Wisconsin 101

OBJECT HISTORY: Norwegian Genealogical Plaque

Created in 1879, this beautiful plaque features the genealogy of Sara Magelssen's family, including the story of her and her husband's immigration to Wisconsin in the 1860s.

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July 1, 2019

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Music, Theatre & Cinema / Everyday Life / 1877-1900

OBJECT HISTORY: Graphophone

The graphophone was one of the first ways to record and play sound. And without this invention we would not have things like voicemail, iTunes, or Spotify.

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May 1, 2019

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: Cradleboard

Home Furnishings / Indigenous Wisconsin / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / Everyday Life

Native Americans used cradleboards in North America to protect, carry, and entertain their babies. Cradleboards allowed women to keep babies close to their side. Women carried cradleboards on their backs. They also could rest them against a tree. The cradleboard protected babies from danger and kept them happy. Native tribes made cradleboards in many ways,…

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November 1, 2018

Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Industry / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / Manufacturing & Trade / Science & Medicine

OBJECT HISTORY: Vacuum

People in the early 20th century witnessed the invention of all kinds of household tools we take for granted today, such as the vacuum cleaner, laundry machine, and refrigerator. This is a manual vacuum cleaner from 1911 at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. This small upright vacuum was designed to be operated by hand and easy…

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October 15, 2018

Home Furnishings / Indigenous Wisconsin / Object Histories / Pre-1787 / Industry / Clothing, Apparel & Fashion / 1787-1848 / Everyday Life / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / Fur Trade

OBJECT HISTORY: Trade Blanket

This blanket, ordinary though it may seem, tells the story of an important meeting of cultures that occurred in Wisconsin between 1634 and 1763. Not long after the explorer Jean Nicolet first set foot in Wisconsin, French traders saw an opportunity to make money by sending beaver furs back to Europe for use in stylish…

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October 15, 2018

La Crosse / Home Furnishings / Object Histories / Education / Everyday Life / 1900-1918 / La Crosse County / Region 3 - Center West / La Crosse Normal School Fireplace

OBJECT HISTORY: La Crosse Normal School Fireplace

UW- La Crosse was once a smaller school that went by a different name. The original school, La Crosse Normal, was originally a training school for prospective teachers. It opened on September 7, 1909. Parts of the Normal School can still be seen on the UW-La Crosse campus, though they can be difficult to spot.…

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September 1, 2018