Spring may be just around the corner but that's little comfort for those who are completely over this winter. Yes, we've spent our share of days cooped up at home waiting for the latest bout of bad weather to pass. At least we have things like radio, television, and shopping online to keep us from pulling out our hair.
But what did people do before this technology existed? Turns out, early Wisconsinites were pretty busy whilst indoors. To find out exactly what they were doing, Lake Effect contributor and material culturalist Gianofer Fields went to Old World Wisconsin for a glimpse of farm life in 1915. There she visited an early 20th century home of a Finnish family, and the objects found in their house show how they held on to their past while building their future:
Gianofer Fields studies material culture at UW-Madison and is the curator of "It's a Material World" - a project funded by the Chipstone Foundation, a decorative arts foundation whose mission is preserving and interpreting their collection, as well as stimulating research and education in the decorative arts.
Original air date: 03/16/13
