Avon Historical Society Seeks Loans of WWI Artifacts for Winter Display

From Avon Historical Society:

The Avon Historical Society is seeking loans of artifacts from WWI for a display they are organizing for early 2017. In conjunction with a statewide centennial observance of the United States’ entry in to the “Great War,” the Avon Historical Society will present The Mechanization of Warfare – WWI outside the Marian Hunter Local History room of the Avon Free Public Library from January through February 2017. Residents are invited to loan items for the exhibit.

As part of the State’s observance, the Avon Library and the Avon Historical Society have teamed up to mark the occasion with several events. While the theme of the exhibit will focus on air, sea and land warfare, the Society wishes to populate the display with items from soldiers who served, such as photographs, diaries, letters, uniforms, bugles, camp items, mess kits, Red Cross items, etc. These items do not have to come from Avon soldiers. Anyone is welcome to share their relative’s belongings. There will be an Honor Roll on display of the 69 men from Avon who served which has many longtime family names from town such as Bonesio, Eddy, Manion, O’Neil, Volovski, and Zaugg. Fortunately, all came back to Avon when the War ended. But there are many stories to be told of sacrifice and injury that will be shared through letters in the Society’s collection and from recent research.

In addition, the Society is pleased to present a talk at the Avon Free Public Library Community Room on Saturday, February 4 at 1:00pm by Dave Drury, former editor of The Hartford Courant, who recently published a book entitled Hartford in World War I as part of this two-month commemoration. The Library is organizing several WWI themed movies to show during their Thursday Movie Matinee. More information is forthcoming on the talk and movies.

To loan items for display, please leave a message (name and contact information) at 860-678-7621 or through the Society’s e-mail address via ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net. Deadline to inform the Society of what can be loaned is November 11th in order to prepare the display in time for installation at the end of December. A time and location to drop off items for loan will be in late December.

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