Into the Archives: A Peek into WUT History
Posted: 08/05/24
Recently, myself and another member of the theater team spent the afternoon diving into the history of the Wisconsin Union Theater at the Steenbock Library. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most interesting things we discovered, and learn how you too can explore the Theater’s history!
Nestled on the corner of Observatory and Babcock Drive, across from the lush Allen Centennial Garden, Steenbock Library is a monstrous red brick building that reflects the style of the 1960s, when it was built. To get here, we enjoyed a scenic stroll along Lake Mendota from the Wisconsin Union Theater itself. Once inside, we headed up to the fourth floor, which safeguards the rich history of the University.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Archives and Records Management employees had kindly pulled together two carts brimming with historical artifacts, including posters, programs, brochures and old newspaper clippings dating as far back as 1920. We sat at large wooden tables and perused through the time-worn materials.
We eagerly, but carefully, started to open the boxes and sift through the treasures inside. Here are a few of our most fascinating discoveries:
Newspaper Article from Opening Night of the Theater, 1939.
Fan Taylor, the Wisconsin Union Theater publicity director from 1939-1942 and director from 1946-1966, kept detailed scrapbooks with meticulously preserved newspaper articles and other clippings. It was so interesting to see how events surrounding the theater were described first-hand by those who experienced the beginning.
In one of the scrapbooks, we found a 1939 article from the society page of the Wisconsin State Journal recounting the opening night of the theater in which the journalist wrote, “It has been a long, long time since the city has seen a more dazzling affair than the formal opening of the new Wisconsin Union Theater.”
The reporter goes on to describe some of the distinguished guests’ attire writing, “Mrs. Glover wore a royal blue gown trimmed with white beads. Alternating bands of black satin and net fashioned Mrs. Clausen’s gown. Fair-haired Mrs. Hare wore a renaissance model with a dark red velvet bodice and a sweeping skirt of green and gold brocade.”
The evening truly sounded like the event of the year!
Concert Series Posters from the 1960s
While flipping through a host of brightly colored posters from the 1950s and ‘60s, we discovered that there used to be two different options for the Concert Series (now Classical Series): the Red Series and White Series. Both options featured the most popular artists of the time and a blend of additional performers. Season tickets cost just $12.50 at that time!
Traffic Map for Wisconsin Union Theater Patrons, c. 1939
Another clipping from the Fan Taylor scrapbooks included a traffic map for the Wisconsin Union Theater’s opening night. It was fun to spot familiar street names, including Langdon and Park. Back then, parking was allowed in the area that is now Library Mall, unless the grounds became “muddy or soft!”
This is just a fraction of the treasures about the programs, artists, posters and newspaper articles that we found during our visit! It was interesting to see how much some things have changed over time but also how many adored aspects of the theater-going experience have been maintained through the Wisconsin Union Theater community over the last 80+ years.
If you also want to explore some of the Theater’s fascinating history for yourself, you can also visit the UW Archives at Steenbock Library! Learn more about using the archives. Anyone is welcome to create a free archives and special collections account and schedule a visit.
Learn more about the theater’s history here, and be part of history in the making at the 2024-25 Season!
P.S. Stay tuned to our Instagram for more behind-the-scenes content from our trip to the archives!