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

New Object Histories / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Wauwatosa / Object Histories / Milwaukee County / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / 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

Art, Sport & Entertainment / Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / 1900-1920 / Politics, Society & Government / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / Region 7 - South Center / 2000-2020 / 2020-2040 / Box of Chlorinium

From Fairs to Football Games: A History of Camp Randall

University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium has been through many transformations yet has remained a pillar of statewide community. First put to public use as fairground enjoyed by residents across the state of Wisconsin, the site housed the state’s largest soldier training…

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September 26, 2023

Manitowoc’s Maritime Identity

The city of Manitowoc has been deeply shaped by its maritime industry. Located directly on the shores of Lake Michigan, Manitowoc’s identity is intimately tied to the Great Lakes. Manitowoc utilized the access to Lake Michigan to build an economy fueled by…

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May 29, 2023

Orlando Metcalf Poe and Wisconsin’s Waterways

Photograph of Orlando Metcalf Poe. Image courtesy of the Village of Wind Point Brochure. Orlando Metcalf Poe was an engineer who shaped the landscape of Wisconsin’s harbors and waterways, playing a crucial role in the development of Wisconsin’s commerce. Through his lighthouse…

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May 10, 2023

Racine / Object Histories / Racine County / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Nature & Environment / 1900-1920 / 1920-1940 / 1940-1960 / Science & Medicine / Transportation & Tourism / 1960-1980 / 1980-2000 / 2000-2020 / Region 8 - South East / 2020-2040 / Wind Point Lighthouse

OBJECT HISTORY: Wind Point Lighthouse

Photo of Wind Point Lighthouse. Image courtesy of Cheryl Kaufenberg (June, 2016). Wind Point Lighthouse is located in the Village of Wind Point, which sits just north of the Racine harbor on Lake Michigan. The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 and stands…

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May 10, 2023