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Digital Collections
Explore more than 100,000 collection items online through the Society’s digital collections. For over two decades, we’ve been scanning, photographing, and digitizing materials from our collections, creating a rich and growing digital archive that brings history closer to you.
The Wisconsin Historical Society offers an ever-growing digital collection. Digitized materials reflect the full range of items in the collections including photographs, letters, newsletters, films, posters, architectural drawings, menus, and ephemera.
Attribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Accessing Collections
The vast majority of the items in our collections are not online. The Society owns thousands of archival collections viewable in our Archives reading room. To view and conduct research in our collections, visit us in person.
Boys Looking into Circus Tent
circa 1875-1940
Three young boys, kneeling in the grass, peer into a circus tent at the elephants.
Waiting in line for Circus Tickets
1903
People stand in line to purchase tickets at a Barnum & Bailey Circus ticket wagon near the main tent.
Setting Up Circus Seating
circa 1875-1940
A group of boys, supervised by adult men, set up wooden folding chairs in a circus tent.
Big Show Circus Tent
1934
A crowd of people stand outside a circus tent. The words "Big Show" are emblazoned over the main entrance.
Circus Cook Tent
1942
Cooks preparing food for fellow workers with Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Circus Tent
circa 1875-1940
A view of the inside of a circus tent being readied for a performance.
