Highlights Archives
Fresh Artifacts Give New Life to Odd Wisconsin
The popular and offbeat exhibit, Odd Wisconsin, has offered visitors to the Wisconsin Historical Museum a glimpse into the unexpected side of Wisconsin history through the stories of people, places and things that make our state uniquely "Wisconsin." Now, with dozens of new artifacts in the gallery, the re-energized exhibit gives previous visitors plenty of reasons to return for a fresh look. In the new Odd Wisconsin, visitors may find themselves asking, "How did that end up in Wisconsin?"
Dig Deeper Into Odd Wisconsin's New Curiosities
- See the journal that Sgt. Charles Floyd carried with him on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Though Floyd died in the expedition's early stages, members of the Corps of Discovery carried his journal the full length of the epic, groundbreaking journey.
- View the blanket that purportedly covered Abraham Lincoln when he died, and weigh the evidence that suggests it is, or is not, the cover under which Lincoln expired.
- Marvel at the labels on the snake oils and other objects of general quackery that curators have added to the exhibit, such as worm candy for better children's health and a soap that claimed to make fat melt away.
- See the very banjo-ukulele used by composer Richard Trentlage to write the now-famous "Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener …" jingle. It's even inscribed with those lyrics.
- Examine a counterfeit nickel mold that authorities seized in Madison. This mold was designed to make lead substitutes for the five-cent coin, begging the question, why bother?
- View a complete list of Odd Wisconsin objects.
Some Perennial Favorites Remain
Many favorites remain, including the glass Teddy Roosevelt drank from while delivering a speech after he had been shot in Milwaukee in 1912 and an original Bascom Hill pink flamingo, which has recently been adopted as the city of Madison's official bird.
Conservation Concerns Also Addressed
In addition to freshening the appeal of the exhibit, there are other reasons that curators needed to swap out some of the artifacts for newer ones. Because of the sensitive nature of some of the materials on exhibit, curators rotated out fragile items as well as paper and textiles that are particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of visible and ultraviolet light rays. About 40 percent of the exhibit's revised content is new.
For complete details on the museum's hours, location, admission and other information, visit the museum's visitor information section.
:: Posted September 18, 2009
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