How to order, A Glimpse Back in Time
To order copies of Figi's book, send a check payable to Green County Historical Society, P.O. Box 804, Monroe, WI 53566-0804, by June 10. The cost is $12 per book, and there is a minimum of five books per order.
Books will arrive by late August. No books will be sold between June 10 and when they arrive. After the books arrive, they will be sold individually for $15.
Proceeds from the book will go the Green County Historical Society.
MONROE - Matt Figi's new book, "A Glimpse Back in Time," offers people a chance to see what Monroe was like in the second decade of the 20th century.
It was a slower time. A time when women walked around Monroe's Square to window shop, a time when men gathered on the sidewalks to talk and a time when children posed proudly with their bicycles or in their Sunday best.
Figi's book tells Monroe's story in pictures.
He was able to use 116 pictures from original glass negatives. The negatives are at the Green County Historical Society.
The plates came from pictures taken by Will E. Trukenbrod. Trukenbrod borrowed a camera from Fred Bolender and took pictures of Monroe events, including Cheese Days, fires, floods and snowstorms.
According to the introduction to Figi's book, it is believed Trukenbrod was the first person in Monroe to take a photo of a fire at night and also the first person to take flash pictures in a cheese cellar.
To Figi, the action shots are interesting, but the pictures of people going about their business are more interesting.
"These are pictures of everyday life in Monroe from 1910 to 1920," he said. "They're just random people."
The pictures give an idea of what people were doing, how they traveled and how they dressed. There are pictures of some of the first cars to ever appear in the city, next to horses and buggies.
Figi said people will enjoy seeing the photos.
"It's kind of fun to see them," he said.
There were 198 negatives in Trukenbrod's collection. Only 166 of the glass negatives were found. A few of the negatives had water stains on them, but Figi included them in the book. He didn't want to delete any of the photos in the collection from the book because even the few that aren't easy to see might be of value to someone, he said.
It took Figi a few months to put the book together. No restoration work was done to the negatives. Figi wanted to preserve the age and fragility of the negatives.
There isn't any commentary to the photos. Each one tells as story on its own. The names of most people in the book are unknown, but Figi hopes people will recognize them.
Mostly, the book provides a glimpse back in time, a chance for people to experience what life was like in Monroe 100 years ago.
"We're fortunate to have these pictures," Figi said.
It was a slower time. A time when women walked around Monroe's Square to window shop, a time when men gathered on the sidewalks to talk and a time when children posed proudly with their bicycles or in their Sunday best.
Figi's book tells Monroe's story in pictures.
He was able to use 116 pictures from original glass negatives. The negatives are at the Green County Historical Society.
The plates came from pictures taken by Will E. Trukenbrod. Trukenbrod borrowed a camera from Fred Bolender and took pictures of Monroe events, including Cheese Days, fires, floods and snowstorms.
According to the introduction to Figi's book, it is believed Trukenbrod was the first person in Monroe to take a photo of a fire at night and also the first person to take flash pictures in a cheese cellar.
To Figi, the action shots are interesting, but the pictures of people going about their business are more interesting.
"These are pictures of everyday life in Monroe from 1910 to 1920," he said. "They're just random people."
The pictures give an idea of what people were doing, how they traveled and how they dressed. There are pictures of some of the first cars to ever appear in the city, next to horses and buggies.
Figi said people will enjoy seeing the photos.
"It's kind of fun to see them," he said.
There were 198 negatives in Trukenbrod's collection. Only 166 of the glass negatives were found. A few of the negatives had water stains on them, but Figi included them in the book. He didn't want to delete any of the photos in the collection from the book because even the few that aren't easy to see might be of value to someone, he said.
It took Figi a few months to put the book together. No restoration work was done to the negatives. Figi wanted to preserve the age and fragility of the negatives.
There isn't any commentary to the photos. Each one tells as story on its own. The names of most people in the book are unknown, but Figi hopes people will recognize them.
Mostly, the book provides a glimpse back in time, a chance for people to experience what life was like in Monroe 100 years ago.
"We're fortunate to have these pictures," Figi said.