Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear facts for kids
The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear was a special museum started by Avrum (Abe) M. Chudnow in 1991. It was located in an old house from 1869 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. This house used to be a doctor's office and home for Dr. Joseph J. Eisenberg. Inside, it held a huge collection of items from the late 1800s up to 1970, which became the museum's exhibits. In early 2021, the museum decided to close its doors and move its entire collection to the Cedarburg History Museum.
How the Collection Began
Mr. Chudnow learned to love collecting from his father, who bought and sold old items. When Abe's grandparents first came to the United States, they started with very little. They worked incredibly hard to build a life for themselves. This strong work ethic was passed down to Abe. He worked his way through Marquette University Law School and became a lawyer in 1937.
While studying at Marquette, Abe had many different jobs, like selling shoes and newspaper subscriptions. From each job, he started collecting small souvenirs. When he joined the Army and served during World War II, he also began collecting military items.
Abe was always very proud of his growing collection. It included toys from his own childhood, plus all the special items from his jobs and military service. At first, he displayed everything at home. Over the years, he filled his basement with treasures he found at flea markets, antique shops, and gifts from family and friends. When his house became too full, he started moving more and more of his collection to his office.
At his office, Abe began to organize and display most of his collection. He grouped items together, creating sections for old pharmacies, breweries, barbershops, and grocery stores. He wanted others to enjoy seeing these pieces of history. The collection kept growing, especially focusing on the first half of the 20th century and the history of the Jewish community in Milwaukee.
Creating the Museum
In 1991, Mr. Chudnow officially created the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. He made it an official non-profit museum. Soon after, Abe hired a special expert called a curator. This person helped him list and organize all the items in the museum. Abe also started lending parts of his collection to other places. These items were used as exhibits for schools, synagogues, and other organizations. Some even went to the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Milwaukee County Historical Society.
The Chudnow Museum as a House Museum
After Mr. Chudnow passed away in 2005, his family wanted to make his dream come true. They decided to create a permanent home for his museum. After looking at several places, the family chose the office building on 11th and Wells. The Chudnow family generously gave all of Abe's collections from both his house and his office to the museum.
Work to get the house ready began in 2011 and finished in 2012. The museum showed off Chudnow's collection by recreating different old-time scenes. Visitors could see what an early 1900s grocery store, an ice cream parlor, and even a train station looked like. Other areas displayed more of his collection. These included old toys, books, musical instruments, items from political campaigns, clothing, artwork, Jewish artifacts, and many other interesting things.
The museum officially opened its doors to the public on July 20, 2012. A big Grand Opening celebration took place on August 18–19, 2012.
In December 2020, the museum closed its doors for good. The entire collection was moved to the Cedarburg History Museum. There, these historical items will be kept safe and displayed as part of the wider history of the region. The old museum building will be sold.