Charles Allis Art Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles Allis House
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National Registered Historic Place
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| Location | 1630 E Royall Pl, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Alexander Eschweiler |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000072 |
| Added to NRHP | January 17, 1975 |
The Charles Allis Art Museum is a cool place to visit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It used to be the home of a famous Milwaukee family. Today, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Charles Allis House.
Contents
History of the Allis Mansion
The Charles Allis Art Museum was once the home of Charles Allis and his wife, Sarah. Charles grew up in Milwaukee. His father, Edward P. Allis, was a well-known businessman. Charles later became the first president of the Allis-Chalmers Corporation.
Charles and Sarah Ball got married in 1877. They were both very involved in the Milwaukee community. Charles helped start the Milwaukee Arts Society. He was also a trustee at the Layton Art Gallery. He served on the boards of many other art and business groups.
Charles passed away in 1918. He and Sarah loved art and collected many unique pieces. They wanted to share their home and art with everyone. Their goal was to inspire and teach people.
The mansion was built in 1911 in the Tudor style. You can see a "Tudor Rose" design all over the house, both inside and out.
The building first opened to the public in 1957. It was an Art Library and part of the Milwaukee County Public Library System. In 1979, the Allis Mansion became an Art Museum.
Today, the museum is full of amazing treasures. It has paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics. Most of the original furniture is still there. The art collection is very diverse. It includes ancient glass objects from 1 B.C. and paintings from Charles Allis's time.
The museum also hosts special art shows each year. These shows feature artworks by talented artists from Wisconsin.
Architecture of the Allis House
The Charles Allis Mansion was designed by Alexander Eschweiler. He was an architect from Boston.
Building the house started in 1909 and finished in 1911. It was one of the first private homes in Milwaukee to have electricity. The walls are mostly made of concrete. This was done to protect Charles and Sarah's valuable art collection from fire.
The outside of the house is made of mauve Ohio brick. It has trim made from Lake Superior sandstone. The inside rooms are decorated with fancy materials. This was a popular style back then.
For example, the French Parlor room has beautiful Circassian walnut wood panels. Many rooms on the first floor have special wallpaper called Lincrusta Walton. This wallpaper has raised designs and different colors.
Almost every room has a fireplace made of hand-carved marble. Different kinds of fine marble were used throughout the house. These include Florido Creme, Tavernelle Clair, and Haueville Fleuri in the Marble Hall.
Supporting Local Arts
The Charles Allis Art Museum is a hub for artists in Wisconsin. It often features changing art shows by Wisconsin artists. The museum focuses on many types of visual art. These include drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.
Besides visual arts, the museum also hosts free music concerts. This series is called "Allis After Hours." On the third Thursday of the month, during spring, summer, and fall, you can enjoy a jazz concert. These concerts happen in the English Garden or the Margaret Rahill Great Hall. The musicians are all from Milwaukee. This helps the museum show off Wisconsin talent.
The Charles Allis Art Museum works together with the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum. Both are part of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Corporation.
Selected Artworks
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Winslow Homer
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