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Perhaps better than anyone else, Basgen photographed the midcentury evolution of Rice's Point and Duluth's working waterfront. His archive of Clure Public Marine Terminal photos from the 1950s through the 1970s is unmatched. The lengthy prime of his career coin- cided with the St. Lawrence Seaway opening, and Basgen delighted in captur- ing the colorful array of oceangoing ships anchored throughout North America's farthest-inland seaport. Upon Basgen's retirement in 1983, the Port Authority interviewed him, and from that interview, plus recent conver- sations with his son, Fritz, we're com- memorating Basgen and his work in this installment of In Focus. BEGINNINGS A Duluth Cathedral High School gradu- ate and Duluth Junior College student, Basgen enjoyed photography as a hobby prior to joining the service during World War II. Flight school proved to be an imperfect fit, so he transferred to photo technician training, eventually deploy- ing with a photo reconnaissance unit of the U.S. Army Air Forces in Italy. After the war, he attended the Fred Archer School of Photography in Los Angeles, graduating in December 1948. Sensing opportunity back home in Duluth, he relocated to the North Star State with his wife, Joan (Monaghan), and their first child, John. There, alongside his family and the rugged northwoods, his photography career blossomed. A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE Basgen's aerial photography exploits were unmatched. Combining his mili- tary experience, photography skills and love of flight, Basgen chartered high- wing aircraft, usually a Cessna 172 or 180 from the Duluth airport, for his aerial endeavors. One of Basgen's favorite HE LATE JEAN BASGEN opened his Duluth photog- raphy studio in 1949, eventually gaining a reputation as one of the region's best industrial and maritime photog- raphers. He mastered the art over a career that spanned five decades. During that time, he captured some of the port's most iconic images, including many from rare aerial perspectives long before the advent of drone photography made it more common. T Jean Basgen (Sept. 8, 1918—July 6, 1991) IN FOCUS 16 | NORTH STAR PORT | SPRING 2025 PHOTOS / Basgen Photography, Michael Schmid