Everyday Life

Aztalan Copper Maskettes, 1000-1200 AD. Courtesy: Milwaukee Public Museum

Jefferson County / Region 7 - South Center / Pre-1600 / Aztalan / Clothing & Fashion / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity

OBJECT HISTORY: Aztalan Copper Maskettes

Found at the Aztalan archaeological site in southeastern Wisconsin, these small copper artifacts were most likely used as ornate jewelry.[1] Specifically, Mississipian people likely wore the mask-shaped copper designs as earrings. Although Native Americans seldom used metal, they sometimes used metals from…

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December 18, 2020

Sheboygan / Sheboygan County / Region 5 - Center East / The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet / Related Stories / Home Furnishings / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine

The Early History of the Kohler Company

As was so often the case with major American businesses in the 1800s, the Kohler Company grew from modest roots. The company’s founder, John Michael Kohler, began his working life first as a delivery truck driver and then a salesman. Born in…

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November 10, 2020

The 1904 Kohler “Armeda” Toilet / Related Stories / Home Furnishings / Manufacturing & Trade / 1860-1880 / Science & Medicine / Global Connections

The Bathroom as a Household Space

When we think of a “bathroom,” we usually imagine a room containing three standard fixtures—a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. Bathrooms such as these are so universal in homes today that we can hardly imagine a time when they did not…

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November 10, 2020

Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

1600-1800 / Manufacturing & Trade / Clothing & Fashion / Object Histories / Nature & Environment / Curators' Favorites / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: Beaver Felt Hat

The beaver felt hat was one of the main reasons for the success of the fur trade in northern states, such as Wisconsin, and in Canada. But why was this hat more popular than others? Clothing allows for people to choose their…

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October 6, 2020

1800-1820 / Home Furnishings / 1820-1840 / 1840-1860 / 1860-1880 / 1880-1900 / Object Histories / Ethnicity & Identity / Transportation & Tourism / Global Connections

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…

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October 6, 2020

Synagogue Window / Region 5 - Center East / Sheboygan / Sheboygan County / Home Furnishings / Art, Sport & Entertainment / Object Histories / 1900-1920 / Ethnicity & Identity / Religion / Global Connections

OBJECT HISTORY: Synagogue Window

This synagogue window is a testament to the successful efforts of hundreds of Russian Jews to recreate a familiar community in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in the early twentieth century.

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September 10, 2020