About the Event
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Select Tuesdays | 12:30 PM–1:30 PM
Mar 10, Apr 7, May 12, 2026
Hear From Wisconsin Experts on New Topics Each Season
Wish there was a way to get a crash-course on the most unique aspects of Wisconsin history in one place? Look no further than History Sandwiched In, where scholars, historians, authors and community members from across the state join together to hold engaging discussions on wide-ranging historical topics of interest. From talks on deep-sea diving explorations to exploring the unique clothes and textiles collected by the Wisconsin Historical Society and more, learn about the people, places, artifacts and stories that shaped—and continue to shape—the Badger State.
All History Sandwiched In events are free and open to the public. Capacity will be limited to 60 persons per talk. Advanced registration is recommended to ensure your spot.
Presentations include:
Mar 10 – Tamara Thomsen presents I Live Underwater: The Thrilling Adventures of a Record-Breaking Diver, Treasure Hunter, and Deep-Sea Explorer, Max Gene Nohl
Recounting harrowing experiences with tangled air-hoses, hungry sharks, and painful cases of the bends, Thomsen recounts how Max Nohl’s unquenchable thirst for adventure propelled him to transcend fear and become one of the field’s great innovators. She will describe his early passion for the undersea world and his many groundbreaking contributions to the diving industry, including inventing the first self-contained diving suit, co-founding Milwaukee-based diving equipment company, DESCO, and developing early underwater film and photography techniques for Hollywood.
Apr 7 – Jim Draeger presents Perfect Architecture: Sears and Roebuck Houses in Wisconsin
Join architectural historian Jim Draeger as he discusses the emergence of the houses-by-mail phenomenon in the late 1800s, a fascinating chapter of our state’s building history. As a new century approached, companies offered blueprints by mail, with Sears and Roebuck selling millwork and house plans in 1895. By 1908, Sears offered complete homes through mail order catalogs, eventually become the largest supplier of mail-order houses in America, and claiming, over more than three decades, to have sold over 100,000 homes! All this and much more will be shared in this visually driven and engaging presentation.
May 12 – Jigme Wangchuk presents Wisconsin Historical Society Collection Highlight: Clothing and Textile Treasures
Curious about what clothing and textiles the Historical Society collects? What stories do they tell? Join Jigme Wangchuk, a UW-Madison Fashion and Textiles Design student and WHS Intern, for a special slideshow presentation that will provide insight into the contents and work of the collections closet. In addition, there will be a limited number of items from the collections closet on view as part of a pop-up display. This will be one presentation to not miss!
Cost:
Free and open to the public
Advanced registration is recommended
BOOK TICKETS
About the Location
An active, community-focused space that hosts school groups, pop-up exhibits, author talks, public programs and more; located in the US Bank Building on Madison's Capitol Square.
History Maker Space
U.S. Bank Plaza
1 S. Pinckney Street
Madison, WI 53703
Know Before You Go & Accessibility
This portion of History Sandwiched In programming includes three dates. Please note that program registration is for individual lecture dates. When registering to attend, make note of which presentation is scheduled for which date.
Lectures will take place in the U.S. Bank Plaza large conference room on the 1st floor of the building, located just off the central lobby area.
Upon arrival, lecture attendees are to confirm their registration by checking-in with a WHS staff member.
All lectures will be in person, with capacity limited to 60 people per lecture date.
Admittance to lecture programs will be provided to ticketholders first, with seating available (when possible) on a first-come first serve basis for drop-in attendees.
When possible, lecturers will also sell related book titles, or their other books, in the History Maker Space Gift Shop.
Visitor parking is available onsite at U.S. Bank Plaza in the US Bank Plaza Ramp. Go to https://uli.com/parking for more information on weekday hourly parking rates.
Additional street parking is available and there are public parking lots within two blocks of the U.S. Bank Plaza building. Go to https://www.cityofmadison.com/parking/garages-lots/hourly-rates for information about the locations and rates of downtown Madison garages and street meters. The closest public parking garage to the U.S. Bank Plaza building is the Capitol Square North Garage, approximately a 5-minute walk from the lecture location.
A selection of stories will be recorded, streamed, and made available to the wider public by PBS Wisconsin via the University Place program on public television.
Attendees who are interested in learning more about the lecture topics and lecturers as well as those who have questions are encouraged to contact Jenny Pederson at [email protected] or 608-669-5160.
