Permanent Exhibitions

The cornerstone of the Oshkosh Public Museum is the historic 1908 English Tudor Revival residence of Edgar P. and Mary Jewell Sawyer designed by local architect William Waters. The interior decorations and furnishings of the home were executed by the prestigious Tiffany Studios of New York. Accents include remarkable stained glass windows, bronze grilles, light fixtures, stunning carved woodwork, and exquisite tapestry wall coverings. In addition, Tiffany orchestrated the use of a different type of distinct hardwood in each of the rooms on the first floor - African mahogany, Central American primavera, American chestnut, maple and quarter sawn oak.

One of the most recognizable and stunning Tiffany features of the Sawyer home is the iridescent landscape themed stained glass window on the landing of the grand staircase. Facing west, the sheer beauty of this one-of-a-kind Tiffany Studios masterpiece once was so eloquently enhanced by the glorious sunlight that shown through during the day, but the Steiger Wing addition in 1982 blocked the window from the natural light. In 2018, the Museum invested in a new lighting system that now provides the window with a pure, glowing, even source of light that better reveals the window's beauty.

Another remarkable Tiffany stained glass window is an archway depicting wisteria and intertwined vines that once framed the double doors leading to a sun parlor, or conservatory, extending from the Sawyer Den. The conservatory was demolished with the Steiger Wing addition. The Tiffany wisteria stained glass window was relocated to the front entrance of the Museum and today frames the entrance to a modern version of the sunroom. A print recreating the view of the conservatory and the stained glass archway in the Sawyer Den has replaced the original glasswork of the once exterior wall. Plans are underway to repair the wisteria window and return it to its rightful place in the historic Sawyer home to preserve this colorful treasure for generations to come.