"Wisconsin Historical Society Press entered my radar over the past year due in part to the ability of the Internet to increase visibility, but also because of the organization’s frequent collaborations with Historic Milwaukee. What struck me as a photographer were some of their recent books, including the latest offering, People of the Big Voice.

Many of the newer WHSP publications are heavy on gorgeous modern photography of barns or notable Wisconsin homes, while others focus new camera lenses on objects beloved by collectors and history buffs. What makes this book a paradigm shift is the rare documentary and set-based glass plate photography of Charles Van Schaick.

Much about the Black River Falls studio photographer, who plied his trade there from 1879 to 1942, is unknown. There is precious little to indicate Van Schaick’s motivation or passion to document historic Ho-Chunk meetings and celebrations or why so many of the resident natives trusted him."

Get the Story:
Book Review: “People of the Big Voice” (Third Coast Digest 9/22)