Two years ago we tried LED holiday lights and we were very disappointed. The white lights had an odd blue-ish hue and the lights really did not have very much 'throw'.

Last year we went back to traditional incandescent lamps and the building looked terrific. But, because the lamps are not energy efficient, we had to minimize the amount of time they were illuminated.

This year we went back to LED lights. The lights need to be replaced every year because the squirrels like to chew through the insulation. We opted for a longer icecicles and we are very pleased with the advances of LED technology.

Downtown Red Wing looks spectacular in the fall. The colors absolutely pop and the well preserved buildings look fantastic.

By going backwards through telephone directories (this is known as a 'Jim Rockford') and speaking with Barb Tittle, it was possible to stitch together a more complete history of this building.

This building has a very significant photography (and real estate) lineage.

312 West Avenue chronology:

1894 - 1902 Lidberg Studio (original location)
1902 - 1920 Lidberg Studio (new location)
1920 - 1936 E. H. Lidberg Real Estate
1937 - 1947 Davison Studio
1948 - 1949 Wood's Studio
1950 - 1952 Hodge Studio
1953 - 1979 Chalet Studio
1980 - 2004 InComm Realty and Maas Realty (later Coldwell-Banker)
2005 - 2007 Gary-Donald Arts, a private art dealer
2008 - Present Red Wing Portrait Studio (and Red Wing Framing Gallery)

For 73 years, out of a total 115 years, this building has been home to 6 different photography studios. For 40 years out of this same 115 years, this building has been home to at least 3 (if not 4) real estate companies.

Draw your own conclusions.

1894 - Andrew Lidberg, an immigrant from Jarpen, Sweden builds and opens The Lidberg Studio at 443 W. 3rd Street, Downtown Red Wing, Minnesota (the corner of W. 3rd Street and East Avenue), which is immediately next door to Charlie Wah's Chinese Laundry. The Daily Republican on April 9th, 1894 writes, "Mr. Lidberg opened his gallery today, and it is a fine one. He will employ only competent workers and work at the lowest living prices."

1899 - Upon graduating from Red Wing High School, Andrew 's son Edward joins the studio full time. The Lidberg's begin producing the first series of colored souvenir post cards of Red Wing and the surrounding area. The photos were exposed on glass plates and developed at the studio. Negatives were then produced and sent to Germany to be lithographed into color post cards. These postcards are now collector items with a passionate following.

1902 - Local businessman T.B. Sheldon donates money to the City of Red Wing to build the country's first city-owned theater. To make room for the Sheldon Theatre, The Lidberg Studio is moved across the park mall to 312 West Avenue where the building is located today. A glass wall is oriented to the east to provide natural light illumination for portraiture photography.

1910? - Andrew Lidberg retires. Frank Booth, a graduate of Effingham School of Photography in Illinois, joins the studio.

1915 - Because of the war in Europe, it becomes increasingly difficult do receive color lithographs from Germany. Senator Knute Nelson has to intervene to get a production run of postcards released. Production is moved to Chicago (Acmegraph Company) and Milwaukee (E.C. Kropp Company).

1915 - Edward Lidberg begins his real estate career and the photography business begins to wind down. By 1920 the building is a full-time real estate office.

1920 - 1953 Very few building details. The best guess at this point is that from approximately 1920 to 1936 it was a real estate office and from about 1937 until 1953 it was various photography studios.

1953 - The Chalet Studio opens. This portrait studio is owned and operated by Ms. Louella Champs.

1972 - Edward Lidberg dies.

1978 - The Chalet Studio closes. The building is in very rough shape with the roof in danger of collapsing.

1979 - The building is repaired and restored by Dick Tittle. It becomes home to InComm Realty and Maas Realty

2008 - The building becomes home to Red Wing Framing Gallery and Red Wing Portrait Studio.

What goes around, comes around. Even if it takes 114 years.