Skip to main content

‘On Wisconsin, On Film’: historic films about UW-Madison to be shown

February 28, 2013

Photo: people staging a movie scene

Student actors and director set up a scene for a UW campus movie in 1927 or 1928.

Photo: University Archives.

As part of its “Treasures of the UW Libraries” series, the Friends of the Libraries will present an evening of historic campus film clips on Wednesday, March 6 from 5:30–7 p.m. in Memorial Library, Room 460.

“On Wisconsin, On Film” will feature a selection of historic films providing glimpses of campus life from the 1930s to 1970s. The film clips are part of the University Archives, housed in Steenbock Library. Archivists David Null and Vicki Tobias will provide background and lead discussion. The event is free, and popcorn and soda will be provided.

One of the oldest films in the University Archives collection, “On to Wisconsin” (1929), will be shown. It documents a year in the life of a young man on campus. Other notable films to be screened are “The Living Room of the University” (1953), which showcases the Memorial Union and its activities, services, and resources for students, and silent film footage shot during the Dow riots in October 1967.

The University Archives maintains a small but important, and growing, collection of historic films. More than 3,500 films of varying formats offer a unique glimpse of campus life and the people who called UW their home, school, workplace, and community. They reveal how people worked, studied, and played and also show how the fabric of daily life was formed or transformed by the ever-evolving campus environment. Go to  to learn more about University Archives.

The nearest public parking for Memorial Library is at the State Street ramp on North Lake Street. “On Wisconsin, On Film” is sponsored by the Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries and the University Archives.  More information about this event can be found here, or by calling 608-265-2505.