The Milwaukee Made project is an annual social editorial project organized by local photographer James Holveck of White Night Photography. The mission of the  Milwaukee Made is to showcase companies (big and small) which have helped define the history of Milwaukee.

This year the Milwaukee Guitar Company, along with Nora Collins, HM Chic Vintage, and make-up artist Kate Elisabeth, took part in the project. 2020 has been a strange and confusing year. We wanted to throwback to a time of equal turmoil and uncertainty. Obviously, the early 1940’s with the onset of WWII looming, was a parallel to the current times.

At the present time, theaters across the country (and the world for that matter) are struggling to find ways to generate revenue. With this in mind, we reached out to the Pabst-Theater-Group who manages several historic theaters throughout the city. They agreed to let us use the historic Riverside theater for our photo shoot. The Riverside theater built in 1928, has hosted many national acts as well as regular live theater performances over the decades. Above all, we wanted to capture the somber mood that has loomed over the music and entertainment industries. Nora on-stage in an empty auditorium was the  perfect way to showcase this.

Second stop we traveled out west to the village of Greendale, WI, to shoot at the 1940’s themed Ferch’s Malt Shoppe. Greendale was one of three “Greenbelt” communities constructed by the Resettlement Administration, starting in 1936, as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. This community was built to demonstrate a new kind of suburban living. Housing was situated within easy walking distance of gardens, employment and the town center. In the middle of this little village lies the vintage themed diner. In the end, we were able to get some incredible indoor / outdoor shots.

To conclude, we wrapped up our 40’s themed photo shoot back in Milwaukee. Leon’s Frozen Custard is a classic drive-in that has become a Milwaukee landmark. Built in 1942, we felt this was a prefect exterior backdrop with its vintage red / white neon contrasting the night. In addition, our friends at the Harley-Davidson museum were able to locate us a 1938 Flathead. This vintage motorcycle really helped complete the pre-war vibe.