Milwaukee at Mid-Century: The Photographs of Lyle Oberwise

by Milwaukee County Historical Society

From the 1930s through the 1980s, a shy and somewhat reclusive amateur photographer named Lyle Oberwise devoted much of his spare time to documenting his adopted hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over a period of nearly fifty years, Oberwise amassed a collection of 43,000 color slides depicting the city's architecture and its people, as well as their daily lives and celebrations. The Milwaukee County Historical Society created this selection of 150 carefully chosen images to bring his work to life.

Genres: Photography

168 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Rebecca Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photographs by amateur photographer, Lyle Oberwise. Thankfully the Milwaukee Historical Society acquired them to preserve and compiled some in this book. I had forgotten that Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Greek Orthodox church in Tosa and that Eero Saarinen designed the still severe War Memorial. These photos provide a peek into life in Milwaukee over 70 years ago from the now gone Washington Park lagoon to the still here Oriental Theater. I'm glad I was fortunate enough to experience some of the city's treasures before they were destroyed and bummed I missed others.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all of these photographs are of the best quality -- Oberwise wasn't going about town with a large format camera. But that said, they're all of at least acceptable quality and all quite fascinating to anyone with an interest in this period of Milwaukee history and its architecture. Sadly, it's also another reminder of the recklessness of the 60s and 70s in the destruction of our architectural heritage in the names of progress and freeways.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like pictures of cities, especially older Midwestern/Rust Belt cities, this is a must-see. Lyle Oberwise took some 43,000 photos, mostly color slides, of Milwaukee over the decades, which were largely unknown until his death. This book collects about 150, mostly mid-century, of course. If you like beautiful old architecture (much of it now lost), streetcars, rails, neon signs, street scenes, etc., there's so much to enjoy here. I hope to see more of the collection. (I first noticed some of it on display at the new Amtrak/Greyhound station in Milwaukee.)