Wisconsin 101

Read more about the article Manhole Cover Designs and Contemporary Aesthetics

City of Madison Manhole Cover. Photo courtesy of Keith Kaziak, 2020.

Manhole Cover Designs and Contemporary Aesthetics

Over the past 45 years, there has been a growing worldwide fascination and appreciation for the beauty and craftsmanship of manhole covers. Some enthusiasts even created a subreddit aptly titled, Manhole Porn: Sewer covers in all their glory!, celebrating this ubiquitous iron…

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September 29, 2021

Read more about the article Marge Engelman and Equal Opportunity at UW-Green Bay

Engelman talks with peers at the University of Green Bay. Courtesy of UW-Green Bay Archives.

Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Brown County / Green Bay / Education / Ethnicity & Identity / Related Stories / Politics & Government / Society & Religion / 1965-1987 / Region 5 - Center East / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Marge Engelman and Equal Opportunity at UW-Green Bay

In the 1940s, it was rare for young women like Marge Engelman to pursue higher education. Having grown up in Illinois on her parents’ farm, Engelman was pressured by her father to stay on the family farm and to marry a farmer. In…

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August 19, 2021

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

Art & Design / Green Bay / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Brown County / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Society & Religion / Region 5 - Center East / 1965-1987 / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

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…

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August 19, 2021

Read more about the article Wisconsin’s Feminist Leaders and the National Organization for Women

A group of women are standing outdoors holding signs. One sign reads: "Fights Discrimination." Other signs read: "Kenosha Wis. NOW" and "ERA Wisconsin Women Say YES," c. 1973-1987. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Image 147430

Dane County / Madison / Related Stories / Ethnicity & Identity / Society & Religion / 1965-1987 / Region 7 - South Center / The Land of the Freed-up Woman

Wisconsin’s Feminist Leaders and the National Organization for Women

In the early nineteen sixties, American women organized in pursuit of socio-political change and gender equality. In Wisconsin, women challenged inequitable policies and societal norms by organizing the Wisconsin Commission on the Status for Women and participating in the National Organization for Women…

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August 19, 2021

Industry / Art & Design / La Crosse / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Global Connections / Manufacturing & Trade / La Crosse County / 1918-1945 / Region 3 - Center West / 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.…

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August 17, 2021

Read more about the article OBJECT HISTORY: World’s Largest Six-Pack

Photo depicting original Old Style behind updated LaCrosse Brewing label, August 7, 2021, Courtesy of Cortney Anderson Kramer.

Agriculture / Industry / La Crosse / Object Histories / Food & Cooking / La Crosse County / Manufacturing & Trade / Region 3 - Center West / 1965-1987 / King Gambrinus Statues of LaCrosse

OBJECT HISTORY: World’s Largest Six-Pack

Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the “World’s Largest Six-Pack” is a popular tourist attraction and landmark structure representative of the city’s renowned brewing history. At 54 feet tall, the six steel storage tanks, shaped and arranged to resemble a six-pack of beer,…

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August 17, 2021