Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Penguin Server

A penguin-themed serving bowl dishes out stories about the aluminum industry, postwar consumer culture, and home entertainment in mid-twentieth century Wisconsin.

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September 10, 2020

Read more about the article The West Bend Aluminum Company

Bernhard Carl Ziegler (1884-1946). Image from Washington County’s Aluminum Industry, p. 11.

Industry / Wisconsin Made / West Bend / Home Furnishings / Related Stories / Everyday Life / Washington County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1918-1945 / Region 8 - South East / Penguin Server

The West Bend Aluminum Company

On September 27, 1911, a group of businessmen headed by Bernhard Carl Ziegler founded the West Bend Aluminum Company. Ziegler was the director and president until his death in 1946. As one of the most influential people in the community, he was…

The Aluminum Industry and Wartime Demands

In 1920 the aluminum cookware industry in Wisconsin gained control of over 50 percent of the total national market, after selling less than five percent in 1910. By 1929, West Bend ranked third in the nation in sales of aluminum cookware; however, during the Great…