Wisconsin 101

“SMART” Banner by Dennis Nechvatal, Madison, WI, 1983. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society ID #2011.63.2

OBJECT HISTORY: “SMART” Banner by Dennis Nechvatal

Not many people would expect that some of the most legendary music of the late twentieth and early twenty first century was made right here in Wisconsin. During its twenty-seven years of operation, Madison’s Smart Studios was a cornerstone of the music…

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June 24, 2022

Music, Theatre & Cinema / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Milwaukee County / Related Stories / 1965-1987 / Region 8 - South East / Happy Days Bowling Shirt Costume

Happy Days and 1950s Sentimentality

Publicity photo of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Richie (Ron Howard) from Happy Days. Source: ABC Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia / Public domain Happy Days — the precursor to other famous spin-offs including Laverne and Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Mork and Mindy — first brought…

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June 2, 2022

Old Main - the first academic building on campus is now known as Schofield Hall. This building is located at the center of campus.

Broad History / Eau Claire / Education / Related Stories / Eau Claire County / 1900-1918 / Region 3 - Center West / 1918-1945 / 1945-1965 / 1965-1987 / Council Oak Tree

UW–Eau Claire History

Today, The University of Wisconsin System consists of 11 four-year campuses that educate over 165,000 students. But this extensive institution grew from very modest beginnings. Most of the universities that formed the UW system began as one-building teacher’s colleges, and for the…

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October 5, 2021

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

Industry / Art & Design / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Neenah / Related Stories / Everyday Life / 1848-1877 / Manufacturing & Trade / Winnebago County / 1965-1987 / Region 5 - Center East / 1987-2011 / 2011-Today / Neenah Foundry Manhole Cover

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

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

Art & Design / Green Bay / Brown County / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 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

Marge Engelman, "The Land of the Freed-up Woman," 1971. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, object 2000.79.1

Art & Design / Green Bay / Brown County / Art, Sport & Entertainment / 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