The Norling Collection
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| Self portrait of Irv Norling, 1967 |
The Norling Family Photo Collection chronicles life in the Bloomington community during the transition from agrarian society to suburbia. The Irwin (Irv) Norling photo exhibit displays some of over 10,000 photos that the Norling Family took of Bloomington, Minnesota, from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Irv Norling and his family captured the everyday life of the community, commemorating life's many celebrations. Photographs include weddings, confirmations, Lions Club rodeos, Bloomington mayors and councils, school constructions, dedications, events, Girls Scouts, Boys Scouts, Shriners pancake breakfasts, the Bloomington Athletic Association, parades, the Millers baseball games at Met Stadium, Marvin Anderson ramblers, development from the east to west side of the city, the opening of I-35W ...anything and everything that was Bloomington.
The Bloomington Historical Society is proud to be the repository for the significant Norling Collection. The society assigned the archiving of the collection a high priority, consulting with specialists from the Minnesota Historical Society, photo conservators and curators. Normandale Community College history professors and students assisted in the collaboration of service-learning-oriented projects. Over 160 students participated in the scanning of the approximately 10,000 negatives and 2,500 photos in the collection.
Norling Photo Exhibit Suburban World
Featured at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul from April 1 through June 15, 2008, the exhibit is a collaboration of the Minnesota Historical Society and the Bloomington Historical Society. The exhibit was a companion to the book Suburban World by journalist Brad Zellar who was inspired by Norling's images. The exhibit is now in the permanent collection of the Bloomington Historical Society.
For further information, call 952-881-4114.
The following are samples of Norling's view of suburban Bloomington in the mid-twentieth century.
Cool Celebrities
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13933A
July 11, 1957
Mike Todd in Bloomington. Mike was a Hollywood Producer who was married to Elizabeth Taylor. In this photo, Mike is delivering a paper to the house he grew up in, located on the former Cal’s Market site. Mike’s father ran the Garden Store at the site of the old Baillif store at 102nd and Penn Avenue South.
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13934J
July 11, 1957
Mike Todd was given key to the Town of Bloomington by Mayor Gordon Miklethun. They are standing on the steps of the Bloomington Town Hall, which served as the town offices.
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13934D
July 11, 1957
The town named a street after Mike Todd (for a day) at the intersection of 102nd and Hyland. Mike was killed in a plane crash some time later.
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Booming Businesses
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14642
June 15, 1958
Lyndale Avenue looking North from 100 feet north of 98th Street.
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12689
March 5, 1956
Community State Bank, looking SE from the west side of Lyndale Avenue.
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16850L
November 3, 1960
Opening of the Southtown Shopping Center at 79th and Penn Avenue, with Montgomery Wards as an anchor. Located on 200 acres, the one million square foot Mall was the first regional shopping center to serve Bloomington.
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19701
November 2, 1968
Southtown Theater at I-494 and Penn Avenue.
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16482
June 9, 1960
Osterberg Studebaker Dealer at 93-94th and Lyndale was one of many car dealerships to locate here.
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Friendly Folks
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13212
December 1, 1956
Mayor Gordon Miklethun with family during holidays.
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14809B
August 20, 1958
Centennial parade, showing KSTP vehicle. KSTP filmed many of Bloomington’s events over time.
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11305
July 19, 1954
Herman Kossow with Ms. Bloomington.
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14804A and D
August 20, 1958
Bloomington Optimist float in Centennial Parade.
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14465E
March, 1958
Sunday school class at St. Patrick's.
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12849
April 25, 1956
American Legion Post 550 Commanders at Post 550.
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11247
June 12,1954
Everett R. McClay Post 1296 parade color guard.
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13912A and C
July 4, 1957
Lions Club Rode prize show horse (winner) with child wondering if he should get on the horse. The Lions Club and other civic organizations were active in sponsoring many special events over the years throughout the Bloomington community.
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18543C
July 4, 1965
Ray Fleischman house, 7408 Nicollet Avenue, portrays suburbia--the house in the suburbs with a picket fence.
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Expanding Institutions and Infrastructures
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16219
February 29, 1960
Excavation for sewer and water mains in Bloomington. The project earned Bloomington the All-America City Award in 1961.
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16407
May 13, 1960
Bloomington school buses lined up, ready to transport the rapidly growing numbers of schoolchildren. The buses were owned by the George Knapp Bus Company.
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20081G
May 5, 1970
Cy Johnson, Richfield Police Chief, at his desk.
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20606D
January 2, 1974
Bob Benedict being sworn in as Mayor of the City of Bloomington. He was the younest Mayor to serve Bloomington, before or since his term.
City Clerk Al Bremecker gave the Oath of Office.
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20606E
January 2, 1974
Oath of Office being given to City Councilmen Bill Belanger and Robert Darr and to Mayor Bob Benedict.
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15544
June 20, 1959
John Pidgeon and Robert Hoffman at Council meeting.
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18601A
October 21, 1965
The new Bloomington Municipal Building with Harold Nelson (Harold's election photo).
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Awful Accidents
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16565
July 7, 1960
Accident at 78th and Normandale between Donley & Johnson sod delivery truck and passenger vehicle. Irv Norling had police scanners in his car, by his desk at work and by his bed. He rushed off to all police and fire calls to record the event. When he was not available, his family took the photos.
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20251D(16141???)
March 11, 1971
Fatal accident at I-494 exit and E. Bush Lake Road. Irv Norling’s photos were used for investigative purposes by the Bloomington Police Department.
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All-American Sports
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13986
August 2, 1957
BAA Giants baseball team playing at Toro field. The Bloomington Athletic Association is regarded as an outstanding example of the youth sports programs throughout the nation. The program has attracted many thousands of youth participants and many thousands of volunteer parent coaches and other volunteers who assisted.
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12826
April 15, 1956
Metropolitan Stadium under construction. The Met opened in 1956 for the triple-A Minneapolis Millers and was home to the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Kicks. The stadium was also the site of numerous concerts and other events. It was a common ground for millions of Upper Midwesterners, an integral part of life in Twin Cities. Demolition of the Met began on January 29, 1985.
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17910G
February 10, 1964
Bloomington High School Bears hockey team at winning game.
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14009
August 14, 1957
Walsh's Women's softball team and winning champs. Walsh's Grocery Store was a popular place for Bloomington families to shop.
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14015
August 14, 1957
Red Birds men's baseball team.
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17794A
November 17, 1963
Arnie Johnson with Bloomington Athletic Association (BAA) football team at Met Stadium. Arnie is known as the "Father" of BAA boys sports. - Betty Lokken as the "Mother" of BAA girls sports.
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11578
Winter 1955
Bush Lake Ski Jump.
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The Norling Photo Collection is a copyright of the Bloomington Historical Society. These photos shall not be used for publication without prior contractual arrangements with the Bloomington Historical Society. Permission must be requested for use on the Internet to institute procedures to prohibit printing or sales of the photos via the Internet or by any other means. For information about the Collection or use of photographs,
contact 952-881-4114.
Comments by Vonda Kelly, Past President and Executive Director, Bloomington Historical Society.
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