An Overview of Our Collection
What do We Collect?
Capturing the history of Sheboygan County’s inhabitants, the Sheboygan County Museum’s permanent collection contains approximately 35,000 objects. The artifacts, primarily three-dimensional and large two-dimensional objects, span the entire development of Sheboygan County, dating from 10,000 B.C.E. to the present. Textiles represent the largest subset of the collection, including clothing and other personal gear, bed coverings, and decorative accessories. SCM also holds significant archaeological, geologic, and recreational collections, along with a variety of sound recordings, advertising, art, and furniture. Local manufacturing, agricultural, political, and domestic objects are strongly represented within the collection.
The objects in the Museum relate to local, regional, and national historical movements. The mechanically animated figures from the holiday window displays of the Sheboygan-based H.C. Prange Department Store reflects mid-Twentieth Century trends in holiday marketing begun by national retailers such as Macy’s and Marshall Field’s that were soon adopted by regional competitors. The Museum’s locally manufactured furniture collection demonstrates the confluence of the industrial revolution, abundant lumber, skilled craftsmen, and an accessible shipping port that led Sheboygan to be known as Chair City. Following years of use, many of these pieces have returned to Sheboygan County after traveling thousands of miles from their original manufacture.
While connecting the history of Sheboygan County to broader cultural history is critical, the Museum also preserves distinctive local history. For example, the story of Sheboygan County and the circus is revealed through apparel, equipment, advertisements, and scale models, including objects related to Seils-Sterlings, one of the largest truck circuses of the Twentieth Century.
In addition, the organization has a designated Education Collection for use in the K-12 Education Programs and other programming offered by the Museum. These objects are designated specifically for immersive, hands-on use. Composed of period objects and reproductions, this 500-plus piece collection allows experiential learning alongside long-term preservation.
Exhibits
Utilizing the collection, the SCM is able to present a broad and vibrant picture, including economic, political, and social history, of Sheboygan County through both long-term and temporary exhibitions. These objects support the period-related exhibits in each of the historic buildings located on the Museum campus. They also provide the backbone for a variety of exhibits in the Main Building highlighting themes of historical significance. The Museum exhibits approximately 30% of the total collection on an annual basis.
The Museum also maintains an active temporary exhibition schedule, with objects from the collection forming the foundation of two to four exhibitions per year. Recent examples include an exploration of architecture, building use, and memory in the creation of cultural and visual landscapes in Building Community: Place in Sheboygan County and Life in Service: Sheboygan County and the Military through the Years, which highlighted the impact of Sheboygan County residents on military service and support since the Civil War. The organization’s largest annual temporary exhibition, Holiday Memories, literally brings to life a portion of animated mechanical figures arranged in new vignettes of traditional retail Christmas window displays. Holiday Memories draws thousands of visitors as it recreates the magic of a bygone era of department store Christmas window displays popular not only in large metropolitan centers but also in small towns.
