Tips for Searching

The Surprise Me button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Surprise Me page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for SOUTH AMERICAN will return records associated with South OR American). To search for a specific phrase (like a ship’s name), be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "SOUTH AMERICAN"). If you want to find records where multiple keywords are found, type in AND between the words. You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.

The Search by Term button is especially useful for finding vessels which share the name of cities or other major places. For example, searching for a vessel named MILWAUKEE under Keyword Search will also pull up every record mentioning of the city of Milwaukee! Under the Search by Term button, click a letter under the Search Terms section to browse through a list of terms. Vessel names will always be listed in all capital letters.

The Advanced Search can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category (like Place or Date) or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. Or if you already know the specific accession number of the record you want to find, you can enter it under Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are also available in Advanced Search.

The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.

Ordering Photo Reproductions

To order a copy of a photo from our collections, simply click Order Photo Reproduction in the top menu. This will redirect you to the online order form. Once the form and payment is submitted, the WMM Archives will provide the image(s) via email or digital download. Please allow up to two weeks for your order to be processed. Contact the WMM Archives with any questions by emailing archives@wisconsinmaritime.org or calling 920-684-0218 ext. 112.