Museum Objects: Clothing & Personal Items
Bandana featuring music score for the campaign song "We Want Teddy," used at a Milwaukee campaign rally for Theodore Roosevelt, 1912. (Museum object #1970.204) Do you for progression stand? Vote for Teddy! And reform in this great land? Vote for... :: October 2, 2008
Evening gown worn by Edith Evelyn Nelson to the University of Wisconsin's Junior Prom, c. 1923. (Museum object #1969.147.2) Edith Evelyn Nelson may have been a "flapper" or "bright young thing" when she attended the University of Wisconsin in the... :: September 25, 2008
Golden-brown silk gown worn by Miss Mary Dittberner at her 1887 wedding to Bernhard Stieg in Clintonville, Wisconsin. (Museum object #2008.129.1A-B) The white dress and veil. The bridal party. The wedding cake and honeymoon. All of the things we think... :: August 21, 2008
Tea gown inspired by the "Aesthetic" Movement of the late nineteenth century, worn by Annie Cronk of Oregon, Wisconsin, c. 1881. (Museum object #1952.128) Annie Cronk, the daughter of a farmer and the wife of a railroad station agent, raised... :: July 10, 2008
An elaborately beaded jacket worn by pianist, performer, and Wisconsin native Liberace during his performances in the late 1970s. (Museum object #2008.77.1) Liberace, the flamboyant pianist, may have made a name for himself in glitzy Las Vegas, but he grew... :: July 3, 2008
Burial dress for a young girl offered for sale by the A.A. Schmidt & Sons Funeral Home, Menomonee Falls, c. 1900. (Museum object #1983.267.7) When a young girl passed away during the late nineteenth century, her parents could purchase special... :: May 15, 2008
Quilled buckskin pouch used by Charles de Langlade to carry his fur trade papers in northern Wisconsin, mid to late 1700s. (Museum object #1955.186) This pouch, presented to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 1888 by Charles de Langlade Grignon, represents... :: April 10, 2008
Paper dress made by Scott Paper Co., 1966-1967. (Museum object #1969.184.13) Disposable paper clothes seemed the wave of the future in the mid 1960s. At the time, living in space looked like a real possibility, and, as one textile designer... :: April 3, 2008
Top hat made from beaver felt and worn by Green Bay resident Morgan L. Martin, c. 1825. (Museum object #1968.644) In 1826, Morgan L. Martin, a lawyer by training, left his home in Martinsburg, New York for Detroit, Michigan, which,... :: March 13, 2008
Strapless bra worn by Clara Kuester of Clintonville, Wisconsin and made by Jantzen, Inc. in the early 1950s. (Museum object #2000.74.28) Whether focusing on style or focusing on support, the brassiere has undergone many dramatic transformations since its first use... :: March 6, 2008
Victorian scrapbook fan made by Julia Morris of Madison, decorated with suggestions about courtship, love and marriage, 1895-1899. (Museum object #1955.480A) We often tend to think of women from the conservative Victorian era as demure and ladylike in their behavior,... :: February 14, 2008
Red velveteen vest worn by Wisconsin Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus, c. 1975. (Museum object #1982.450.15) In 1978 Wisconsin chose Lee Sherman Dreyfus, then chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), as its 40th governor. Those who met Dreyfus found... :: January 10, 2008
Garnet velvet evening gown worn by Wisconsin First Lady Charlotte McAleer Kohler to President Eisenhower's 1953 Inauguration Ball. (Museum object #1960.211.2) The sparkling glamour of Hollywood in its heyday inspired designers to clothe their movie star clients in innovative and... :: December 27, 2007
Campaign jacket worn by Chris Farley in the 1996 movie Black Sheep. (Museum object #2007.86.1) Around 1995 burly comic Chris Farley, a Madison, Wisconsin native, best known for his five years on the television show Saturday Night Live (SNL), decided... :: December 6, 2007
Frederics permanent wave machine used in Crisella's Beauty Shop in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, late 1930s. (Museum object #1986.79.2) Prior to the twentieth century, a woman with straight hair who desired curls had to spend hours heating curling irons over a flame... :: September 20, 2007
Weekly appointment book made of ivory and used by Wisconsin politician and businessman Cassius Fairchild of Madison, Wisconsin during the 1850s. Maker unknown. (Museum object #1971.19) Today, most people consider daily life to be busier than in generations past, with... :: August 23, 2007
Women's coveralls worn by Teresa Kuykendall while working in a factory in Beloit, Wisconsin during World War II. (Museum object #2007.92.1) Teresa Kuykendall of Beloit, Wisconsin was a real life "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II. In 1943 she... :: August 16, 2007
Industrial sewing machine used by seamstresses to make one of Wisconsin's signature products for more than forty years at OshKosh B'Gosh, Inc., 1950s-1997. (Museum object #1997.54.1A-D) Not so long ago, most people thought of overalls when they heard the word... :: August 9, 2007
Golf glove worn by Sherri Steinhauer of Madison, Wisconsin to win the 2006 Weetabix Women's British Open, August 3-6, 2006. (Museum object #2007.81.2) As she removed this glove from her hand after chipping out of a greenside bunker at the... :: August 2, 2007
Milwaukee Light Guard coat worn by Captain John C. Starkweather, 1858-1861. (Museum object #1957.282) John Converse Starkweather was a born leader, a successful lawyer, and a distinguished Civil War officer. Born in Cooperstown, New York, in 1830, Starkweather's education began... :: July 19, 2007
Chinese silk shawl purchased in California during the Gold Rush by Joseph Stroebe of Winnebago County, Wisconsin in 1855. (Museum object #1960.10) In the midst of the California gold rush Joseph Stroebe of Winnebago County, Wisconsin went west in 1854... :: July 12, 2007
Sampler embroidered by Cecilia Lewis at a boarding school in 1809. (Museum object #1984.294.1) Cecilia Lewis of Flushing, New York made this map sampler when she was a school girl of eighteen. On her embroidered map of the United States... :: June 14, 2007
Early woman's "Kewtie" brand razor purchased in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1940s. (Museum object #1976.392.43) While rapidly raising hemlines on women's skirts may be the more readily-recognized "shocking" change in American fashions after World War I, at about the same time a... :: June 7, 2007
Pair of Nike running spikes worn by Suzy Favor Hamilton during the 2000 track season. (Museum object #2006.110.1A-B) Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin in 1968, Suzy Favor Hamilton became one of the greatest all time middle-distance women track runners in... :: April 12, 2007
Promenade dress worn by Hannah Billinghurst of Juneau, Wisconsin, 1857. (Museum object #1955.1449,A) As wife of United States Congressman Charles Billinghurst in the mid-nineteenth century, Hannah Billinghurst of Juneau (Dodge Co.), Wisconsin would have been expected to attend state functions... :: March 15, 2007
Gown made by Charles Frederick Worth of Paris for Frances Fairchild of Madison, Wisconsin, 1880. (Museum object #1945.960,A) The dream of nearly any fashion-minded wealthy American woman in the late 19th century was to own a gown especially designed for... :: February 22, 2007
Shoe last (form) used to make boots for Frederick Shadick of Cottage Inn, Wisconsin, 1849-1854. (Museum object #1968.15.1) Around 1849, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Shadick moved from New York City to the small village of Cottage Inn, Wisconsin to settle... :: February 15, 2007
Child's ceramic toilet set used by Elizabeth Marshall of Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin, c. 1905. (Museum object #1947.909,A-B) The early twentieth century middle-to-upper class American child was born into a society that offered a vast array of novel goods designed specifically... :: February 1, 2007
Dress worn by John Kiser as a child near Oregon, Wisconsin, c. 1856. (Museum object #1950.5744) John Bonsack Kiser grew up on a farm near Oregon, just south of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin. Born on May 2, 1855, he... :: January 4, 2007
Inauguration gown worn by Wisconsin First Lady Sue Ann Thompson at her first inauguration ball, 1987. (Museum object #2003.61.1a-b) “Glitter, glitter, everywhere” was how the Wisconsin State Journal reported Governor Tommy Thompson’s inauguration ball held January 5, 1987. The Capital... :: December 28, 2006
Hat worn by Annie Mae McClain to services at the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Museum object #2006.103.2) “But every woman that prayeth or propesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head.” I Corinthians 11:5 Annie Mae McClain of... :: November 30, 2006
Army jacket decorated with Native American beadwork worn by Chief Simon Onanguisse Kahquados of the Forest County Potawatomi. (Museum object #1943.330) An elder spokesman for the Potawatomi Indians, Chief Simon Onanguisse Kahquados made a number of trips to Washington, D.C.... :: November 22, 2006
Bone lice comb from site of first Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, 1816-1829. (Museum object #1997.62.11941) Everyday life at a frontier fort in the early nineteenth century was no easy affair. When the United States Army decided to... :: November 9, 2006
Séance robe worn by Louise Parke during her work as a Spiritualist in Wisconsin, 1895-1905. (Museum object #1958.650) Louise (Kingsley) Parke was a member of a Madison family well known for their ability to communicate with the deceased. Her father,... :: October 26, 2006
Road jersey worn by Milwaukee Braves first baseman Joe Adcock in 1957. (Museum object #2006.68.1) For most of the 1950s, the Milwaukee Braves were consistently one of the best teams in the National League. One reason was slugging first baseman... :: October 19, 2006
Simplex fluoroscope machine made by X-Ray Shoe Fitter, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin and most likely used in a Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin shoe store, c. 1945-1955. (Museum object #1992.109) In the late 1940s, Noren's Shoes of Sturgeon Bay attracted customers with the... :: September 28, 2006
Leopard Lodge League bowling shirt costume worn on Happy Days television series, 1977-1984. (Museum object #2006.39.1) Like the fictional Shotz brewery featured in the television series Laverne and Shirley that drew from one stereotype for which Milwaukee, Wisconsin is particularly... :: September 7, 2006
Two-piece bathing suit worn by Lois Nelson of Racine, Wisconsin, c. 1947. (Museum object #2003.113.6A-B) More than a decade before Brian Hyland belted out his 1960 ode to the famous “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” Racine, Wisconsin... :: August 24, 2006
Shotz Brewery smock used in Laverne and Shirley television series, 1976-1980. (Museum object #2006.38.1) Introduced in the show’s opening credits along side an undeniably catchy theme song, the lavender Shotz Brewery smock – like Laverne’s famous “L”-embroidered sweaters – is... :: August 17, 2006
Concentration camp sweater worn by Tadeusz Kowalczyk while a prisoner at Auschwitz during World War II. (Museum object #1985.92) In late June 1940 German soldiers arrested Polish veterinarian Tadeusz ?Ted? Kowalczyk while he was tending animals at Polish President Wladyslaw... :: April 20, 2006
University of Wisconsin student gym suit worn by George Williams, 1933-1934. (Museum object #2005.144.1.1-2) In the midst of the Depression, George Williams of Sugar Grove (Vernon County), Wisconsin managed to attend the University of Wisconsin in Madison during the 1933-1934... :: April 13, 2006
Casey FitzRandolph’s racing skin worn during the 2003-2004 World Cup speed skating events. (Museum object #2005.146.1) While watching long-track speed skaters during the 2002 Olympics, commentator Bob Costas wondered why Wisconsin dominated the sport and concluded, "It must be the... :: February 9, 2006
Shirt given to a child leaving St. Joseph Orphanage, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, c. 1920. (Museum object #2005.82.1) Around 1920, the St. Joseph Orphanage in Milwaukee sent seven-year-old Frank D. Drewezicki to another orphanage in Marinette, Wisconsin. Before leaving, the staff at... :: December 8, 2005
Winning entry for the first Alice in Dairyland dress design, 1948. (Museum object #2005.157.1) On June 28, 1948, the Wisconsin Centennial Dairy Committee informed Miss Betty Lou Jahn of Milwaukee, the maker of the model dress seen to the left... :: December 1, 2005
Deer hide jacket of Ruel Garnich Baldwin, c. 1915. (Museum object #2005.147.1) Like many young men living in Ashland, Wisconsin, Ruel Garnich Baldwin (1893-1978) participated in the yearly hunting season. Sometime between 1913 and 1916 he had the hides from... :: November 17, 2005
"Spanish Lady" costume worn for Halloween by Virginia Shaver in 1922. (Museum object #2003.29.1) For Halloween in 1922 fourteen year-old Virginia L. Shaver of La Crosse, Wisconsin decided to dress up as a "Spanish Lady." To do this she took... :: October 27, 2005
Green Bay Packers football jersey worn by Brett Favre during game against Chicago Bears, January 2, 2005. (Museum object #2005.83.1) Just a week after the passing of Reggie White, his former teammate and friend, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre... :: September 8, 2005
Kehl School of Dancing’s "Midget Wedding" Costume, 1940. (Museum object #2005.108.1A-C) On June 21, 1940 eight-year old Virginia Lee Kehl wore this costume, consisting of a dress, trunks, headpiece, and veil, to portray the bride in the Kehl School of... :: June 23, 2005
Dress worn by Marti Hall to the spring prom at Madison West High School in 1966. (Museum object #2004.135.1) After being invited to West High School's senior prom in Madison, Wisconsin by Jim Wilson, Martha "Marti" Hall set out to... :: May 19, 2005
Costume worn by Gary Ray Howards of Racine during the Jewish holiday of Purim, 1957. (Museum object #2003.20.2) Each spring, usually in the month of March, Jews all over the world celebrate the annual festive holiday of Purim. Jewish custom... :: March 17, 2005
Baseball uniform worn by William Gates, second baseman for the Wittenberg Grays in the early 1920s. (Museum object #1975.90A-B) In the late nineteenth century, many small Wisconsin towns fielded baseball teams to compete with those of surrounding communities for fun... :: March 3, 2005
Parade tunic worn by Wisconsin suffrage supporter during Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, 1916. (Museum object #1956.1450) Led by Theodora Youmans, President of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA), Wisconsin suffrage supporters journeyed to Chicago on June 7, 1916... :: February 24, 2005
Vest worn by Charles C.P. Arndt when he was shot on the floor of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, 1842. (Museum object #1963.300) On February 11, 1842 the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature met in Madison only to be interrupted by the shooting... :: February 4, 2005
Want to see unusual museum objects in person?
Come to the Wisconsin Historical Museum's Odd Wisconsin Exhibit, opening October 3, 2008.
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