New Glarus 360 this week received an unexpected and remarkable gift: a folder of photographs from the son of John Peterson, who visited New Glarus with his family from Chicago in August 1961. Tucked inside were dozens of images taken during stops at the Swiss Miss Textile Mart and the Swiss Miss Embroidery factory, preserving scenes that no longer exist and offering a vivid glimpse into one of New Glarus’s most distinctive businesses.

The photographs function as a true time capsule. Several exterior images show the Swiss Miss Textile Mart along Highway 69 when only the original building stood, before the second, matching structure was later added to the south. Other images move inside the store, capturing busy aisles filled with customers, racks lined with intricate lace and finely detailed fabrics, and displays that reflect the store’s reputation as a destination for seamstresses, brides, decorators and travelers drawn to New Glarus’s Swiss identity.