Donating Artifacts
The Wright Museum welcomes donations of artifacts and memorabilia from the years 1939-1945, focusing on day-to-day life of a nation at war. Donated items may be added to existing displays in the museum or preserved for future generations in the archives. Individuals, organizations, and commercial firms have donated much of the museum's current collection. Deed of Gift forms must be completed for all donations, and museum personnel cannot conduct appraisals.

Museum Wish List
The Wright Museum is particularly interested in further developing its collection of day-to-day items found on the American Home Front. Displays change periodically and new are ones added if enough related artifacts are in the museum's collection.

The list below represents items that the museum is currently looking for:

• Home Front Day-to-Day Items
  • Toys and children's games
  • Kitchen and living room items
  • Household items bearing advertising logos such as: soap boxes; jars and tins; tobacco related items
  • Victory Garden & canning materials
  • Sports equipment
  • School related materials
  • Soda Fountain items (soda/food items)
  • Barbershop and gas station artifacts
  • Technology and medical items
  • Gas rationing & Civilian Defense artifacts
  • Posters & War Bond information
  • Blue & Gold Star service flags
  • "Rosie the Riveter" items
  • Materials reating to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Bath Iron Works, and other centers of wartime production
  • Political buttons, Victory pins, & Sweetheart jewelry
  • 1939 New York World's Fair souvenirs & photos
  • Materials from "Bundles for Britain","America First", Red Cross & other organizations
  • Boy & Girl Scouts, "Junior Commandos" or other youth organization items
  • Train, automobile, bicycle & travel memorabilia
  • Shoe manufacturing and other New England production material

• U.S. Military Items
  • "Unique" miscellaneous equipment
  • Tuskegee Airman and other special unit artifacts
  • Women's Auxiliary items (WAC, WASP, WAVES, SPAR, etc.)
  • Uniforms - fatigue (Not Service or Dress uniforms)
  • Footwear (boots, shoes, etc.)
  • Japanese Internment and POW camp artifacts
  • Equipment & parts related to the museum's vehicles
  • Training camp information & materials
  • Navy Petty Officer Rating Patches: Torpedomans Mate, Turret Captain, Machinists Mate, Construction Battalion, Printer, Photographers Mate, Officers Cook, Buglemaster, Aviation Pilot, Aerographers Mate, Aviation General Utility, Mineman, Special Artificer, Ships Service Man, Gun Captain, Bombsight Mechanic, Seaman Gunner
    
• Other Items
  • Mannequins (prewar to 1940's style)
  • Democracy Fights – WWII NH and other books about the Home Front
  • Diaries, journals, and written or recorded personal recollections & oral histories
  • Clipboards for school tour groups

• Not Needed At This Time
  • Military Dress/Service uniforms
  • Ration books & tokens
  • Period newspapers, which are readily available in full runs at other collecting institutions

Dog Tags & Ration Books
The Wright Museum's Dog Tags & Ration Books program is designed to tell the story of the Greatest Generation to the students of today. As part of the museum's ongoing effort to record and preserve the experiences of individuals who lived during the years 1939-1945, Dog Tags & Ration Books questionnaires enable participants to share an experience that impacted their lives (accompanied by a photo taken during the time period). Family members are also welcome to fill out a questionnaire for departed loved ones.

The questionnaires & photos are edited into Ration Book-style booklets for distribution to visiting school groups, which allows these students to view the museum's exhibits through the eyes of someone who has experienced this important time in our nation's history. This initiative will also help record and preserve these important historical accounts in our archives where they will be stored for use and study by future scholars and researchers. To print a copy of the Dog Tag (Overseas) form or the Ration Book (Home Front) form, Click here for PDF. To submit completed forms with a photo from the era (which will be scanned & returned) or for more information, please contact the museum at:

P.O. Box 1212/ATTN: Mark Foynes

Wolfeboro, NH 03894 or (603) 569-1212