This building has historical bones

A Journey Through Time: The History of The Lidberg Studio

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), right next to Charlie Wah's Chinese Laundry. The Daily Republican on April 9, 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 Lidbergs begin producing the first series of colored souvenir postcards of Red Wing and the surrounding area. The photos are exposed on glass plates and developed at the studio. Negatives are then sent to Germany to be lithographed into color postcards. These postcards are now collector's 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 for portrait photography.

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

1915 - Due to the war in Europe, it becomes increasingly difficult to receive color lithographs from Germany. Senator Knute Nelson intervenes 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 winds down. By 1920, the building becomes a full-time real estate office.

1920-1953 - Very few building details are available. It is believed that from approximately 1920 to 1936, it was a real estate office, and from about 1937 until 1953, it housed various photography studios.

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

1972 - Edward Lidberg passes away.

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

1979 - The building is repaired and restored by Dick Tittle, becoming 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.