Wisconsin Life

This may be Milwaukee's most eclectic and eccentric collection of close to anything and everything. My dad amassed a collection of approximately 250,000 items. We used to joke that he had collections within collections. And that's what fills the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. People would come in and say, "What's a Chudnow?" And so we'd explain, "That's the name of the gentleman who collected all this stuff." That gentleman is the subject of a movie in the museum's theater. Abe Chudnow. The son of immigrants from Russia. Abe's father, Max, was a junk peddler. And I think he acquired Max's fascination in reclaiming old things. On display currently is probably, maybe, at most, 5% of that collection. So it's like Christmas every day here. As we go through the boxes, we never know what we're going to get. Abe's success as an attorney and real estate developer helped him indulge his passions for philanthropy and collecting. He was always out looking for new and unique items that he could add to his collection.

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He particularly liked items from his growing up in the 20s and 30s. He loved history. In particular, liked memorabilia that belonged in shops, businesses. He was trying to collect just a wide range of products that everyday people would experience. Not like a collection of high-end glassware or silver or china. It's everyday stuff. This is our material culture. He loved to tell stories about the different businesses that existed in Milwaukee in the 1920s and the 30s. One of the businesses depicted in the museum belonged to Abe's father-in-law. My grandfather, Henry Grafman, ran a grocery store. It was a lot different shopping then than going to Costco nowadays. You'd actually got waited on. And you'd tell the grocer what you needed, how much coffee you wanted, how much flour. We're trying to preserve Milwaukee history and we want people to come in and experience the history themselves. I collect images of old Milwaukee. Senior citizens come through and some have memory issues. Some individuals have been quiet for years. Suddenly when they come to the museum, they start to speak. It's really heartwarming to find out that a memory, a experience coming through our museum might open up someone like that. It's exciting. So, it's an honor. The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear honors the past by telling Milwaukee's story. The story of a city that wouldn't be told today if it weren't for the story of the Chudnows. Here's a real American success story where somebody comes as an immigrant and they make it a success out of not only themselves, but their family continues on with that story. We're not too unusual from a lot of families in Milwaukee. Luckily, we're able to exhibit our story. But other people that come here have similar stories. They not only honored their father by creating this museum. They did something that he always talked about, but never lived to see it happen. I mean, I think that's a great testament to the family. And it's a commitment to make this available for everybody. To be able to host an institution which, hopefully, people will learn from, will enjoy. The fact that our family is associated with it, is quite an honor.