Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet

Drawing of the Kohler Company's "Armeda" toilet. Courtesy of the Kohler Co. Archives.

OBJECT HISTORY: The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet

By the year 1904, when the “Armeda” toilet pictured here appeared in the Kohler Company’s product catalogue, Sheboygan-based Kohler had become one of the largest makers of bathroom furnishings in the United States. Even at this early date in its history, as…

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March 11, 2022

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

Brown County / The Land of the Freed-up Woman / Region 5 - Center East / Green Bay / Politics, Society & Government / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / 1960-1980

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

Read more about the article The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Front view of historic house in the summertime c. 1974. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, ID# 28719.

Outagamie County / Region 5 - Center East / Appleton / Hearthstone House Chandelier / Related Stories / Home Furnishings / Science & Medicine / 1880-1900

The Hearthstone House and Electricity to Wisconsin

Built in 1882, the Hearthstone House operated using the first system of central electricity designed by Thomas Edison and it was the first private residence in the nation powered through hydroelectricity. The house was originally known as the Henry J. Rogers House,…

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June 7, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Hearthstone House Chandelier

Hearthstone House chandelier. Photo courtesy of Trase Tracanna, 2021.

Outagamie County / Region 5 - Center East / Appleton / Hearthstone House Chandelier / Home Furnishings / Science & Medicine / 1880-1900 / Object Histories

OBJECT HISTORY: Hearthstone House Chandelier

Known as Edison Light Fixtures, the original lighting fixtures of Appleton’s Hearthstone House, were created by Bergmann and Co., in association with the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting, out of New York. They designed the electric lights with the same general components…

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June 7, 2021

Read more about the article The Fish Boil Tradition

Fish boil meal, courtesy of the White Gull Inn.

Door County / Two-sided Spork / Region 5 - Center East / Related Stories / Food & Cooking / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 1880-1900

The Fish Boil Tradition

Familiar to many Wisconsinites, the Door County fish boil is more than just a cookout, it is a social experience. It begins when guests arrive early to sit outside around a crackling fire, where they enjoy a drink selected from the beverage…

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May 3, 2021