Wisconsin Museum Exhibit to Chronicle Gangster Era

History and Hollywood merge for excited student tours when some of the most notorious gangsters of the 1930s take over the Oshkosh (Wis.) Public Museum in its new exhibit, The Era of Public Enemies: A Wave of Crime in a Troubled Time. The exhibit, which deftly melds historical perspective and education with entertainment and visitor interaction, opens June 27, the week before the release of the highly anticipated Public Enemies movie, and runs through Oct. 18.

The Era of Public Enemies aims to educate student tour groups on the circumstances that led to the 1933-34 crime wave and inspired the filming of Public Enemies. A background of the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and the end of Prohibition set the stage for one of the most tumultuous economic and criminal times in American history. The interactive exhibit invites visitors to revisit the string of Midwest bank robberies that captivated America and experience the conditions and circumstances that led to the infamous crime wave and allure of gangsters.

Various settings throughout the exhibit create an immersive and authentic 1930s experience. students can socialize in the Art Deco nightclub, complete with a vintage back bar from a local yacht club. In stark contrast to the nightclub, a reproduction jail cell examines life behind bars and features a 200-pound steel door from an actual jail.

Interactive devices and repeater boxes bring back the sights and sounds of the era. Students can take a seat in a movie theater and watch reels of a John Dillinger biography or pick up a 1930s telephone and listen to one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats.

Displays document the rise of the FBI and structured law enforcement as the feds attempted to take down American gangsters and the booming crime wave of the 1930s. Featured artifacts include historic items from the Oshkosh Police Department, a 1930s bullet proof vest and a collection of Junior G-Men toys.

The exhibit also explores the competitive edge that V-8 engines and powerful weaponry granted criminals. A collection of 1930s car paraphernalia and hood ornaments are on display, along with several gangster-era firearms, including a Thompson submachine gun and a Browning automatic rifle. Additionally, the exhibit features an Airsoft Tommy Gun shooting gallery where museum guests can experience the force behind firing the weapon.

Living historians will role play in the galleries and interact with student tours on select days throughout the exhibit. These actors will portray many different characters, including gangsters, FBI agents, bartenders and bank tellers.

A special community-curated section of the exhibit focuses on the 2008 filming of Public Enemies in Wisconsin. Assorted movie props, pieces of set design and a slideshow of images illustrate what went on in front of and behind the cameras during the production of the summer blockbuster. Among featured movie props is the vintage fedora worn by Johnny Depp during filming.

And students won’t go home empty handed. Along with a deeper understanding of the social, economic and criminal aspects of the time, visitors can take home a copy of the Oshkosh Public Museum’s reproduction newspaper, The Troubled Times, along with some “money” from the exhibit’s bank teller window. Museum guests also receive a complimentary copy of the Gangster Getaways tour guide and coupon booklet. This booklet explores the hangouts and haunts of gangsters throughout the state and reveals the secret deals of Wisconsin’s most notorious visitor attractions.

For more information on the exhibit and the Oshkosh Public Museum, click here.