Wright Museum Special by The Weirs Publishing Company

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

The

Wright Times

A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES

Wright Museum Marks 70th Anniversary Of The End Of The War With Special Exhibit The Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro opens Friday, May 1, for its twenty-first season. Dedicated to keeping alive the history of both the war and home fronts and their importance to the freedom that we enjoy today in this country. This year, 2015, marks the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II and the Wright Museum is commemorating that with a very special exhibit - Memories of World War II: Photographs From The Associated Press Archives – that will run from July 7th to September 12th. There will also be a variety of other special programs and lectures to celebrate, educate and inform those years of 1939-1945 that were so crucial to our history. We are proud to present this special section to give you an insight into the Wright Museum and the great programs and exhibits that await you as well as a few pieces of that history as well.

What Is The Wright Museum?

The son of a World War II veteran, founder David Wright served as a U.S. Marine during the Korean War. Since he was too young to serve, he experienced WWII on the home front growing up near Worcester, Mass. David was an avid collector of WWII vintage vehicles for many years. He eventually owned and restored over 50 vehicles, all fully operational. By 1983, he established the E. Stanley Wright Museum Foundation, Inc. in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Originally, the Museum was a mobile exhibition that David made available to communities around the Northeast for parades and military functions at venues such as the Roosevelt Museum and West Point. While his vehicle collection was - and continues to be impressive, David believed that it was imperative to tell the whole story of Americans’ contribution to the war effort. As he began to develop plans for a permanent museum, he felt it necessary to document the great achievements of Americans on the home front, since their commitment played such a crucial role in the Allied victory. In 1992 David Wright purchased an 8-acre parcel adjacent to Wolfeboro’s Smith River, the former site of the Diamond National sawmill. On July 16, 1994 the doors opened to the museum’s first visitors. Since then, nearly 300,000 people have visited the Wright Museum. Some visit out of curiosity after having seen the M3A1 Stuart tank protruding from the building’s facade. What they find inside conjures memories for visitors of a certain age. For families visiting the Wright Museum, the exhibits often spur conversations across generations, allowing parents, grandparents, and children to contemplate the achievements of the Greatest Generation.

The Wright Museum • 77 Center Street, Wolfeboro, NH • 603-569-1212 Open May 1st-Oct. 31st • Mon-Sat 10am-4pm • Sunday Noon-4pm • To Become A Member Or Make A Donation Visit www.wrightmuseum.org

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

World War II

2015 SPECIAL EXHIBIT

Become an Eyewitness to WWII July 7th - Sept. 12th This year marks the 70th anniversary of the ending of World War II. The Wright Museum is honoring this epic event by presenting a special exhibit, “Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Associated Press Archives,” from July 7 to September 12. The Associated Press sent almost 200 reporters and photographers to cover all the theaters of the war. Five of them died and seven won Pulitzer Prizes for their remarkable photos, including the flag raising on Iwo Jima. The exhibit will display 120 photographs – some iconic and others seldom seen – that the photographers took and transmitted over the AP wires for publication in newspapers. The photographs cover both the home front and the warfront in the various theaters and give a round-

ed picture of the war, from beginning to end. You can follow the war as the photographers followed it, one photograph at a time, year by year. You can become an eyewitness to this war that changed the world – to the attack on Pearl Harbor and to American and British soldiers hitting the beaches on Dday; to the five Marines and the single Navy corpsman raising the flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima; to a woman crying over the body of her sister who was killed by German soldiers while she was harvesting potatoes; to SS troops herding the Jewish

survivors of the 1943 uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto; and to many other incidents that made up the war. “Memories of World War II” is a powerful must-see exhibit that will give you a better understanding of the war. The Wright Museum is the only venue in New England that will host this exhibit in 2015. So don’t miss this unique opportunity to view World War II through the eyes of many of the best photographers of the era. We are grateful to the Associated Press for sharing the exhibit with us. “Memories of World War II” is generously cosponsored by the Meredith Village Savings Bank Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation; BJS Communications; Poulos Insurance, Inc.; and The Weirs Publishing Company.

World War II was the mightiest struggle humankind has ever seen. It killed more people, cost more money, damaged more property, affected more people, and caused more far-reaching changes in nearly every country than any other war in history. The number of people killed, wounded, or missing between September 1939 and September 1945 can never be calculated, but it is estimated that more than 55 million people perished. More than 50 countries took part in the war, and the whole world felt its effects. Men fought in almost every part of the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Chief battlegrounds included Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. The United States hoped to stay out of WW II. Drawing on its experience from World War I, Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts between 1935 and 1939, which were intended to prevent Americans becoming entangled with belligerents. However, while Americans in general did not want to fight in another war, they were definitely not neutral in their sympathies, and were more supportive of the Allies than the Axis. War officially began on September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. Germany then crushed six countries in three months — Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and France — and proceeded to conquer Yugoslavia and Greece. Japan’s plans for expansion in the Far East led it to attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941, bringing the United States into the war. By early 1942, all major countries of the world were involved in the most destructive war in history. World War II would go down in the history books as bringing about the downfall of Western Europe as the center of world power, leading to the rise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), setting up conditions leading to the Cold War, and opening up the nuclear age.

World War II Statics

2,194 days between the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, through September 2, 1945, when Japan signed the unconditional surrender. 16 Million Americans served during the war. 405,000 Approximate number of American military

deaths.

1,203 Military deaths - New Hampshire. Over 73,000 Americans are classified

in action.

as missing

671,000 Est. number of American military wounded. 130,000 Est. number of American military POWs. 16 months average time spent overseas by

American servicemen.

61 countries involved in WWII. 72 million deaths sustained worldwide. Approxi-

mately 6 million people were killed in Nazi concentration camps.

840,000 Est. number of WWII Veterans are alive today; it is estimated that 500 of these Veterans die each day.

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

Gold Star Mothers (For additional information visit the Museum’s 1944 Room in the Time Tunnel)

2015 SPECIAL EXHIBIT

Quilters of World War II May 1st - June 24th The Wright Museum is opening its 21st year with a special exhibit, “Quilts of World War II,” from May 1 to June 24. The exhibit will focus on the important role quilters and quilts played in supporting the war effort, building morale, raising funds for the war effort, and reinforcing wartime restraints. The twenty-one quilts selected for the exhibit come from the personal collection of well known quilter and quilt historian Sue Reich. On May 5, from 7-8 p.m., Reich will give a lecture at the Museum about World War II-era quilts and their significance. During the run of the exhibit, members of the Ladies of the Lakes Quilters Guild will be creating quilts at the Museum every Friday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. With their husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers away fighting overseas, American woman had to do much more than maintain their homes and families. They had to work in the defense industries to build the weapons and materials needed at the warfront. They also had to perform the everyday jobs formerly held by the men to keep the country functioning. To help the wom-

en cope with the stress of war, the American Red Cross and women’s organizations across the country offered sewing and quilting classes. Quilting swept across America, reviving a once-popular tradition. In 1943, a newspaper article remarked that “the quilting bees of grandmother’s day are returning to popularity.” World War II quilts fall into four categories: supporting the war effort, building morale, raising funds for the war effort, and reinforcing wartime strictures. Examples include Remember Pearl Harbor quilt, Victory quilts, patchwork quilts that were sold or auctioned off to raise funds

for the war, and quilts with expressions such as “QUIET PLEASE Night Shift War Worker Sleeping THANK YOU” Members of The Lakes Quilters’ Guild will be creating quilts at the Wright Museum each Friday from 1:30-3:30 during the run of the exhibition. Visitors are invited to watch and speak to the quilters as they work, Every year Guild members donate hundreds of lovingly handmade quilts to various children’s causes and to families that have suffered tragic losses. The Wright Museum is grateful to the Guild members for sharing their talents with us all.

Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women. This was a people’s war and everyone was in it. Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. Albert Einstein More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars. Franklin D. Roosevelt We must earn the peace we seek just as we earned victory in the war, not by wishful thinking but by realistic effort. Harry Truman

During World War I, American Women who had family members serving their country wore a blue star around their left arm. As this conflict progressed and the number of dead escalated, mothers wanted to express their loss, as well as the pride and honor they felt for their country. A suggestion of sewing a gold star over the blue star was made by The Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense. This group presented the idea to President Woodrow Wilson and the practice was adopted in 1918. On June 4, 1928, twenty-five mothers in Washington D. C. banded together to form a non-profit organization designated as the American Gold Star Mothers. This group espoused all religious faiths and political beliefs and by January 5, 1929, they incorporated. Eventually each state would organize their own chapters and affiliate with the members from Washington. The organization purchased a building on May 7, 1954, near the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. This structure houses the National Headquarters for the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. located at 2128 Leroy Place N.W., Washington D.C. This facility contains the records and information for the club, and its records of deceased soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam War and now the Iraq War. On June 12, 1984, The American Gold Star Mothers received their charter with the adoption of the following goals: a) Keep alive and develop the spirit that promoted world services; b) Maintain the ties of fellowship born of that service, and to assist and further all patriotic work; c) Inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, State, and Nation; d) Assist veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and other strategic areas and their dependents in the presentation of claims to the Veterans’ Administration, and to aid in any way in their power the men and women who served and died or were wounded or incapacitated during hostilities; e) Perpetuate the memory of those whose lives were sacrificed in our wars; f) Maintain true allegiance to the United States of America; g) Inculcate lessons of patriotism and love of country in the communities in which we live; h) Inspire respect for the Stars and Stripes in the youth of America; i) Extend needful assistance to all Gold Star Mothers and, when possible, to their descendents; and j) To promote peace and good will for the United States and all other Nations. Today, the club members carry out the goals of their charter by helping veterans and their dependants with VA claims, volunteering in VA Medical Centers, as well as working to preserve the memory of the deceased. The hard work and dedication that these women have performed through the years, was finally recognized by the President and Congress on September 25, 1994, when they designated the last Sunday of September as the American Gold Star Mother’s Day.

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

The Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney 2015 Education Program Schedule - May 5 - October 20 Out with the old – in with the new! We have eliminated the winter “Cabin Fever” lectures and enhanced them with a single, new education program that runs from May through October. The new program consists of 26 educational lectures, films, and other events. We are grateful to Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney for generously supporting our educational mission. Their sponsorship made this exciting and varied 2015 education program schedule possible. Admission is $8.00 per person for non-members and free for Wright Museum members, unless otherwise noted. Because of limited seating, we strongly encourage you to make reservations by calling 603-569-1212. All programs begin at 7p.m., unless otherwise noted. The museum’s doors open 1 hour before the program begins. Please check our website; www.wrightmuseum.org, for cancellations because of unforeseen circumstances.

Tuesday, May 5 at 7pm

Quilts of World War II – Lecture and Book Signing by Sue Reich **** See story on page 2. Tuesday, May 12 at 7pm The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican: The Wartime Exploits of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty – Presented by Dan Schroeder During the French Revolution, the Scarlet Pimpernel was an unassuming nobleman by day and a colorful action figure by night, rescuing people sentenced to death by the guillotine. The Vatican had its own Scarlet Pimpernel during World War II in the person of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish Catholic priest who worked at the Vatican. From 1943-1944, he also was one of the most wanted men in Rome. Monsignor O’Flaherty used his status as a priest and the safety of the Vatican to rescue some 4000 allied P.O.W.s and an untold number of Jews and other refugees from the Nazis. Join Wright Museum volunteer Dan Schroeder as he tells the WWII story of Monsignor O’Flaherty. Dan Schroeder has been a volunteer at the Wright Museum since 2008. He has been instrumental in the success of the Museum’s “Traveling Trunk” program. Dan’s interest in WWII resulted from his family’s history of military service extending back to WWI. He also has a son who is currently in the military.

Tuesday, May 19 at 7pm

Rise of the Nazis in Germany – Lecture by Tom White Tom White discusses the rise of the Nazis within German society and places it within the greater context of general European democratic collapse. The accession to political power through manipulation of law and political violence will also be explored. Tom White is the Coordinator of Educational Outreach for the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College. He served on the Diocese of Manchester’s Diocesan Ecumenical Commission for Interfaith relations. He is the co-chair of the Cohen Center’s annual Kristallnacht Remembrance and

serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Holocaust organizations. In 2009, he received the National Education Association-New Hampshire’s Champion of Human and Civil Rights Award.

Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm

One-Woman Play: Meet Eleanor Roosevelt – Presented by Elena Dodd First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was a leader and a revolutionary who championed the powerless. And she still lives – in the person of Elena Dodd. Dodd’s performance as Mrs. Roosevelt provides an intimate and informative depiction of the extraordinary life of an extraordinary woman. She gives a frank and often humorous look at the struggles and personal fulfillment of a shy young woman who changed herself into a strong voice for social justice and universal human rights and who also witnessed the tumultuous events of her day. Elena Dodd is an actress and writer with the Streetfeet Women of Boston, an organization she co-founded in 1975. Dodd has performed numerous roles in experimental groups in Boston. She graduated from Wellesley College and has an M.A. from Boston University. Admission free as part of the NH Humanities Council Humanities to Go Program

Tuesday, June 2 at 7pm

Maine Boy Goes to War – Lecture and Book Signing by Author Paul Marshall Paul Marshall is a retired United Methodist Minister who grew up in the woods of northern Maine, living in a one-room tarpaper shack. His world changed dramatically when he was drafted and served as a combat medic during WW II. In Europe he saw images of death and destruction that would haunt him forever. Two decades after the war, Marshall was given a chance of a lifetime to turn the tide of destruction into hope. In 1964 Marshall and his family moved to Truk, an island lagoon in the South Pacific, where he built and ran a school for future Micronesian

leaders. On the island he saw how the same super powers that brought about World War II had also dominated and oppressed the people of Micronesia. So he set out to make a difference in their lives by encouraging their autonomy and freedom through the power of love and family. Reverend Marshall’s book will be for sale at the lecture.

Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm

The Rockin’ Daddios Rockin’ Daddios is a 4-man acappella group that performs Doo Wop and more. They sing music from the 40s, including “Old Shanty Town,” “Downtown Strutters Ball,” and “It`s a Sin to Tell a Lie”` as well as many songs from the 50s and 60s. With the accent on fun, the Rockin’ Daddios will tell stories about the groups that performed the songs and sing the original versions of the songs. They also will share some period trivia, commercial jingles, and TV theme songs.

Tuesday, June 16 at 7pm

World War II Motorcycles – Lecture by Mike Hashem Mike Hashem will talk about the brands of motorcycles produced during World War II. He will explain how they were used during the war and why they were slowly fazed-out because of the creation and production of the Jeep. Hashem also will demonstrate the full operation of the Harley WLA motorcycle, which is in Wright Museum’s collection. All of the other motorcycles in the museum’s collection will be on display for the program. Mike Hashem is a Wright Museum Board Member and has collected and restored antique motorcycles for over 45 years.

Tuesday, June 23 at 7pm

A World War II Hero of Conscience: The Sousa Mendes Story – Presented by Douglas Wheeler Until recently, one of the greatest rescuers and heroes of conscience of World War II remained unknown. In 1940, Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885-1954) was Portugal’s Consul at Bordeaux, France, when thousands of desperate refugees fled the German army’s invasion. By signing thousands of visas which allowed refugees, including many Jews, to escape France and reach neutral Spain and Portugal, Sousa Mendes saved countless lives. But he also destroyed his career as a diplomat and threw his family into poverty and exile. Saving many more Jews than Oskar Schindler, Sousa Mendes was not honored until 1967 when Israel declared him a “Righteous Gentile,” and “Righteous Among the Nations.” Douglas Wheeler shares the story of the difficult rehabilitation of this extraordinary humanitarian, which began only in the 1980s, and will discuss the reasons for Sousa Mendes’ ordeal. This program is free as part of

the NH Humanities Council Humanities To Go Program.

Tuesday, June 30 6:30 -8:00pm

The American Schindler, Varian Fry – Lecture by Rev. Dr. Virginia Jones-Newton While Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg are familiar names associated with the Holocaust, most Americans have never heard of Varian Fry. Yet Fry helped rescue 1,500 people. Among those saved were some of the most revered intellectuals, artists, writers, and political dissidents of the 20th century, including Hannah Arendt, Marc Chagall, Andre Breton, Max Ernst, Thomas Mann, and Jacque Lipschitz. During most of his lifetime, Varian Fry was truly the forgotten “American Schindler.” Dr. Jones-Newton is a retired United Methodist Minister who pastured churches in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for twenty-eight years, retiring to Sandwich, NH, in 2009. JonesNewton has a Doctorate from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. While at the Seminary, she studied in Poland. She learned more about the Holocaust by visiting the Warsaw Ghetto and four of the death camps: Treblinka, Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Plaszow. In May of 2014, she went to Eastern Germany and visited the Buchenwald Concentration camp.

Wednesday, July 1 at 1pm

Concert by the 39TH Army Woodwind Band The 39th Army Woodwind Band’s 2014 concert was so popular that we have asked them back again. And they are sure to present another outstanding performance of inspiring and entertaining music. The concert will last one hour. This concert is free with Museum admission

Tuesday, July 14 at 7pm

Harpsichord Recital by Peter Sykes Peter Sykes is one of the most renowned and versatile keyboard artists performing today. In 2011, he received the St. Botolph Club Foundation’s Distinguished Artist Award. The award characterized him as “one of the major musical intellects and imaginations of our time.” Sykes is Associate Professor of Music at Boston University. In 2014, he joined the faculty at Juilliard School of Music in NYC as its principal instructor of harpsichord. His recordings include works by J.S. Bach, Holst, Couperin, and Rameau. Sykes is heard frequently on the nationally syndicated radio program “Pipedreams.” Members $12.00; non-members $15.00.

Tuesday, July 21 at 7pm

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms and the World War II

Era – Lecture by Tom Daly In this illustrated talk, which he created specifically for the Wright Museum of World War II, Tom Daly will take a closer look at well known images created by Norman Rockwell. Many of Rockwell’s pictures relate to the home front and show how the war affected the people he depicted. Daly will focus on the “Four Freedoms,” which Rockwell painted in the early 1940s, and will explain how the idea of the “Four Freedoms” shaped our culture. He also will tell stories about these four iconic works of art. Thomas Daly is the Curator of Education for The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The museum is located in the town where Norman Rockwell lived for the last 25 years of his life. During his seventeen-plus years with the Norman Rockwell Museum, Daly has taken on a number of roles, all of them adding to his knowledge of America’s favorite illustrator. The programs he has created have served tens of thousands of visitors and he has traveled to many parts of the country to lecture about Rockwell’s works.

Tuesday, July 28 at 7pm

The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects and Other Audacious Fakery – Lecture and book signing by author Rick Beyer This brand new book by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles tells the fascinating story of this top secret unit, which was called the “Ghost Army.” In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young G.I.s landed in France to conduct a secret mission. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound-effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. Tom Brokaw said of the book: “The Ghost Army of World War II describes a perfect example of a little-known, highly imaginative, and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale.” After his lecture, Beyer will autograph copies of his book.

Tuesday, August 4 at 7pm

Last Shots for Patton’s Third Army – Lecture and Book Signing by author Robert Fuller Robert Fuller has identified the individuals who fired the last shots for every unit in the 3rd Army in the closing days of World War II and the circumstances under which those shots were fired. Fuller also provides a comprehensive history of the 3rd Army from its inception during World War I. He includes a brief overview of General Patton’s career, adding a very interesting and revealing segment in which Patton

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES explains in some detail how he expects each type of unit to fight and how these various units will integrate their efforts. The book is filled with anecdotal and factual events related right down to the platoon and squad level, with individual soldiers’ stories told in their own words. Fuller’s book will be a “must read” for anyone interested in the 3rd Army or in the soldiers who served on the ground during WWII and also for people generally interested in WW II. Robert P. Fuller has been interested in military history for many years. He holds B.S. (Education.) and M.S. (Education) degrees from the University of Maine.

Wednesday, August 5 & Thursday, August 6 10:30am -5pm

The 2nd Annual Wright Museum Film Festival Hollywood Films of World War II – Introduced by Michael Culver Wright executive director Mike Culver has selected a diverse group of World War II-era Hollywood films for your enjoyment. The movies will be shown in succession, with a 15 minute intermission in between. On August 5th, the films will be: The Great Dictator, with Charlie Chaplin; To Be Or Not To Be, by Ernst Lubitsch; and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon. On August 6th, the films will be Lifeboat, by Alfred Hitchcock; To Have And Have Not, by Howard Hawks, and The Best Years of Our Lives, by William Wyler. Mike Culver holds a degree in interdisciplinary studies, and has taught university courses on film, art, and literature. The film festival is free with paid admission to the museum.

Tuesday, August 11 at 7pm

The Homefront: Songs & Stories from World War II – Performed by Judith Black Judith Black uses World War II-era songs to weave together the story of Eta Bedowsky, a young woman who marries her highschool sweetheart during the early years of the World War II. Bedowsky’s story was commissioned by the US Department of the Interior to commemorate the work of the women who built the M1 Garand rifle at the Springfield Armory to supply the troops for D-Day. Black’s songs offer audiences a slice of life that is often overshadowed by fighting at the war fronts. But without the weapons, machinery, and ammunition produced by a workforce composed primarily of women, the war could not have been won. The songs that make up Eta Bedowsky’s story awaken a world not far behind us and one we still have much to learn about. Members $12.00; non-members $15.00.

Tuesday, August 18 at 7pm

Music of WWII – Musical Presentation by Ramblin’ Richard 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the deadliest war in human history. To commemorate the anniversary, Ramblin’ Richard will present some of the most beloved songs that were popular during the war years. Songs like “Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover,” “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” and “Harbor Lights.” He also will present some of the most important songs from 1945, the year the war ended, including “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate thePositive” and “Sentimental Journey.” Richard not only plays and sings the songs, accompanying himself on guitar, 5-string banjo, and baritone ukulele, but tells fascinating and unfamiliar stories about the songs as well. A member of the New England Foundation for the Arts, Richard is a retired professor who studied Gospel and American folk music. He is an active musician who makes more than 200 performances each year.

Tuesday, August 25 at 7pm

The Story of a Five-YearOld Holocaust Survivor – Kati Preston Meet seventy-five-year-old Kati Preston, a child survivor of the holocaust who was hidden in an attic by a heroic peasant woman. Preston will discuss how her whole Jewish family was exterminated and how, when she was five years old, the Hungarian Nazis hunted her with bayonets in the hayloft where she was hidden. Her talk is not about being a victim, which she is not. It is about being a survivor, which she is. Kati delivers a message of love and hope for a better future. Kati Preston speaks at many venues – schools, colleges, churches – pretty much anywhere where people are willing to listen. She feels that her presentations make a difference, however small.

Tuesday, September 1 at 7pm

“The Changing Fortunes of War . . . “ – Lecture on FDR by Jeff Urbin On December 9, 1941, President Roosevelt used one of his famous Fireside Chats to announce to a stunned nation that America was at war. Although in hindsight Allied victory may seem to have been assured, the ultimate outcome of the Second World War was far from certain. In his talk, Jeff Urban will highlight the roles played by President and Mrs. Roosevelt in leading the nation to victory through the uncertain course of the war in Europe, the Pacific, and here at home. Jeffrey Urbin is the Education Specialist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, and is responsible for all the

Library’s education offerings from the second grade to elder hostel programs. He is also head of the Pare Lorentz Film Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library. Urban holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science, and taught history and government for public and private colleges before joining the National Archives and Records Administration at the Roosevelt Presidential Library.

present. This lecture is a great opportunity for you to see not only the firearms but to understand the constantly changing weapons technology over the last 250 years. Randall Cook is a member of the Wright Museum’s Board of Directors. He also volunteers as part of “The Wright Mechanics,” the indispensable team that keep the vehicles in the Museum’s collection operating.

Tuesday, September 8 6:30-8pm

Tuesday, September 29 at 7pm

Comics go to War: Cartoons, Superheroes, and Graphic Culture in the World War II – Lecture by Marek Bennett Join New Hampshire cartoonist and educator Marek Bennett in this exciting survey of the various comics cultures of the 1930s and 1940s. He will explain how the various models of graphic texts inform and reflect the experiences of participants in all corners of the globe. In addition, he will describe how wartime graphic literature helped form the basis for the post-war youth movements, McCarthy era political censorship campaigns, and the visual multimedia cultures of today. Marek Bennett teaches comics and music around New England and the world beyond. He holds B.A. degrees in Mathematics and Music, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (K-8). He also is a registered teaching artist with the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (Arts In Education and Community Arts rosters), Children’s Literacy Foundation, and Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, among others.

Tuesday, September 15 6:30-8pm

Popular Music During WWII: Using Propaganda to Boost Morale – Presented by Calvin Knickerbocker World War II brought about a government-sponsored drive to unify the country and increase the morale of civilians on the home front and of soldiers, sailors, and marines abroad. Over 2,000 songs relating to the war and home front efforts were written with these two goals in mind. Using thirty-five recording excerpts – some well-known and others obscure – Knickerbocker will explore the historical era and the changes this governmentsponsored music wrought in American culture. Admission free as part of the NH Humanities Council Humanities to Go Program

Tuesday, September 22 6:30-8pm

The History of American Long Arms from the Revolution to Vietnam – Lecture by Randy Cook Join firearms historian and collector Randall Cook as he talks about the evolution of long arms in American history. Cook will have examples of these firearms

American Art of the 1930s and 1940s – Lecture by Michael Culver Mike Culver examines American art of the 1930s and 40s, focusing on the styles and artists who were instrumental in shaping the direction of American art history. Culver has taught art history and humanities in both the secondary and college levels. His writings on art and literature have been published in both the U.S. and in England. Culver served as director and curator at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and at the Naples Museum of Art. He is also an artist whose works are displayed in numerous private and public collections.

Tuesday, October 6 at 7pm

Genealogy and World War II – Lecture by Aimee Fogg Author Aimee Gagnon Fogg of New Hampshire began a search for her uncle, who was killed during WWII in Germany. The search took her to the Henri-Chapelle American military cemetery in Belgium. Her extensive research eventually led her to write The Granite Men of Henri-Chapelle, which tells the stories of all of New Hampshire’s men who rest in that cemetery. Twenty-five Vermont soldiers are buried in Henri-Chapelle as well. Fogg subsequently collected their personal stories and published them in her newly released book, The Green Mountain Boys of HenriChapelle. Aimee Gagnon Fogg holds a B.A. in Psychology and History. She is the 2013 recipient of the New Hampshire Chapter of the DAR Women in American History award for her work concerning Henri-Chapelle. Fogg was recently appointed New Hampshire Coordinator for the Poland Jewish Cemetery Restoration Project and also is involved with various Jewish cemetery restoration projects and mass grave memorials throughout Eastern Europe. She is the author of The Wind Wails and There Exists a Fence.

Tuesday, October 13 at 7pm

World Wars I and II Banjo – Presented by Mike Hashem and Jamie Bryce Join Mike Hashem and Jamie Bryce as they talk about and perform popular songs of World

Wars I and II. Hashem and Bryce are nationally known musicians. Mike Hashem has played throughout the U.S. and up and down on the Mississippi River aboard the Mississippi Queen Steamboat. In 1985, he was the U.S. Open Banjo Champion. Mike also is a member of the Wright Museum Board of Directors. Jamie Bryce was a long-time member of the famous “Your Father’s Moustache Band.” For many years, he travelled throughout the U.S. with the band, which recently performed a reunion at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Tuesday, October 20 at 7pm

Victory Garden in World War II and Today – Lecture by Christin Kaiser and Lisa Simpson Lutts During World War II, building and maintaining a Victory Garden was everyone’s patriotic duty. Join Christin Kaiser and Lisa Simpson Lutts to learn all about Victory Gardens. Lisa Simpson Lutts will talk about the Victory Garden phenomenon that swept across the nation. World War II was a time when urban and rural families raised their own vegetables and fruit. These gardens were morale boosters, but also freed up canned vegetables and fruits to feed the troops and our allies abroad. Lutts will recount how housewives preserved their food with canning, drying, and freezing. Using this history as a springboard, Christin Kaiser will explain how raising their own quality vegetables today can lead people to become more food independent. Kaiser also will talk about crops that can be raised here in the Lakes Region, soil maintenance, and various types of food preservation. Following the lecture, Lutts and Kaiser will have canned and dried food for you to sample, will chat with you about period recipes, and have handouts about garden preparation and a list of seed houses that deal with short-season crops. Christin is a University of New Hampshire Coop Extension Master Gardener and one of a handful of Americans trained and Certified in Permaculture Design by David Holmgren, co-founder of the worldwide Permaculture movement. She also owns Wolfeboro’s Dunneden Edible Landscape and Designs. Lisa Simpson Lutts, a food historian and Director of the New Hampshire Boat Museum, has researched cooking during the World War II. The 2015 Education Programs are made possible by the generous sponsorship of Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

2015 SPECIAL EXHIBIT

Unsung WW II Soldier and Artist Receives Recognition Charles J. Miller is the exception to that rule. He was just a common G.I. with a penchant to draw, but no official assignment as a combat artist. He taught himself to draw in spite of his parents’ opposition and quit school after the sixth grade to help his family in the Nashua, New Hampshire

The Wright Museum is closing the season with a special exhibit, “The World War II Art of Private Charles J. Miller,” from September 19 to October 31. The exhibit displays the seldom-seen sketches by self-taught artist Charles J. Miller. These works provide an unfiltered look at the everyday life of G.I.s who

fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Because Miller also wrote descriptions of what he portrayed on most of his sketches, his works are historical documents as well as art. The forty-three sketches in the exhibit represent a fraction of the 700 works Miller created during his time in the Pacific. During World War II, the U.S. government sent over 100 official combat artists to thirteen theaters of war. Their purpose was

not to objectively record a single moment of war, but to record the human dimensions of it. Some of the artists traveled with military outfits and only painted and sketched. Others enlisted or were drafted into the military shortly before or after Pearl Harbor and fought side-by-side with the men whose exploits they depicted. One thing all the artists had in common was that they were professionally trained.

cotton mills during the Depression. He never considered himself an artist, but “just a guy with a hobby.” He always drew a distinction between “real” artists and himself. He called his scenes descriptive, saying, “You see what I saw.” And he never sold a single drawing. Miller also spent ten years in the army (1925-35) before being drafted in 1942. After serving in the Pacific Theater, he was discharged in October, 1945, and lived the remainder of his life in Nashua, New Hampshire. Charles J. Miller was a remarkable artist who created an important set of primary sources for anyone who wants to learn more about the human side of World War II. This exhibit is generously sponsored in part by The Art Place, Wolfeboro.

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

THE G.I. BILL

(For additional information, visit the 1944 room in the Time Tunnel)

The men who joined the military as teenagers came home after the war as adults. Many had been places and seen things beyond what they ever could have imagined. The nation wanted to thank them for their service. One way Congress decided to do that became known as the G.I. Bill of Rights. The official title was the “Servicemen’s Readjustment Act” and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it in 1944, even before the war ended. The law gave the following benefits to U.S. soldiers coming home from World War II: • education and training opportunities • loan guarantees for a home, farm, or business • job-finding assistance • unemployment pay of $20 per week for up to 52 weeks if the veteran couldn’t find a job • priority for building materials for Veterans Administration Hospitals. For most, the educational opportunities were the most important part of the law. WWII veterans were entitled to one year of full-time training plus time equal to their military service, up to 48 months. The Veterans Administration paid the university, trade school, or employer up to $500 per year for tuition, books, fees and other training costs. Veterans also received a small living allowance while they were in school. Thousands of veterans used the GI Bill to go to school. Veterans made up 49 percent of U.S. college enrollment in 1947. Nationally, 7.8 million veterans trained at colleges, trade schools and in business and agriculture training programs. Later, the law was changed, in 1952, to help veterans of the Korean War and, in 1966, veterans of the Vietnam War. Although the program ended in 1989, there are similar government programs to help today’s military personnel pay for educational expenses and buy a home. Because of the prevailing social climate that existed in the United States after World War II, one in which racism was a factor, African Americans did not benefit from the provisions of the G. I. Bill nearly as much as their European American counterparts. The G. I. Bill did provide a more level playing field, and greatly expanded the population of African Americans attending college and graduate school. It required predominantly white colleges to allow a larger number of blacks to enroll, contributed to a more diverse curriculum at many historically black colleges and universities, and helped provide a foundation for the gradual growth of the black middle class. Not only did the G.I. Bill provide the foundation for the black middle class, it educated the generation of African Americans who would help spearhead the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Current U.S. Representative from N.Y. Charles Rangel said, “I went to college and law school with the help of the GI Bill. That experience moved me so much, I dedicated the rest of my life to serving this great country and helping others succeed.”

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

2015 SPECIAL CONCERT

The Manhattan Dolls to Perform Benefit Concert

Get ready to hop aboard the “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and swing to the music of the nationally known Manhattan Dolls. The Dolls will put you “In the Mood” when they perform a fundraising concert for the Wright Museum on July 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The concert will be held in Anderson Hall, located at 205 South Main Street on the Brewster Academy campus. (Limited parking is available and additional parking is within walking distance.) The Dolls are a trio who sing in the style of the 1940s’ Andrews Sisters. Their repertoire contains many of the most iconic tunes from that World War II-era sister act, including “Begin the Be-guine,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” “Bei mir bist du Schön,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” “I’ll Be Seeing

You,” “I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo,” “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” “In the Mood,” and many others. From Boogie Woogie to the Blues, The Manhattan Dolls celebrate the best the Great American Songbook has to offer. A general admission ticket for the Museum fundraiser is $35. If you buy a block of 10 or more tickets,

the cost is $30 per ticket. You can purchase your tickets online via Eventbrite, in person at the museum, or on the day of the event at the door. Seating is limited, so get your tickets now. The concert is made available in party by Eastern Propane & Oil

2015 SPECIAL EVENT

Annual Family Day

Our annual Family Day will take place on Sunday, July 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have been to it before, you know that this is one of our most popular events for both young and old alike. As usual, Family Day offers plenty of fun activities for everyone. You can ride around Wolfeboro in our World War II-era vehicles. Children of all ages can have their faces painted; play games and win prizes; watch magic shows; have “Mo” the balloon artist twist balloons into all sorts of shapes for them; have an artist sketch caricatures of them; listen to live music by the New England Country Boys; and watch two live animal shows, “Aquatic Critters” and “New Hampshire Wildlife,” presented by staff from the Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

The Baby Boom

Almost exactly nine months after World War II ended, “the cry of the baby was heard across the land,” as historian Landon Jones later described the trend. 3.4 million babies were born in 1946, more than ever before. That equates to 9,345.2 babies per day; 389.38 babies per hour; and 6.49 babies per minute. This was 20 percent more than in 1945. This was the beginning of the so-called “baby boom.” In 1947, another 3.8 million babies were born; 3.9 million were born in 1952; and more than 4 million were born every year from 1954 until 1964, when the boom finally tapered off. By then, there were 76.4 million “baby boomers” in the United States. They made up almost 40 percent of the nation’s population. What explains this baby boom? Some historians have argued that it was a part of a desire for normalcy after 16 years of depression and war. Others have argued that it was a part of a Cold War campaign to fight communism by outnumbering communists. Most likely, however, the postwar baby boom happened for more practical reasons. Older Americans, who had postponed marriage and childbirth during the Great Depression and World War II, were joined in the nation’s maternity wards by young adults who were eager to start families. (In 1940, the average American woman got married when she was almost 22 years old; in 1956, the average American woman got married when she was just 20. And just 8 percent of married women in the 1940s opted not to have children, compared to 15 percent in the 1930s.) Many people in the postwar era looked forward to having children because they were confident that the future would be one of comfort and prosperity. In many ways, they were right: Corporations grew larger and more profitable, labor unions promised generous wages and benefits to their members, and consumer goods were more plentiful and affordable than ever before. As a result, many Americans felt certain that they could give their families all the material things that they themselves had done without.

Cost Of Fashion

You can talk to military and civilian World War II re-enactors about their roles on the warfront and on the home front. And you can tour the Museum and learn how American men, women, and children lived during the war years and what they did to support the war effort. For an added treat, you can view the museum’s special exhibit, “Memories of World War II.” The exhibit displays 120 incredible

photographs taken by Associated Press photographers during the war. You can park in the Wolfeboro Municipal Parking Lot, just a short walk down the Bridge Fall Path. Adults $12; children 5-17 $10; Museum members $9. Food will be available to purchase. Family Day is generously co-sponsored by The Wolfeboro Trolley Company and Doran Independent Insurance

Simulated Leather Handbags $2.98 California 1944 Men’s Sweat Shirt $1.14 South Carolina 1945 Men’s Gaberdine Slacks $4.95 Ohio 1945 Ladies Manicure $1.00 California 1945 Men’s heavy duty Work Shoes $3.95 Wisconsin 1946 Men’s and Ladies House Slippers 95 cents Wisconsin 1946 Cap & mitten sets, $1.48 New Jersey 1946 Men’s shirt, $3.70 New Jersey 1946 Men’s slippers, $1.98 New Jersey 1946 Women’s skirt, wool $5.40 New Jersey 1946 Woman’s suit, wool $21.00 New Jersey 1946 Nylon Hose $1.65 New York 1947 Ladies Sandal $6.95 New York 1948 Girls Blouses $2.95 Wisconsin 1948 Ladies Bra From $1.25 Wisconsin 1948 Ladies Gloves $1.99 Wisconsin 1948

2015 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

2015 SPECIAL EVENT

3rd Annual Antique Automobile & Motorcycle Show

Our 3rd Annual “Cruise In to the Wright Antique Automobile and Motorcycle Show” will be held on Saturday, August 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine). One hundred vehicles registered for last year’s show and we expect to match that number this year. The show will feature live music, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., performed by the award-winning New Hampshire doo-wop group “The Bel Airs.” Food will be available to pur-

chase. Remember, only the first 100 vehicles will be allowed into the show. This year you can easily register your vehicle online at www.wrightmuseum. org. You also can contact us by e-mailing Donna Hamill at donna.hamill@ wrightmuseum.org or by calling her at 603-5691212. There is a non-refundable $10 registration fee for each vehicle. Autos and motorcycles must be at least 25 years old and

be in authentic condition. Sorry – no hot rods and customized vehicles are allowed. Regular museum admission admits you to both the Car Show and to the Wright Museum. (We are part of the Blue Star program which gives free admission to all active duty military when they show their ID.) The Antique Automobile and Motorcycle Show is generously sponsored in part by Edward Jones®, Wolfeboro

2015 SPECIAL EVENTS

Memorial Benches and Bricks

The Museum also continues its long-running Memorial Brick program in which a bronze plaque is placed on the Wright Museum’s wall of honor that encircles the entry courtyard. Hundreds of individuals, military units, and civilian organizations have been commemorated with memorial bricks. You can “buy” your own memorial brick for a tax-deductible contribution of just $100. For additional information about the Memorial Benches and the Memorial Brick program, please contact Donna or Mike at 603-569-1212.

Free Admission With Museum Day Live! Ticket

Once again the Wright Museum is participating in the Smithsonian Museum Day Live! program on Saturday, September 26, 2015. On that day we will be one of 1400 museums around the country that give free admission to visitors who have Museum Day Live! tickets. To learn more about Museum Day Live! and to see a list of participating museums, visit http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday. And in case you want to see the New Hampshire Boat Museum, they are participating, too.

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

The Official End Of World War II On October 24, 1951, President Harry Truman finally proclaimed that the nation’s war with Germany, begun in 1941, was officially over. Fighting had ended in the spring of 1945. Most Americans assumed that the war with Germany had ended with the cessation of hostilities six years earlier. In fact, a treaty with Germany had not been signed. Complicating the treaty process was the status of territory within what was formerly the German state. Following the Second World War, the major Western powers (U.S., Britain and France) and the Soviets agreed to divide the country, including the capital city of Berlin, into democratic and communist-controlled sectors. Both East and West Berlin ended up within the Soviet-controlled territory of East Germany and the capital became the epicenter of increasing tensions between the West and Soviet Russia. Each side claimed the other had violated post-war treaties regarding their respective spheres of influence in post-war Europe. The conflict over Berlin came to a head in June 1948 when Stalin ordered a blockade of the city. Truman did not want to abandon Berlin to the Soviets and ordered an airlift to supply the western sectors with food and fuel. The treaty process was put on hold until the Western powers could agree on what to do about Berlin. A Soviet atomic weapons test on October 3, 1951, increased the tension. In his proclamation, Truman stated that it had always been America’s hope to create a treaty of peace with the government of a united and free Germany, but that Soviet policy had “made it impossible.” The official end to the war came 10 years and two months after Congress had declared open war with Nazi Germany on December 11, 1941.

Wright Museum Participates in Blue Star Program

To Honor our active-duty military personnel, the Wright Museum is participating again in the 6th annual Blue Star Museums Program, which offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families. The program runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day (Monday, May 25 through Monday, September 7), 2015