Library-Archives Collections

Genealogy

One of the nation's premier collections of published and unpublished materials essential to researching family lineage and history.

General North American History Collection

The largest library collection in the United States focused on the history of North America.

• Book Collection
• Microforms
• Newspapers and Periodicals
• Pamphlets and Ephemera

Government Information and Records

• Government Publications
  Published information produced by offices and agencies of Wisconsin local and state governments, other state governments, United States federal government, and Canadian government. This information is both about the governments of those jurisdictions and about the communities, societies, businesses and most other aspects of life in those jurisdictions.
• Local Government Records
  Original records of Wisconsin municipalities, school districts, courts and counties.
• Wisconsin State Archives
  Original records of the Wisconsin governor's office and executive agencies, state legislature, and supreme court.

Manuscript Collections

The private papers and organization records of people and groups who have contributed to making the history of Wisconsin and the United States. In addition to Wisconsin history, special focus areas include:

• Film and Theater Collections
• Labor History Collections
• Mass Communications Collections
• McCormick-International Harvester Collection
• Social Action Collections
• Trans-Allegheny Frontier (Draper Manuscripts)

Maps of North America

Over 30,000 maps and atlases documenting the history of North American exploration, economic and social development, environmental change, and land ownership.

Photographs and Other Visual Materials

Over 2 million photographs and other visual materials documenting the history of Wisconsin and the United States in general.

How to Order Images

Frequently asked questions about how to use and order images from the Wisconsin Historical Society