Dravland Family Portraits: Christmas 2015

This year, the entire Dravland family met in Montreal for Christmas.  This hasn't happened in probably a decade, so it was a big event.  And then there was the challenge of getting all 8 kids, their kids, and mom and dad all in the same place, at the same time, ready and willing to take a group photo.  Of course, it was all worth it.

Becky

My little sister, Becky, is always a delight to photograph.She's so cooperative and patient with me while I mess with my amateur lighting systems.  It doesn't hurt that she's so photogenic!  Thanks Becky!

The Radisson Zion Museum is a Provincial Treasure

I recently took a short trip from Saskatoon to the town of Radisson, Saskatchewan.  I had traveled through the town before, but had never been too interested in the town's museum - the Radisson Zion Musuem.  I'm not a prairie museum enthusiast because usually I see neater pieces of history just driving around.

This time, however, the museum's owners lured me inside.  And it was incredible.

Privately owned and funded, artifacts fill every room of the old Zion church, and every room took my breath away. One of the owners, a warm and bubbly Barb, said that she, her husband and another partner had amassed and funded the collection, renovated the church, and now run the museum entirely on their own, just because they love doing it.   Their passion shows in every detail.

Just a few of the many photos I couldn't help but take...

Editions des Deux Coqs D'Or Beginning French Books

Editions des Deux Coqs D'Or or "Two Golden Roosters" published many adorable easy French language books before it became Hachette Livre (Paris) in 1991.  I was putting these books in my etsy shop and thought I'd share some of the adorable illustrations.  These books are second printings of books originally published between 1950 and 1960.

Sisters.

My gorgeous sisters, Anna and Becky on the lawn on the grounds of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

My Sister's Baby Girl, Allison Susan

I did a little shoot with my sister and her new baby, Alli, in our hotel room in Minneapolis.  The first image of many...

DIY Homeland Security in the 1950's: How YOU Can Spot a Suitcase A-Bomb

I came across this article in a 1956 edition of Mechanics Illustrated.  A fascinating look at how "homeland security" worked before the time of body scanners and advanced imaging technology.  Click here for the pdf file of the article.