Milwaukee County Historical Society

Photographic Collections

Photographic Collections

The thousands of photos in our collections are divided into categories, and then further divided into numerous subjects, topics, and named files. The main categories are:

Alphabetically listed subject/topic files
Street files
Family groups and individuals
Stereo views
Photographer’s collections
Glass plate negatives

The images below represent only a sample of the thousands of photographs that are available for purchase in the Milwaukee County Historical Society’s Research Library. Fees are based upon the size of the print and the intended use for the photograph. It is best to call 414-273-8288 or stop in for a complete explanation of the Society’s photo policy for use of its images.

Alphabetically listed subject/topic files [Images for All]

  • Unknown shoe repair store ca. 1920 (Commercial Interiors file)
  • Looking north up the Milwaukee River with the Pabst Building on the right and Gimbels along the left side (Milwaukee River file)
  • Construction proceeds on the first fire-proof hotel in Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Hotel (Hotel files)
  • Old St. Johannes Lutheran Church on corner of 4th and Prairie (Highland), 1872 (Church files)
  • Milwaukee Auditorium (now Milwaukee Theater) hosting the Northwestern Mutual insurance agents banquet, July 1942 (Milwaukee Auditorium file)

Street Files [Images for All]

  • Toy’s Chinese restaurant on North Second St., 1932 (North 2nd Street file)
  • Blue Mound Road near Calvary Cemetery, ca. 1930 (Blue Mound Road file)
  • National Liquor Bar and Store on 26th and National, 1951 (National Ave file)
  • West Wisconsin Ave. showing the business and shopping district of downtown (West Wisconsin File)
  • Fred Pabst Jr. home at 3112 Highland, 1927 (Highland Ave. file)


Family Groups/Individuals [Images for All]

  • Christopher L. Sholes sits at his invention - the typewriter (Sholes Family file)
  • Wedding day for Pauline Eugenia & Walter Stanwitt July 1, 1950 (Stanwitt Family file)
  • J. Anthony Josey and his wife - founded Wisconsin’s first black newspaper (Josey Family file)
  • Stefano Carini and daughter Rosemary (Carini Family file)
  • Thelka and Paula of the German publishing family of Brumder (Brumder Family file)

Stereo Views [Images for All]

  • Early view of North Point Water Tower and St. Mary’s Hospital
  • A scene of the devastation after the Third Ward Fire of 1892
  • Back-breaking work of unloading coal off of a ship one barrel at a time
  • Milwaukee County’s first Courthouse - located in what is now Cathedral Square
  • A view looking down Broadway from Mason St.

Photographer’s Collections [Images for All]

  • Pabst Brewery boiler explosion of 1909 (Breitwish Collection)
  • Fruit stand on Juneau Ave. run by Milwaukee Police officer Edward Baivier, 1894 (Robert Taylor Collection)
  • Alhambra Theater lobby, 1920 (L. Kuhli Collection)
  • Children making use of their dog to pull wagon 1928 (Stanfield Collection)
  • A view looking east on Wisconsin Ave. near the Public Library after the 1947 snowstorm (Oberwise slide collection)

Glass Plate Negative [Images for All]

  • Children playing on swings at turn of the century
  • Unidentified farm family posing for a family portrait
  • Family strolling through Kosciuzko Park
  • Zeally Brothers garage at 1005 N. Edison
  • Looking at the Wisconsin Ave. Viaduct with Pigsville in foreground