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State Capitols
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Wisconsin
Postcard & Image Gallery

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New State Capitol. Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard published circa 1910.

This postcard of the third and current Madison capitol was likely published before the full completion of the capitol. It does not show either the originally planned cupolas around the drum or the drum sculptures installed in 1913.

 
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State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin.
Stereoscopic card published circa 1880. Source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.

Construction of the second Madison capitol building as shown here started in 1859 and was first completed in 1869. This image was made before wings were added to both sides in 1883.

 

  Stereoscopic card, old Wisconsin capitol
 
  Enlargement of stereo card above

State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin.
Stereoscopic card of the second Madison capitol building published circa 1880. Source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.

This enlargement of one side of the stereoscopic card above is included to show better detail.

 

 
 
 

State Capitol, Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard from the private collection of Valerie Mockaitis. Published by E. C. Kropp, Publ. Milwaukee. Postmarked Oct 24, 1906

This capitol was the second in Madison. From 1859 to 1869, it was constructed in phases around the previous, inadequate capitol as the latter was being demolished. The side wings shown here were added in 1883.

The message reads, "Please exchange with one of your state capitol." This card was sent to Columbia, SC apparently with a trade in mind, two years after the building burned.

 
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  View of capitol with patriotic border

Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison, Wis.
Antique, embossed postcard published circa 1905 by S. Langsdorf & Co. Publishing, New York, N.Y. Made in Germany.

This old capitol is hidden well behind the trees in the large park surrounding it.

 

 
 
 

The Wisconsin State Capitol. Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard published circa 1905 by Raphael Tuck & Sons. Printed in England.

Made from the same photo as the view above, this publisher chose fall colors for the heavily leaved trees and an added carriage in the extended foreground.

 

  Wisconsin state capitol by Raphael Tuck & Sons
 
  Old Wisconsin State Capitol

State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin.
Antique postcard published by Illustrated Post Card circa 1910.

This publisher, like many, used old photographs to produce new postcards. This building burned in 1904. As they had done before, they built the new capitol in phases around this old one as it was demolished.

 

 
 
 

State Capitol. Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard. Copyright 1900 by Detroit Photographic Co.

This early postcard has fewer colors and an oddly uneven white border. It does, however, give a remarkable view of the capitol through the unusually sparse trees.

 

  Second Madison capitol
 
  New Wisconsin state capitol

The New Capitol, Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard published circa 1905 by J. I. Malec Pub., Madison.

While the publishers above were creating postcards of the capitol after it was destroyed by fire in 1904, this Madison publisher made this view of the planned new capitol before its construction. The cupolas around the drum were never built.

 

 
 
 

Trailing Arbutus, Wisconsin State Flower
State Capitol, Madison, Wis.

Antique postcard published circa 1910.

The verse reads:

Within the grand old forest's gloom,
Trailing Arbutus lifts its bloom.
All hail Wisconsin's chosen flower,
All hail the state of wealth and power.

 
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The New State Capitol. Madison, Wis.
Antique postcard from the private collection of Valerie Mockaitis. Postmarked Sep 11-14, Madison, Wisc.

In this early sepia image, the landscaping is new, and the surrounding land is vacant. Notice the drum sculptures have not yet been installed, and the originally planned cupolas around the drum are also not shown.

 
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South Pediment, State Capitol, Madison, Wis.
Vintage postcard published circa 1920 by E. A. Bishop. Pub. Racine, Wis.

Postcard views of whole state capitol building exteriors are the most common, and interior views are not terribly rare. A view like this one of an exterior detail is much more unusual.

 

  South pediment close-up
 
  State capitol looking at the end of one wing

Wisconsin's New State Capitol, Madison.
Vintage postcard published circa 1920.

The front caption reads:

Dome of the new Capitol is
second highest in the
world; height 300 feet;
diameter 107 feet;
height of statue 15 1/2 feet;
cost of Dome $3,000,000;
cost of entire building,
about $7,000,000.

 

 
 


More on Wisconsin:
Telling Them Apart, Domed But Different
What's On Top, Statues of Ladies, Part 2
Favorites, Footprints
Favorites, Night Shots
Favorites, Photographic Art
Capital & Capitol History
Old & New Capitol Timeline


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Page Last Updated: Feb-10-2017

Site Author: Valerie Mockaitis     ©2005 - 2017 Valerie Mockaitis