Historic Photo: Swiss Embroidery Factory Linked New Glarus to the World
This postcard image of Upright Swiss Embroideries on 2nd Street captures a time when New Glarus was exporting Swiss-inspired textiles nationwide, welcoming tourists and contributing to America’s wartime manufacturing effort.
For many residents, the building at 1100 2nd St. is just another piece of New Glarus history. But a vintage postcard showing the former Upright Swiss Embroideries factory reveals a fascinating chapter when the village was home to an internationally connected manufacturing business rooted in its Swiss heritage.
The image, believed to date to the late 1940s or early 1950s, shows the sprawling factory along what was then New Glarus’ main transportation corridor before Highway 69 redirected traffic away from the middle of the village. Prominently displayed on the building is the slogan “Home of the Swiss Miss,” along with advertisements for embroidered goods including lace, handkerchiefs, aprons, curtains and other Swiss-inspired textiles.
The postcard offers a glimpse into a period when New Glarus was not only preserving Swiss traditions but also turning them into a thriving business.
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