In design, imitation often leads to innovation. Trying to recreate something you’ve seen others make can take some out-of-the-box thinking to find substitutes for inaccessible materials or fill in the gaps of unknown steps. Antique furniture is filled with examples, especially when foreign ...

With its soft colors, flower motifs and asymmetrical twining lines, this ceramic charger, made circa 1900, fits right into the art nouveau movement. However, when it sold for $2,500 at Auctions at Showplace, it was described as “Jugendstil.” German for “young style,” named after the ...

Did you know the term “Dog Days” refers to the heat and humidity of the mid-summer months of July and August here in the Northern Hemisphere? Most sources agree that Dog Days occur in mid-to-late summer but the exact dates can vary from source to source because they are tied to the dawn ...

The third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day. Most of us would agree that ice cream is an indispensable part of summer. Who wouldn’t recognize the jingle of an ice cream truck? This ice cream vendor toy, which sold for $1,800 at Bertoia Auctions, has a slightly different, but still ...

Summer is going by quickly, and the library has had some great events as part of our annual children’s Summer Reading Program, along with some exciting events for adults. We’re very grateful for the opportunity we have to connect with individuals and organizations in our area to bring ...

The New Ulm Public Library (NUPL) art contest to select three new library card designs has ended. The deadline to submit artwork was June 1. Online and in-person public voting began the week of June 17 and three winners have been selected by the public. What a hard decision and what a close ...