This year, Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel will celebrate its 125th anniversary. When this historic hotel first opened in 1893, The Pfister was billed as the “Grand Hotel of the West.” It also came with a steep bill of its own, costing more than $1 million at the time, but featuring innovative “modern” conveniences such as fireproofing, electricity throughout and individual thermostat controls in every room (the first to do so!). Designed in a Romanesque revival style, the prestigious hotel has served as a proud symbol of history and excellence in Downtown Milwaukee and is listed on Historic Hotels of America (HHA), a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The History, Art & Imagery of the Pfister Hotel written by Thomas J. Jordan, which won the International Book Awards Competition for Best Photography, features more than 200 praiseworthy images of the hotel’s lavish, ornate interiors as well as beautifully told stories of the hotel’s history, staff members and some of its most famous visitors. Award-winning photographer Jay W. Filter will share reflections on his pictorial insights in an event hosted by Historic Milwaukee, Inc. at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 7. This ticketed book talk will take place at Historic Milwaukee’s office at 235 E. Michigan St.
Book Happening
The Milwaukee Spring Children’s Book Fair, to be held at the Urban Ecology Center-Riverside Park on Saturday, May 5, has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled at a later date.
