When it opens for the season, the Wright Museum of WWII in Wolfeboro, NH will feature Vietnam: The Real War — A Photographic History from the Associated Press.
Presented by Service Credit Union, the exhibit includes 50 large format photos from the Archives of the Associated Press. Taken during the 1960s and 70s, the images, according to Executive Director Mike Culver, tell “a powerful, challenging story.”
“The Vietnam War is a challenging subject that elicits a variety of reactions in Americans,” explained Culver ,who conducted research that will be found on accompanying exhibit text panels. “Our hope is that visitors will better appreciate the political, economic and other forces at work that led to the war and our involvement. It’s a complicated subject.”
It is a subject that will be explored in three evening education programs as part of the season-long Ron Goodgame & Donna Canney Lecture series, that will occur during the exhibit, which will run through September 27. These programs will feature: Gregg Jones, author of nationally best-selling, The Siege of Khe Sanh; Dr. Kurt Dorsey, Chair of the History Department, UNH; and Dr. Edward Miller, History Department, Dartmouth University.
As a useful supplement to both the exhibit and accompanying lectures, the Wright Museum will include some of Culver’s research into the Vietnam War on its website.
“I created a narrative from a variety of sources that we are using to educate our docents that the general public might also find useful,” he said.
In elaborating on why the Wright Museum is exploring the Vietnam War, Culver said the museum often uses its exhibit gallery to explore other subjects and conflicts.
“The intent is the same whether we interpret World War or Vietnam, because we hope people walk away from here with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be an American,” he said. “I think that is especially important given the impact of COVID-19 on our society and everyday life.”
The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, the Wright Museum features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the home front and battle field.
