Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article Marge Engelman and Equal Opportunity at UW-Green Bay

Engelman talks with peers at the University of Green Bay. Courtesy of UW-Green Bay Archives.

Marge Engelman and Equal Opportunity at UW-Green Bay

In the 1940s, it was rare for young women like Marge Engelman to pursue higher education. Having grown up in Illinois on her parents’ farm, Engelman was pressured by her father to stay on the family farm and to marry a farmer. In…

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August 19, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Marge Engelman, "The Land of the Freed-up Woman," 1971. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, object 2000.79.1

Art & Design / Green Bay / Brown County / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Society & Religion / Region 5 - Center East / 1965-1987 / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

OBJECT HISTORY: The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Marge Engelman’s The Land of the Freed-Up Woman embodies the progressive thinking of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s. Engelman’s decision to use two symbols of womanhood—birth control pills and bras—as the medium for her artwork transformed the recognizable flag into a message…

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August 19, 2021

Art & Design / Industry / La Crosse / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / La Crosse County / Region 3 - Center West / 1918-1945 / 1965-1987 / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse

OBJECT HISTORY: King Gambrinus Statues of La Crosse

The King Gambrinus statue located in La Crosse, Wisconsin depicts the king of beer and brewing.[1] The origins of the statue, specifically its sculptor and construction date, are unknown. Weighing in at approximately 2,000 pounds, this concrete statue is 15 feet tall.…

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August 17, 2021

Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Dane County / Madison / Society & Religion / 1945-1965 / Region 7 - South Center / Frank Lloyd Wright Pew/Bench

OBJECT HISTORY: Frank Lloyd Wright Pew/Bench

For over a century, the First Unitarian Society of Madison has been a center for like-minded individuals to share ideas and connect. The Society’s Meeting House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and stands as a one of his most representative works,…

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August 16, 2021

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Grafton / Object Histories / Ozaukee County / Paramount Records 78 / Manufacturing & Trade / Nature & Environment / 1918-1945 / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: Paramount Records Power Wheel

Located near the heart of Grafton, WI, a rusted power wheel sits on the steep west bank of the Milwaukee River. Despite its corroded appearance, this metal device once powered an entire factory responsible for pressing popular shellac records. The history of…

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December 29, 2020

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Ojibwe Presentation Pipe

Pipe bowl. Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society

Indigenous Wisconsin / Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madeline Island / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Bayfield County / 1787-1848 / Region 1 - North West / Politics & Government / Society & Religion / Ojibwe Presentation Pipe

OBJECT HISTORY: Ojibwe Presentation Pipe

This Ojibwe presentation pipe consists of two pieces: a pipe bowl and a pipe stem. It was most likely for spiritual ceremonies. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the pipe bowl is carved from heavy stone, and has two common images to…

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November 17, 2020