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Take a Sentimental
Journey through Dozens
of Great Exhibits!
 Fascinating exhibits laden with vintage
artifacts and interactive displays bring to life the American
WWII experience. A collection of dozens of fully-operational
military vehicles lies at the core of the Wright Museum's
collection. In addition to the thousands of square feet
devoted to telling the stories of Americans on the frontlines,
extensive displays also illustrate the transformative changes
that took place on the home front.
Plan your
visit today to explore fascintaing subjects
including:
- –
Student Life in the 40s
- – Sports,
Entertainment, Fashion
- – Citizen
Support for the War Effort
- – Recycling
and Rationing
- – Scientific
and Technological Advances
- – Women's
Role on the Home Front
- – 1940s
Home Display, Radio Shows
- – Soda
Fountain & Dentist Office
In addition to the Home Front experience,
special displays also include a large array of fully
operational military vehicles: tanks, halftracks, jeeps, an
ambulance and motorcycles. The museum is fortunate to have
in its vehicle collection a 42-ton Pershing tank, the
only existing example from the capture of the Bridge at
Remagen over the Rhine River .
Wright
Museum members receive free museum
admission, a subscription to The
Wright Times
, and free and discouned entry to a wide
variety of special
events. Membership dues help us to preserve the
museum's collection and develop important educational
programs that benefit learners of all
ages.
Treasures of American
History
The collection
of the Wright Museum features some of the most remarkable
artifacts illustrating the role of America during WWII.
Outlined here are just a few fascinating examples.
 On permanent loan from the
New Hampshire Marine Corps Historical Association is a
rich collection associated with Manchester, N.H.'s
Rene Gagnon . The son of French Canadian
parents, Gagnon was one of the six individuals who
participated in the historic raising of the U.S. flag during
the battle of Iwo Jima. An exhibit featuring his uniform, as
well as several historically significant photographs is a
permanent feature of the Wright
Museum.
Also on display is
an Army Air Corps Mission Map, one of only two still in
existence. The museum is also the proud home of
an extensive exhibit documenting the contributions
of uniformed women during WWII. Within this display is a
special section that highlights the  achievements of the WASPs (Women Airforce
Service Pilots). Prior to her death, Tuftonboro's Irene
Englund, a former WASP, donated several objects available for
public viewing.
Other historically significant
artifacts include a Norden bombsight, original artwork by some
of the leading magazine illustrators of the day, and the flag
that flew over the American headquarters in Paris on V-E
Day.
New! Downloadable PDF articles illustrate
the fascinating personal stories featured in the museum's
changing monthly
displays:
Time Tunnel
Journey through the World War II years,
1939-1945! Each room in the Wright Museum's Time Tunnel is at
once a nostalgic slice of life and a window onto numerous
individual families' experiences.
Did You
Know...
In 1939: A gallon
of gasoline cost 10 cents?
In
1941: A new
car would set you back a whopping $850?
In 1944: The Dow Jones average was 143?
In 1945: The average American
income was $2,390? This average wasup from 1939's average of
$1,729, a result of the wartime industrial
boom.
LIFE magazine covers from
all seven WWII years surround the upper walls of each room,
providing weekly accounts of what was happening on the Home
Front and the frontlines. Illustrations from The Saturday
Evening Post, Fortune, The New Yorker
and Look further enhance this
provocative walk through time.
 On August 7, 2004, the 1945 Time Tunnel room was dedicated in honor of Robert Appe (U.S. Navy Air Corps, 1943-1946). The room features a Times Square-style sign with facts from 1945, an interactive video system with six different topics, prices for common items at the time, and displays both from day to day life and of the events that brought the war to an end. Special thanks to John & Evelyn Frank, Bob Chalmers, Neil Dollarhide, Sid Nordenschild, Bud O'Donnell, Mike and Irene Appe, and all the other volunteers and artifact donors for all they did to make this room possible.
The Time Tunnel is a unique feature that physically
and interpretively links the Wright Museum's home front
and military exhibitions. As you tour through--room-by-room,
year-by-year-- they embark on a sentimental journey through
the seven years of World War II. As funding becomes available,
the museum will complete the remaining three rooms.
To learn more about how you can help
support
the museum in bringing this project to fruition, contact Mark
Foynes, the Wright Museum's Executive Director, at (603)
569-1212.
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