In a photograph taken around 1972, Robert “Robbie” Schneider stands behind the bar at the New Glarus Hotel, one hand working the beer tap while the other steadies a small glass filling with foam.

The photograph, taken by Dean Tvedt, appears to have been made in the hotel’s sunken bar. Schneider looks directly toward the camera, dressed not like an ordinary Wisconsin bartender of the era, but in an embroidered Swiss jacket decorated with edelweiss. Behind him, nearly every available inch of shelving is occupied by bottles.

Look closer and the photograph becomes a collection of small details from another New Glarus. A handwritten sign advertises a glass of pop for 10 cents and bottled pop for 15 cents. A P-Wee Peanuts display offers peanuts for a nickel. A Budweiser holder sits on the bar, Schlitz advertising can be seen in the background, and a Sunny Brook whiskey sign hangs near an old cash register.

Despite being dated to about 1972, the scene could easily be mistaken for one taken a decade or two earlier. The woodwork, cash register, handwritten prices, crowded shelves and simple bar equipment all give the room an older feel. But perhaps the most revealing detail is Schneider himself. His Swiss clothing makes clear that at the New Glarus Hotel, the community’s Swiss heritage was not simply decoration. It was part of the experience.