Wisconsin 101

Enjoy a browse through Wisconsin 101’s collection of object histories. Click on the “Read More” button to view the full story and its accompanying related histories or explore the categories listed above each object history to learn more about certain themes, periods of time, and Wisconsin locales.

OBJECT HISTORY: Fish Boil Kettle

This fish boil kettle from the Wisconsin Historical Museum collection, was donated by the Viking Grill in 2010. The two handled baskets sit inside a cauldron which was originally manufactured as a drum for a washing machine. Door County may be the…

Comments Off

April 10, 2024

New Object Histories / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee County / Wauwatosa / Object Histories / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / Region 8 - South East / Lefeber Glass Plate Negatives

OBJECT HISTORY: Lefebers’ Glass Plate Negatives

Kodachrome? Fujifilm? Ektachrome? All too modern! We're stepping back more than a century to an era when photographers used glass plates – not film – to capture an image. Glass plate negatives can be professionally restored and digitally scanned. These before-and-after images are…

Comments Off

January 25, 2024

New Object Histories / Beetown / Home Furnishings / Food & Cooking / Grant County / Object Histories / Everyday Life / Pleasant Ridge / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / Region 6 - South West

OBJECT HISTORY: Sanitary Metal Kitchen Cabinet

Kitchens form a central part of the American experience. The Sanitary Metal Kitchen Cabinet, also known as the Mound City Kitchen Safe (circa 1906), fits into the history of American cookery, American kitchens, and American consumerism. Originally owned by members of the…

Comments Off

January 23, 2024

New Object Histories / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Dane County / Madison / Object Histories / Clothing & Fashion / 602 Club / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Region 7 - South Center

OBJECT HISTORY: 602 Club T-Shirt

Not all bars make commemorative T-shirts for their closing, like the one pictured here, but the 602 Club was not an average bar. The bar, previously located at 602 University Avenue, was just a short walk from the heart of campus, making…

Comments Off

November 2, 2023

New Object Histories / Object Histories / Dane County / Madison / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine / Region 7 - South Center / Box of Chlorinium

OBJECT HISTORY: Box of Chlorinium

Madison’s beloved Camp Randall Stadium holds a rich history many football fans are unaware of as they pass under the iconic Memorial Arch entrance. A box of chlorinium, tucked away in the Wisconsin Historical Society archives, opens the window to Civil War-era…

Comments Off

September 26, 2023

New Object Histories / Shawano / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / Politics, Society & Government / Region 2 - North East / 1920-1940 / Shawano County / National Guard Nightstick

OBJECT HISTORY: National Guard Nightstick

Police nightstick, signed by National Guard Members who participated in Milk Strike, 1933. Image courtesy of Nick Censoprano In mid-May 1933, battles, clashes, and strikes erupted throughout Wisconsin. The catalyst? Milk. On the orders of Governor Albert G. Schmedeman and Adjunct General…

0 Comments

June 27, 2023

End of content

No more pages to load

Older Posts