Wisconsin 101

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

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…

0 Comments

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.…

0 Comments

August 17, 2021

Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Madison / Dane County / Object Histories / 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,…

0 Comments

August 16, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Ojibwe Presentation Pipe

Pipe bowl. Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society

Art & Design / Indigenous Wisconsin / Madeline Island / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Bayfield County / Ethnicity & Identity / 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…

Comments Off

November 17, 2020

Norwegians / Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Everyday Life / 1848-1877 / Global Connections / Transportation & Tourism

OBJECT HISTORY: Norwegian Trunk

In the 1800s, European immigrants coming to America had to find a way to preserve the objects indispensable to their lives, bringing their most precious belongings on an ocean voyage to a far-away new home. Most families were only able to bring…

2 Comments

October 6, 2020

Indigenous Wisconsin / Military History / Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Door County / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / Ethnicity & Identity / Politics & Government / 1900-1918 / Region 5 - Center East / Potawatomi Beaded 'Soldier Coat'

OBJECT HISTORY: Potawatomi Beaded ‘Soldier Coat’

An elder spokesman for the Potawatomi Indians, Chief Simon Onanguisse Kahquados made a number of trips to Washington, D.C. in the early twentieth century in an effort to regain land that his people had lost through treaties with the United States government in the 1800s. Kahquados wore this coat on his last trip to Washington and also wore it on other important occasions, such as trips to the state capital in Madison where he often spent time researching and presenting information about his ancestry.

0 Comments

September 10, 2020