Wisconsin 101

Wauwatosa’s Lefeber Brothers Department Store

“A clerk had to show Mother each item. She retrieved a pair of folded silk stockings and carefully inserted her hand to show how the color looked against the skin.”--Jean Lobe, from her memoir recounting her experiences growing up in Wauwatosa in…

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January 25, 2024

Art & Design / New Object Histories / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee County / Wauwatosa / Object Histories / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / 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…

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January 25, 2024

Industry / Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / 1918-1945 / Transportation & Tourism / The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine / Region 8 - South East

Beyond the Dirt Track: Harley-Davidson Expands to New Markets

“Typical Bikemen of the 1920’s,” Courtesy of the Milwaukee Police Historical Society. Harley-Davidson motorcycles may have had their first exposure on the dirt-track racing circuits of the early 1900s, but their legacy did not end with extreme sports. 1908 marked the Milwaukee…

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June 18, 2022

Sports & Games / Industry / Broad History / Milwaukee / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East

Harley Davidson and Milwaukee

It’s no secret that Harley-Davidson’s history is deeply rooted in Milwaukee. From dealerships to museums, the motorcycle giant serves as a cultural landmark and has become synonymous with the sprawling city. Thus, one may be surprised to learn of its humble beginnings.…

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June 18, 2022

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine

“1909 Harley-Davidson V-twin motor." Courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Archives.

Wisconsin Made / Industry / Milwaukee / Milwaukee County / Object Histories / Manufacturing & Trade / 1900-1918 / The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine / Transportation & Tourism / Region 8 - South East

OBJECT HISTORY: The Harley-Davidson V-Twin Engine

When Edward Pennington unveiled the first prototype for what he deemed the “motorcycle” in 1895, inspiration struck the minds of two Milwaukee natives, William Harley and Arthur Davidson. Joined by Arthur’s brother, Walter, the three began tinkering with two-wheelers and eventually designed…

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June 18, 2022

Read more about the article <i>Happy Days</i> and 1950s Sentimentality

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / 1965-1987 / Region 8 - South East / Happy Days Bowling Shirt Costume

Happy Days and 1950s Sentimentality

Publicity photo of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Richie (Ron Howard) from Happy Days. Source: ABC Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia / Public domain Happy Days — the precursor to other famous spin-offs including Laverne and Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Mork and Mindy — first brought…

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June 2, 2022