This wide-ranging group of objects provides important information about immigration history and settlement patterns, the persistence of handicraft traditions, and the development of industrial manufacturing in Wisconsin from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century. At the same time, the accumulation and display of Wisconsin-made artifacts in local historical societies and museums reveals a great deal about how these institutions choose to represent themselves and their communities. Instead of placing objects within the broader contexts of social, political, or aesthetic movements, these institutions focus on the narratives of individuals within the community. Catalog records and exhibition labels are less likely to focus on style, construction, or materials than on the details of who owned these objects and when. This results in a celebratory, nostalgic take on object-based history, emphasizing stories of intrepid pioneers, benevolent founding families, and the transfer of objects across generations. In embracing these narratives, community institutions inscribe the values of hard work, philanthropy, and continuity with the past on the community itself, strengthening local identity by rooting it in local history.
This poster presentation will consider several objects and groups of objects documented for the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database and the historic narratives they represent for their home institutions and communities. For example, an exhibit label for a chair hand-carved by a German settler in the 1840s lists the simple hand tools used to make it, highlighting the resourcefulness of early Wisconsin pioneers. The catalog record for a Victorian-era wreath made from hair records not only the woman who made it but the three generations of family members who later owned it and the descendant who restored it and donated it to the museum in 1938, underscoring the perpetuation of family networks within the community. And a display of more than 200 examples of locally-produced pottery in another museum celebrates the generosity of the local resident who collected the work for decades and donated the entire collection at his death. While all three of these examples are ripe for interpretation through the academic lenses of decorative arts scholarship and material culture studies, considering the meanings these objects hold for their local communities is essential for gaining a fuller understanding of their historic significance.