A Wave of Crime in a Troubled Time
June 27 – October 18, 2009
Chrome and Cocktails
Public Enemies Vintage Car Show
September 12 / 1-4 pm
Cruise the museum grounds to see a selection of 1920s and 30s cars used in the filming of Public Enemies, then step inside for a “cocktail” served from the exhibit’s nightclub. Come dressed in 30s garb to enter in a costume contest.
Cast and Crew Call
Public Enemies Movie Day
October 3 / 1-3:30 pm
Meet Public Enemies movie extras and set designers and take a behind the scenes look at what went into the production of the Hollywood hit. Light refreshments will be served.
Free Day for UW Oshkosh Alumni
October 17 / 10 am – 4:30 pm
Click here to print your ticket.
UW Oshkosh Homecoming: Saturday, October 17
Community Partners
Relive the mayhem of America’s public enemy era.
Hooch and rags, sourdough and choppers. Grifters and molls, g-men and gumshoes.
The nation’s out of work and caught in prohibition. Corruption is high and honest employment is low. Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Bonnie and Clyde are running the streets, and public law officials are striving to reclaim order…
History and Hollywood merge when notorious gangsters of the 1930s take over the Oshkosh Public Museum in this blockbuster exhibition. Step back in time 75 years to one of the most tumultuous economic and criminal times in America. Revisit the string of Midwest bank robberies that captivated the nation and experience the circumstances that led to the infamous crime wave. Booshwash in a snazzy 1930s nightclub, take a seat in an art deco movie theater and experience life behind bars in a dank 1930 jail cell. Learn of the rise of the FBI and structured law enforcement as the feds attempt to take down American gangsters and the booming crime wave.
Finally, relive the transformation of Wisconsin for the 2008 filming of Public Enemies. In this community-curated section, props and images of downtown, actors, extras and set design will recreate the thrill of those few days of Hollywood in Oshkosh.
It’s the Dirty 30s, and the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and spiraling crime spree have turned the nation upside down.
Welcome to the era of public enemies.
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