Researchers are encouraged to come to Madison to use the WCFTR collections of moving images, manuscripts, and visual materials. All collections are housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society and can be accessed in the fourth floor Archives Reading Room, located at 816 State Street, on the east end of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Reading Room hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on most Saturdays. The Archives Reading Room is closed on Sundays and holidays. For more information on the Archives Reading Room visit Directions to the Wisconsin Historical Society, call 608-264-6460, or email askarchives@wisconsinhistory.org.
All onsite access services are provided at no charge.
Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Wisconsin Historical Society
816 State Streeet
Madison, WI 53706
Information about WCFTR collections is available in in the University of Wisconsin’s integrated library catalog and in the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections, where archival finding aids can be accessed. Access to still photographs and other graphic materials is also provided through a card catalog in the Archives Research Room.
When searching for feature film titles, a search should be conducted both in the UW library catalog and in the Feature Film Database.
For more information about how to use our collections databases, visit the WHS’s guide: “How to Search Our Archives Collections”
Tip: In the University of Wisconsin’s integrated library catalog, limit your search to the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives location to find the WCFTR’s holdings