Nick Hoffman, Curator at the History Museum at the Castle, talked about the Museums new exhibit, Progressive Appleton: Through the Lens of W. D. Schlafer that will run from November 15, 2011 to August 12, 2012. At the age of 10, Wilmer D. Schlafer went to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition to see the new technologies. This was where he was introduced to photography. Wilmer’s father, Otto Schlafer owner of Schlafer Hardware Company, bought Wilmer a Kodak camera and he started to document the City of Appleton. He walked up and down the streets and looked through newspapers for events coming up so that he could document as many things as possible. From 1893-1920, Schlafer took over 3,000 photographs. He loved Appleton and photography. He took pictures of business efficiencies, technology, social reform and educational reform. Hoffman showed us many of the photos from the exhibit as well as photos taken by Image Studios who found the current locations of where these photos where originally taken. Schafer Hardware Company was passed down to Schlafer by his father and was located in what now is Houdini Plaza. Progressives were interested in helping small businesses and to embrace new technologies. Bushey’s Business College taught women to learn skills such as stenography and typewriting and was located in what is now the Salvation Army. The first airplane flight in Appleton was done by Cal Rodgers, a celebrity pilot from the period, in a Wright Brothers plane. Appleton had the second documented automobile, the Locomobile, owned by Dr. James Reeve. This was a steam powered auto that was not very reliable. A bicycle was tied to the back in case it broke down. You had to fill up the Locomobile with water, check the gas and ignite the starter flames. It took about 20-30 minutes to get it going and it went about 45 mph. Technology was changing fast. Before parking ramps, there were privately owned livery stations where one could park their horse or auto such as J.C. Kunitz and Son Horse and Auto Livery. Schlafer loved parades and took about 50 photos such as the Ringling Brother parade where elephants are walking down College Avenue. During this time, consumers were looking for entertainment options for people to come together as a group such as baseball and movie theaters. There were photos of men working on interurban tracks for electric streetcars to connect Appleton to Neenah and Lake Winnebago. Progressives were looking to regulate utility companies because of rates skyrocketing. Businesses lobbied the legislature to gain control. Small businesses forced utility companies to take utility poles down in front of their buildings and put them in alleys. In 1915, the YMCA started their membership drive.
The Museum purchased this collection of Schlafer’s photographs at a family auction after he died in 1966. Other photographs in the exhibit were donated by family members and some are on loan from the family. The Progressive Appleton exhibit contains 250-300 photographs and artifacts such as the Locomobile.
W.D. Shlafer was an avid stamp collector . He was listed in Who is Who in Philately . He was a member of the American Philatelic Society. I have acquired his philatelic Reference Collection in the 1980's.
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