Wisconsin Historical Society to acquire some protest signs removed from Capitol Building - pics

[Kadie]

MADISON, WI - MARCH 08: Workers with the Wisconsin Historical Society sift through hundreds of signs that were removed from the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 8, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Posters that were left behind by demostrators that occupied the Wisconsin State Capitol were collected and are being made available for people to claim them until this Friday. Posters that are not claimed will be gone through and select ones will be acquired by the Wisconsin Historical Society.


MADISON, WI - MARCH 08: Jo Scheder looks through hundreds of signs that were removed from the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 8, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Posters that were left behind by demostrators that occupied the Wisconsin State Capitol were collected and are being made available for people to claim them until this Friday. Posters that are not claimed will be gone through and select ones will be acquired by the Wisconsin Historical Society.


MADISON, WI - MARCH 08: A man looks through hundreds of signs that were removed from the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 8, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Posters that were left behind by demostrators that occupied the Wisconsin State Capitol were collected and are being made available for people to claim them until this Friday. Posters that are not claimed will be gone through and select ones will be acquired by the Wisconsin Historical Society.


MADISON, WI - MARCH 07: A general view of the Wisconsin State Capitol after hundreds of posters left behind by demonstrators were removed from the walls on March 7, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Demonstations continue at the Wisconsin State Capitol against Governor Scott Walker's attempt to push through a bill that would restrict collective bargaining for most government workers in the state.


Rep. calls ID request illegal
After being stoped when trying to enter a meeting, Roys says unlawful restrictions from offices still taking place at Capitol

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 11:21 p.m.

snip...
Protesters were also able to begin retrieving signs removed from inside the Capitol, which will continue until 4 p.m. Friday at the Department of Health and Family Services building, a DOA statement said.

Helmut Knies, collection development coordinator, said after the official pickup time has ended, the Wisconsin Historical Society will catalog a number of the remaining protest signs as important historical artifacts for the state’s labor movement.

He said the Historical Society will make selections based on content, format and fragility to be cataloged and preserved in the museum’s collection, although there are currently no plans for an exhibition.

“The protests have been a remarkable and very unusual event,” Knies said. “They are important to the last 50 years of Wisconsin history and, as part of that larger picture, we believe the signs need to be documented.”

http://badgerherald.com/news/2011/03/08/rep_calls_id_request.php




Officials scale back sign damage estimates
Major historical groups, including the Smithsonian, are descending on Madison to evaluate signs used in this year’s labor protests at the Capitol.

Sunday, March 6, 2011 1:57 p.m.

“These protest signs not only do not cause damage, but are important as evidence from this historic social movement,” Roys said. “I have spoken with some union leaders, and they say that the Smithsonian Institute will be working in conjunction with the Wisconsin Historical Society to preserve them for their historical value.”

Roys said a political historian from the Smithsonian would be flying into Madison as early as this week to inspect the signs for historical value.

The Wisconsin Historical Society could not confirm whether it was working with the Smithsonian but said in a statement it will begin to immediately solicit signs and artifacts from the protests as well as material associated with all sides of the controversy.

“The process of doing these things is still being developed, but the DOA is aware of our intentions,” said Wisconsin Historical Society spokesperson Bob Granflaten. “At some point in the future, the DOA will take down these signs, and our curators will look at them to determine whether we’ll preserve them.”

http://badgerherald.com/news/2011/03/06/officials_scale_back.php

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Yes, and we can all see the terrible $7 million in damages done to the Capitol in the last picture.

[meegbear]

2. Glad to see they're actions will be properly documented in their state history ...

Bravo WI!

[jwirr]

3. That is wonderful. I worked in a museum for years and it is amazing

what is collected by the Historical Societies of this country. I felt honored to be able to see what was not on display. Also I was happy to see that these things are not just stacked away - researcher, students, historians, media and schools often come in to see the past in these collections.