends with the ominous claim that the treaty resulted in the end of an independent nation of Persia. Iran, however, grew from the remains; however, their more rural and less progressive residents have not changed much from these pictures a century ago. The article does not explain what the 'political prisoners' were in chains for, although it vaguely hints at 'reformers' who were instrumental in deposing of the Shah.