Photo Essay: Exhibit explores music’s role in Milwaukee

“Melodies and Memories: 200 Years of Milwaukee Music” is a comprehensive exhibit that explores the styles, people, organizations, businesses, and places that were, and continue to be, central to Milwaukee music.

Produced as the first major exhibition of 2017 by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the attraction is an interactive and hands-on experience that explores Milwaukee’s music legacy. The exhibit offers the public an opportunity to access interactive instrument and listening stations, as well as historical artifacts, images, and immersive stories about Milwaukee’s music culture.

This photo essay takes a detailed look at the exhibit objects on display at the Milwaukee County Historical Society’s downtown location, 910 North Old World Third Street.

Historical Note: Erected in 1880, the Exposition Building had been preceded by Bechtner’s Skating Rink and then the West Side Market from 1867-1880. The Exposition Building was touted as the finest in the country, and the Music Hall had a seating capacity of 6,000. The site of concerts, carnivals, expositions, festivals, and other gatherings of all kinds, the building was sadly destroyed by fire on the afternoon of Sunday, June 4, 1905.

The Milwaukee County Historical Society was founded in 1935 to collect, preserve and make available materials relating to the history of the Milwaukee community. Through a broad range of activities, the Historical Society seeks to recognize and preserve our local history.