Sam Schwartz inside his pharmacy at 902 Mound St. in 1952. In addition to dispensing drugs the store sold a wide variety of goods, including clocks and cosmetics, as can be seen on the display shelves.
Students from the Talmud Torah (Hebrew School) at the Agudas Achim Synagogue prepare to conduct their own junior congregation services for the high holidays and sabbath. This photo accompanied a newspaper article discussing the 1948 Jewish New Year…
In 1998, Maria Serrano (formerly Chichilco) (right) traveled to Madison and was happily reunited with her old friend, Mary Kay Baum. Unknown photographer
(l to r) María Chichilco, a Farabundi Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) guerrilla commander from Arcatao and Mary Kay Baum from Madison in late 1986. They met in San Jose Las Flores to exchange the official resolution making Madison and Arcatao…
A photograph of Garver Supply Co. foreman Arthur M. Petterson standing on a stack of full feed bags, at the Garver Feed Mill building in Madison, Wisconsin.
A photograph of James Russell Garver, seated at his office desk at Garver Supply Co. The following is text from the (edited) caption that accompanies the image:
"J.R. Garver, president of Garver Supply Co., Madison manufacturer and distributor of…
Angela Trudell Vasquez shares her experience being Madison's poet laureate when all public events are cancelled due to social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. This story was originally recorded and shared as part of an…
Andres Torres describes what the days leading up to the Safer at Home social distance measures were like for him and his family. Andres talks about his experience of hearing the news about COVID-19 as it applied to other parts of the world, and how…
Teresa Téllez-Giron shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She describes the importance of extended family gatherings in her culture and the emotional toll of limiting contact when the pandemic hit. She shares how her mental…
Joe Szwaja played a key role in mobilizing Madisonians in support of the Madison-Arcatao Sister City initiative. As a graduate student at UW, he became involved with Community Action in Latin America (CALA), ultimately joining as paid staff. He,…
Father and daughter Thomas and Allison Sylke speak about their family's relationship to Garver Feed Mill. Their great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, Hans Struck, built the original structure when it was used as a sugar beet factory in the…
Oral history interview with Merle Sweet for the Living History Project. Merle recounts his family's history in the Greenbush neighborhood and nearby on Mills Street. He tells several family stories about his maternal grandfather, Max Shapiro, who was…
A hyperlink to an interactive "story map" website intended to gather community stories and photos about the area between the Goodman Community Center and the Garver Feed Mill on Madison's east side.
A hyperlink to the record for a geography master's thesis about collective memory and the historic preservation process at Garver Feed Mill. The thesis is written by Rebecca Summer and archived at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dana Stokes shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about how abruptly all of her plans changed in February and March, when hiring freezes halted a job opportunity and her kids were at home with her full-time. She…
Interior view of the Labor Lyceum. The doors at the rear of the hall (beneath the balcony) led to the library (center-left), front entrance (center-right) and school office (right). Translation of the Yiddish text on the library door reads: “A R…
The Workmen’s Circle Labor Lyceum provided a community center for the immigrant Eastern European Jewish community in Madison. The Arbeiter Ring, as it was called in Yiddish (a language which combines Hebrew and German words), is a national…
Sam Schwartz (center with shovel) participates in groundbreaking ceremony for a new medical center building at 20 S. Park Street. Although the Schwartz Pharmacy was demolished as part of the Triangle Redevelopment Project, he was able to re-locate…
David Spies shares his story about working at the Pinney Library on Madison's east side a couple of days prior to the Safer at Home social distancing order in spring 2020. David, who works as a Madison election inspector, shares a story about working…
Mayor Paul Soglin speaks to his history with the Madison Municipal Building, including its acquisition by the City of Madison in the late 1970s, and subsequent remodels.
Oral history interview with David Smith. David shares memories of growing up in the South Madison neighborhood, the youngest of eight children in his family, and describes the community outside his home as a close-knit extended family. He talks about…
Small, a Milwaukee resident, spent most of his life politically active. In his earlier life, he spent time at the Milwaukee Sentinel, getting involved at the Chicago Convention and protesting the reelection of Richard Nixon. His most memorable…
Beth Sluys describes her experience working as an environmental advocate during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social distance measures. Beth talks about the impact of the pandemic on her household, including her husband, who works in the…
Bob Skloot was and still is a member of Beth Israel Center Synagogue in Madison, WI. In 1983, he was instrumental in convincing his congregation to partner with three other faith organizations–the Community of John XXIII, Covenant Presbyterian Church…
This is a partial list of the presentations that "Rogelio Gonzalez" and his wife, "Maria Gonzalez" gave in Madison from Feb 1984-July 1985. Theirs was a public rather than secret sanctuary. This meant that they were willing and eager to tell their…
This photo is of Bob Skloot in 1980. His daughter, Sarah's hands are on his shoulders. Sarah was 6 years old at the time and Bob had been on the Theatre and Drama faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1968. He continued to teach…
Lillian Sizemore recounts her memories of the Municipal Building, particularly the women's restroom in the corner of the second floor, which featured white carrara marble.
Ulrich Sielaff, David Hamel, and Shelley Hamel describe their experiences renting space for their manufacturing business in the Garver Feed Mill building. They describe the building's poor physical condition and cleaning their office space for use.…
Shipley, an undergraduate student from New York, came to Madison from a small private school. She discusses the differences in culture between the midwest and New York, her experiences as a female in Madison during the early 60s, and what it was like…
Libby Schwartz spent her youth in and around the Greenbush community. She was born in 1940 in the neighborhood’s Madison General Hospital (now Meriter Hospital), and departed Madison after graduating from the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy in 1961.…
Diane Schwartz discusses her experience with the Safer at Home social distancing measures during the spring of 2020. Diane talks about being a property owner and landlord at a time when unemployment is high and rent was not able to be collected. She…
Kerry Schumann shares a story about the Get Out The Vote campaign when Wisconsin held its election during a pandemic. This story was originally recorded and shared as part of an episode of the Madison podcast Inside Stories. Listen to that episode…
Lucas Schneider shares his experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. He describes the work he has been doing remotely for the library since the library's closure on March 17th. Lucas talks about connecting with friends through the…
Amy Schmidt, who lives and works in Madison, describes her experience with the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Amy describes being on a vacation to see her parents in Florida and how that vacation was extended by necessity, first because of a fall…
Brittany Rusch talks about her and her family's experience since the social distancing measures were put into place in Wisconsin in spring 2020. Brittany discusses what it's like working for Madison Public Library from home, and navigating…
Jen Rubin shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about having loved ones spread out across various COVID hotspots during the spring of 2020, strategizing about how to bring her daughter home from her east-coast…
Text describing a memory of the creator's husband's work as a federal probation officer at the temporary federal courthouse that was housed in the Madison Municipal Building.
Susan Rottier shares her family's history with the Garver Feed Mill, where her father was the foreman for many years. She tells about coming to visit him at work as a child.
Marc Rosenthal was on the staff of Community Action on Latin America (CALA) in 1983-6 and worked tirelessly to educate people in Madison about the reality in Central America and our country’s part in the torture, violence and disappearances there. …
Bert Rosengarten came to Madison in 1966 from Boston and experienced a major culture shock. He adjusted to the tumult and continuous engagement with activism. In an effort to bring Southern blues musicians to the Midwest, Bert formed a Folk Arts…
Simon Rosenblum-Larson shares a story about his experience as part of a minor league baseball team when the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.This story was originally recorded and shared as part of an episode of the…
View of a construction site, where a home is being built by VR construction, with a cherry picker construction vehicle and a portable toiled in the foreground.
Víctor Rojas nos cuenta sobre su experiencia como uno de los dueños de compañías de construcción en la ciudad de Madison. Víctor Rojas nos habla también de los desafíos que a tenido que superar y las satisfacciones que su compañía le a dado por más…
Robb, a long-time student at the UW, talks about his experiences on campus in the mid-1960s. He talks about living on State Street, the protests that took place all over campus, and seeing the Dow Riots. He briefly lived in California where he was…
Oroki Rice shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago, IL. She talks about staying at home nearly every day since March 11 and describes the few exceptions to that routine. Oroki also shares about the support networks and…
Ann Prisland came to UW-Madison in 1965 to study American History. She talked about her involvement with the Union and its impact on the community during the Vietnam War.
She also talked about the other functions it has served over the years as well…
Antonio Portillo was 28 years old when he fled Guatemala with his wife, Estella, and their four children. In this interview, Antonio recounts the horrific story of why they were forced to leave Guatemala from one day to the next and how they found…
TaiKiah Phillips shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison, as well as Arizona. She talks about how the lack of guidelines and support for seeking healthcare during the early days of the pandemic led to losing her job. She…
A participant in the Garver Feed Mill story gathering holds a box featuring the branding for the Starplate™ Building System company that was based at the Garver Feed Mill building 1981-1985.
This photo accompanied a news article in the Wisconsin State Journal on May 24, 1983. It shows the group of refugees in Madison Sanctuary Site #1 at a public sanctuary event at St. Francis Student House in Madison. (l to r in back) the Reverend Art…
Sharon Persich is interviewed about her career at Madison Metro. Sharon shares several projects that she worked on as part of Metro's Scheduling and Planning team, including the shift to the transfer point system, the introduction of real-time bus…
Christa Parmentier describes her and her family's experiences during the social distancing measures in Madison, Wisconsin in spring 2020. Christa talks about the emotional challenges facing her children as they navigate distance learning in the midst…
Brendon Panke shares a story about family relationships and his wedding celebration. Brendon shares the impact the social distancing measures in effect in Wisconsin have had on his in-person relationship with his grandmother. This story was…
James Owen, who works in the information technology field, describes what daily life has been like since the Safer at Home order social distance measures were put in place. James shares a couple of moments on a national level that have had an impact…
Miss Mary Lee Giggs, Neighborhood House playschool director, poses with her young charges (L-R): Catherine Oliva, Delores Caire, and Sam Moskowsky (Moss). The students posing for this image were selected to highlight the ethnic diversity of the…
The April 15th issue of the Odyssey Oracle newsletter depicts a screenshot from a Zoom call with students and instructors. The newsletter contains writings from Odyssey students related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Safer at Home social distance…
A screenshot of the cover of the Odyssey Project's newsletter, Odyssey Oracle. This newsletter features writing by Odyssey students about their personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and Safer at Home order in Wisconsin. Read the…
Oberdorfer relates his family’s history in Wisconsin and their relationship to the city of Madison and UW-Madison. Oberdorfer studied zoology and neurobiology and had a good experience in the sciences and the humanities departments. Oberdorfer…
Oral history interview with Kara O'Connor, Rae Rocca, and Elizabeth Heinrichs. The three women share the story of 1029 Chandler Street in Madison, Wisconsin, a house built by Rae's grandmother and Elizabeth's great-grandmother, an Italian immigrant…
Nolan, a graduate of 1968, talks about her experiences in “Project Understand” which sent her to North Carolina on her spring break freshman year. She shares her first hand experiences with seeing segregation, visiting civil rights leaders, and going…
Sharing anecdotes about her time as a student at UW-Madison in the late 1960’s, Jayne says her experiences inspired her to be more active in protests on campus. She recollects scenes on campus from the Dow protests and how the assassinations of…
Mr. Nardi discusses his employment with the post office that was located in the Municipal Building. Mr. Nardi was a student at UW-Madison at the time that he worked at the post office and was downtown for protests and other events that took place in…
Nadler Grosser was involved in the Madison campus in the early part of the 60s. She discusses her involvement and the importance of housing cooperatives in her life being involved in CORE.
This is a panel discussion with former Westmorland neighborhood residents held at Oakwood Village in Madison, Wisconsin, about their experiences in the Westmorland neighborhood.
Austin Moule describes his experience working at a grocery store in Madison during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. He recounts making face masks at home to share with coworkers and friends, and shares his concerns about having depleted…
Samuel Moss fondly recalls the Jewish community in the Greenbush neighborhood where he was born in 1938 at St. Mary’s Hospital. His Russian born grandparents moved to Madison in 1924 to open the kosher Milwaukee Bakery on S. Murray St. His extended…
Michael Moss received his Bachelors, Masters, and PhD from UW-Madison. He was involved in the music scene and played throughout campus. He was a Master’s student during the Sterling Hall Bombing and noticed a change in the culture of UW-Madison at…
Entrevista con el artista Richie Morales sobre el mural en el que está trabajando en State Street en Madison, Wisconsin, luego de las protestas contra la brutalidad policial.
Greg Mickells recounts his first time in the Municipal Building, which occurred when the City Council was confirming him as director of Madison Public Library in 2012. Mr. Mickells discusses homelessness and resources in downtown Madison and his…
Meyers recounts her time as a student of Professor Harvey Goldberg in the late 1960s. Meyers voices her objections to the wording of the "Reform and Revolt" historical marker currently located on Bascom Hill.
Students from the 1933Workmen’s Circle school assembled on the stage of the Labor Lyceum. One students is holding a poster in Yiddish.
Yiddish translation of header text: “Send your children to the Arbeiter Ring Shule” (Workmen’s Circle School)…
Students from the Workmen’s Circle school assembled on the stage of the Labor Lyceum. At the center of the group is the school’s principal and only teacher, Philip Seigel. Students would be taught to: “read, write and speak the Yiddish language,…
Mike McGrath describes the experience of the Safer at Home order during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Mike talks about what his neighborhood looks like at the moment, and describes what library work from home is like during this time.
Susie McCormick shares her experience becoming ill during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes her symptoms, virtual doctors' visits, and going to the emergency room and being tested for COVID-19.
In addition to Susie's audio story, she writes the…
Nikyra McCann shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. Her father, now recovered, was diagnosed with COVID-19; she describes the severity of his illness, and what it was like to have to quarantine and not see him during that…
Former Westmorland residents gather at the Oakwood Retirement Community for a discussion of their memories of the Westmorland neighborhood, July 28, 2010.
Tina Marie Maes describes what library work in cataloging and technical services has looked like during the social distance measures put in place in Madison in spring 2020. Tina discusses tentative plans for what the workplace in the Central Library…
Denise Maddox shares her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. Denise talks about homeschooling her grandson and the lifestyle changes her family has made in order to stay safe. She talks about her mental and physical health, and the…
Application submitted to the National Park Service to certify the building that housed Garver Feed Mill and Supply Company added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Lowery, originally from New York, came to the University to see what life was like for the rest of the United States. She talks about her involvement in unionizing a Greek Restaurant on State Street, Summer Vista prior to school, and the empowerment…
Jamie Lovely shares her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about balancing the many roles she plays in her family life, including virtual schooling and caring for children with special needs. She also reflects on the Black…
Mark and Lisa Loder met at the University from two different background. They talk about the influence of music on their time here, what it was like going to college during the Vietnam Era and how Mark ended up evading the draft. Their time spent on…
Don and Ellen met at UW-Madison; Ellen as an undergraduate and Don as a graduate student in physics. Met at a new student mixer. Don and Ellen speak to the political climate on campus and participation in war protests. In the late sixties, Ellen…
Though David was involved in many of the anti-war activities in Madison in the late 1960s, he recalled his activism with environmental issues while in town for the Madison Reunion. He was a founding organizer of the Science Students Union and…
Jennifer Libert describes her experience working with the City Clerk's office, first in preparing absentee ballots to send by mail, and then as a poll worker on Election Day during the Wisconsin presidential primary.
Stu Levitan describes his experiences in the Madison Municipal Building, including many meetings with city staff about ordinances and committee work. He discusses some memorable events like the work done with Community Development on Revival Ridge in…
Nancy Lee, originally from Montgomery, AL, came to the University in 1962 as an English major. Lee discusses her time working at the Memorial Union, from the friendships she created and memorable events of being robbed at gunpoint. She talks about…
Sarah Lawton describes her experience as a neighborhood library supervisor who opened a brand-new library on Madison's east side just days prior to the Safer at Home social distancing measures in March 2020. Sarah talks about staff and community…
This photo was taken at MASCP's 25th anniversary party in the spring of 2011 in Madison,WI. The guests of honor were Augustin Menjívar, head of the Junta Directiva in Arcatao at that time, and these very early supporters of MASCP: (from left to…
Mary Kay( left) was a guest of honor at MASCP’s 25th Anniversary. She is pictured here with Sue Lloyd, another long time supporter and active member of MASCP. Sue and her husband, the Rev. Art Lloyd, were both passionate supporters of CALA and…
Percussionist, Professor Emeritus in the UW-Madison School of Music, and current director of the Capitol City Band, James Latimer shares his knowledge about the role that music plays in our lives. In this interview, he discusses how COVID-19 has…
Madison Public Library staff member Carlee Latimer discusses her work with the library's creativity platform The Bubbler in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, how the library's closure and the wider Safer at Home order is affecting artists in…
Catherine Lanser shares her reflections on digital and virtual communications with family and coworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic and Safer at Home orders. This story was recorded as part of the Madison podcast Inside Stories. Listen to the full…
Oral history interview with Chuck Lane. Chuck is the current owner of Lane's Bakery in the South Madison neighborhood, originally established by his grandfather in 1954. Chuck talks about baking since he was six years old, learning from the knowledge…
Written response about this image: Seeing my children write letters and postcards to family and friends has been an unexpected blessing during this time. They cut right to the chase: I hate not seeing you. I can’t wait to hug you. I miss getting…
Mark Koranda describes his experience as a graduating UW-Madison Ph.D. student during the social distance measures that were put in place in Madison in the spring of 2020. Mark shares a story about some project work he did on a national scale for…
Paul Killerlain and Jim Killerlain talk about their respective careers working on teams at Madison Metro. Both narrators discuss their work as bus drivers, and what bus driving in Madison was like in the 1950s through the 1990s. Paul and Jim talk…
Kielley briefly discusses in this interview making his way towards the front of the Dow Demonstration line, his observations, and finding his picture on the front of the Wisconsin State Journal.
Kent transferred from NYU in 1963 after visiting his sister who was studying for her masters. Kent talks about the experience of an education at the University, the lifelong friendships he gained, and how influential his time here was for the rest of…
Brian Lee Huynh shares a story about his experience finishing the 2020 academic year at home, due to social distance measures in place in Wisconsin. Brian reflects on how being at home with his family has helped them reconnect and become closer at…
David Hunt, who works as support staff for a hospital in Madison, describes his work and home life since mid-March as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dane County rose and as the Safer at Home order went into place.
During his three years as a student, Chuck Hunt participated in anti-war protests with Students for a Democratic Society and was beaten by police for his participation in the Dow riot. Hunt marks his experience in the fall of 1967 as a turning point…
Spectators looking at the Monkey Island at Vilas Park Zoo (Henry Vilas Zoo). This is one of many images photographed by Harold Hone for "Wisconsin: A Guide to the Badger State."
Holman Weisbard opens up about her time in Madison during the late 1960s. She discusses the influence of the Hillel foundation as a cornerstone for the leftist movement, the draft resistance and the influence of Harvey Goldberg on the student…
James Hodge shares his experience as a high school student during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. He describes what it was like when his school shut down abruptly in March, and the challenges of online classes. He talks about losing touch with…
Billy Feitlinger has worked for social and economic justice for all throughout his adult life and he served Madison, Dane County and the State of Wisconsin in many ways over his long career in public service. He co-founded Common Wealth Development…
Oral history interview for the Living History Project with Edith Hilliard. Edith speaks to her childhood memories of growing up in the historic Greenbush neighborhood, on Mound Street and Conklin Court. She attended Washington Elementary School and…
Michelle Herbrand describes what work with Madison Public Library looks like at the time of Safer at Home social distancing measures. Michelle shares updates about her family, what her social life looks like right now, and the process of planning for…
Jenny Heck relates her experiences and feelings about the Municipal Building renovation, specifically about the music and art present at the Municipal Restored event and her hopes for continuing engagement with the community.
Oral history interview with Dr. Richard Harris. Dr. Harris recounts his childhood in the South Madison neighborhood, beginning in the 1930s before South Madison was part of the City of Madison. Dr. Harris highlights the experience of Black…
Denise Hardnett shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She shares that she has lost friends and family to the virus and talks about how she relies on her faith and creative projects to maintain hope. She talks about being a…
Sharisse Hancock shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about the financial hardships her family has experienced throughout the pandemic. She describes an incident of COVID exposure, and reflects on how quarantine…
Danielle Y. Hairston-Green recounts an extended visit to her ex-partner's home during social distance measures. This story was recorded for an episode of the Madison podcast Inside Stories. To hear the full episode and subscribe to the podcast, click…
A photograph shows the blacktop of Lapham Elementary School's playground surrounded by caution tape. School playgrounds and public park playgrounds were closed due to the Safer at Home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.
A photograph shows caution tape around the playground equipment at Lapham Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. The playgrounds are closed due to the Safer at Home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020.
Erica Hainz describes working at the Central Library on the day before the Safer at Home order went into effect in Madison, Wisconsin on March 17, 2020. Erica describes working as an election worker assisting with curbside voting on Election Day for…
Kevin Hage describes spending time at home during the Safer at Home order in Madison in spring 2020. Kevin describes the process of teaching elementary school music remotely, and how different the day to day tasks are from in-person teaching.
Sylvia Dworetzky Grunes grew up in the tight knit Jewish community in Madison's Greenbush neighborhood, with her Yiddish-speaking Russian immigrant parents. Sylvia lived with her family in several residences in the Greenbush neighborhood beginning…
Kendra Greendeer shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about experiencing pregnancy for the first time and describes how the pandemic disrupted the home birth she had envisioned for her daughter, Caaxota. Kendra…
Bresha Green shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about going to the ER with flu symptoms in January 2020, before COVID-19 testing was available, and noting how strange it seemed that both the waiting room and…
Marisol Gonzalez shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. Posing the question, "Does the pandemic help us to be more human?", Marisol describes supporting her young daughter through an incident where she witnessed…
Marisol González describes her idea of what quarantine / Safer at Home would look like: the opportunity to learn new things, practice meditation, yoga, and other activities. Marisol shares a humorous view of what she thought or hoped homeschooling…
Geovani González nos cuenta sobre sus inicios como locutor y como uno de los pioneros en el programa de radio de Rock en Español en WORT en el que lleva casi 20 años. El nos habla también de los desafíos que ha superado y las satisfacciones que el…
Goldner, originally from New York from a politically aware and active family, talks about the Dow Demonstrations, how he did not actively participate in the sit-in, but was apart of the Black student sit-ins, how that influenced him. He has a brief…
George graduated from the University in 1966 and joined the Air Force in August of 1966. George talks about his experience flying planes in Vietnam and talks about his feelings while being overseas, looking back, and the campus involvement.
Jim Gempeler, a residential architect, worked as the unofficial night watchman for the Garver Feed Mill and built a living space for himself into the upper loft of the building. Jim recalls memories of the bats that inhabited the building, chasing…
In the early 1980s when Marc was the staff person for Community Action on Latin America (CALA), they coordinated a program that brought Victor Rubio of the FMLN/FDR together with Neo Mnumzana of the African National Congress (ANC) to speak. The…
Ann Garvin shares her family's story of four generations of nurses and the advice she gives to her daughter, a brand new ICU nurse. This story was originally recorded and shared as part of an episode of the Madison podcast Inside Stories. Listen to…
La Sra. Maria García nos cuenta sobre su experiencia como socia de la tienda Marimar en la ciudad de Madison. La Sra. Maria García nos habla de su comienzo en los negocios, los desafíos que a tenido que superar para mantener un negocio por más de dos…
Pink Baby: Pamphlet, inkjet on dark blue Fabriano Ingres paper and Mohawk Superfine paper, 5 x 3.5 inches closed, 5 x 7 inches open, completed by artist Jenie Gao in 2010.
Jenie Gao shares a story about her father through the lens of watching films by martial artist Bruce Lee, and the systemic challenges she's facing as an artist and small business owner during the pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures.…
Eve Galanter speaks about her memories of the Municipal Building, including her time on the City Council when the plans for what would become the Monona Terrace were initially discussed.
Mike Fuss and Terrence (Terry) Tiedt talk about growing up on Madison's east side. Mike shares stories about working as a firefighter with the Madison Fire Department, and the many fires that took place in and around the Garver Feed Mill. Terry and…
Chase Frigen, who has lived in Madison for about a year, talks about his experience during the social distance measures in place in Madison in spring 2020. Chase talks about what his neighborhood looks like right now, and how day-to-day errands have…
Oral history interview with Linda Franklin for the Living History Project. Linda shares childhood memories of growing up with her family on Fisher Street on the South Side of Madison. She shares stories about attending school at Franklin Elementary,…
Paris Foster shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She talks about how the pandemic has challenged and motivated her to take life more seriously, by participating in the UW Odyssey program, looking after her health, and…
Beverly Flanigan came to UW-Madison (then just UW) in 1968 to get a graduate degree in social work. She talked about the Welfare Mothers’ March from Milwaukee to Madison and its effect on her. She also talked about her time on campus—Fall 1968 to…
Billy Feitlinger was elected to Madison’s Common Council 3 times in the 1980s. During that time, he served as President of the Council and was instrumental in drafting Resolution #42,209 naming Arcatao, El Salvador, Madison's first sister city. With…
Mary Fahndrich and Neeyati Shah, librarians for Central Library in Madison, Wisconsin, share their personal and work experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic and the library's resulting closure on their library work.
Copy of the official Madison Common Council resolution, #42,209, naming Arcatao Madison's first sister city. The resolution was authored by Rosa Escamilla, our first Latinx council member and was passed on April 1, 1986. The “Whereas” section makes…
Bettye Emmanuel shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She describes her challenges as a lab technician and mother of four. Her story starts with difficulties at school prior to the pandemic and the family's transition to…
Sam Moss, whose grandparents Ida and Samuel Moskowsky operated the Milwaukee Bakery, displays the bell that once hung above the entry door to the family-owned shop.
Photo courtesy Daniel Einstein.
Sylvia Dworetsky Grunes holds the program for the Workmen’s Circle School’s first annual performance in 1933. Sylvia, who was a seven-year-old student at the time of the performance, turned 97 in 2023.
Don Eiler meets with Andy Rubin to show and discuss the collection of artwork that he has at his Madison home. Don shares about his longtime partnership with artist Sam Gilliam and describes many of the pieces of sculpture and other artworks that he…
Jelissa Edwards shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madison. She describes how life has changed for her family, including both the challenges and rewards of spending more time with her kids, as well as changes in visitation policies…
In the late 1960’s, Enid was an eager activist, involved in many causes. She says her experiences in the labor movement and labor history research played a significant role in the direction of the rest of her life. Overall, Eckstein views her time in…
Dussere, an undergraduate Psych major, came to the University from Connecticut from a small, all female high school. She discusses her experiences freshman year with a dormitory shortage, her experiences of segregation on campus and how she felt…
Coburn Dukehart shares a story about the experience of working as a photojournalist during the primary election in Wisconsin on April 7th, 2020, during the period of social distancing efforts in Wisconsin.See Coburn's photo essays from April 7th,…
Doyle, as a 13 year old from Winona, Minnesota, was first introduced to Madison from photographs of the Dow demonstrations in 1967. He was involved in the Food Cooperative movement in Winona, which had a connection to Madison, and allowed him to…
James E. Doyle, Jr. and Jessica Doyle recount their memories of the Madison Municipal Building, most prominently memories of Governor Doyle's father, James Doyle, who was a federal judge in the building.
Catherine Doyle and Ruth Rolich share memories of the Municipal Building. Ms. Doyle discusses her father's career as a federal judge in the building, and memories she has as a young adult coming to the building. Ms. Rolich relates a story about an…
Photograph of Benedict J. Di Salvo, narrator for the Living History project on the Greenbush neighborhood. Benedict is pictured from the waist up, looking at the camera.
Oral history interview with Benedict J. Di Salvo by Laura Damon-Moore for Madison Public Library's Living History project. Mr. Di Salvo grew up in the Greenbush neighborhood in the 1940s and 1950s, where his father, a Sicilian immigrant, and his…