Milwaukee Then and Now

Even if you're not turned on by the nifty then/now gimmick, the photos are often large size and high quality. This book is a milwaukee architectural history buff's dream come true.

I absolutely love these books that show the before and after of historical sites. I wish there were more local books like them. Fantastic images and great factual information. I would love to see a book like this for West Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa, etc, as this book is really more of a downtown book. The Images of America series is really nice, but it doesn't have the then and now perspective Sandra has in hers.

For anyone who lives in Milwaukee or has connections there, this is a great book. The photos are top-notch and I learned a lot about the city from the interesting explanations. My only disappointment was that the Allen Bradley clock tower wasn't in there. Maybe, being built in the early 60s, it didn't qualify as old enough, but it IS the world's largest 4-sided clock (with faces twice the size of Big Ben) and quite a landmark. So 4 1/2 stars if I could :)

Elysium in print! This book is simultaneously informative, beautiful, and intriguing, while fantastically showcasing the supreme City of Milwaukee ... "The German Athens on the Lake." The historic photographs are absolutely fascinating, while the accompanying captions are insightful; additionally, the very premise of the book--a comparison of past and present--is excellent. The only fault I find with this magnum opus is that there could have been a little more attention given to the industrial epicenter of yore--the Menomonee Valley--while there could have been less attention given to churches. Actually, I'm sure any person intimately familiar with Milwaukee will probably be able to pinpoint a handful of locations, neighborhoods, and/or specific buildings that should have been included, but it's hard to fault the author for that fact. Along with Gurda's masterpiece, this is a truly mandatory book for all Milwaukee devotees, and it should be issued to fanatics of our dear history!

I've always loved pictures of old buildings, in order to admire the detail and to imagine what the city looked like back then. This book uses large pictures as a window into the past, and compares them to the same location today. Some buildings have survived, and some great buildings have been lost. It's rather shocking to see how bland modern buildings look compared to the rich ornamentation of the past. Even buildings that have survived don't have all their original details. It's a pity, but compared to the great buildings we have lost, we're darn lucky to still have them around. If you like Milwaukee history, you need this book!