FREEHOLD — A new museum exhibition gallery has opened at the Monmouth County Historical Association, 70 Court Street. “Home Front: Posters From World War II” includes 12 full-color posters that were distributed during the war by the Office of War Information. It is the first section of a larger exhibition, which will open on Aug. 16, titled “Home Front,” that will look at the lives of local men, women and children of Monmouth County during World War II. The “Home Front” exhibition is funded through a $16,830 grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.
Powerful, graphic and patriotic, these posters urged Americans to purchase war bonds, support the war effort through scrap drives and rationing, and cautioned citizens against revealing sensitive war information. Many of the colorful posters were created by professional artists, some of whom participated in a wartime poster competition organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The competition was held in 1941 and received more than 600 entries. Fourteen winners received cash prizes totaling $2,000 and saw their work produced as posters.
On Aug. 16, the MCHA’s major exhibition, “Home Front,” will open to the public and will be on view until July 2006. The exhibition will include documents, more posters, personal mementos, photographs, uniforms and other objects in a salute to the bravery, hard work and endurance of the ordinary citizens of Monmouth County during World War II, according to a press release.
In other news, the historical association is seeking donations for its yard sale to be held on Oct. 8-9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The yard sale committee is now accepting donations of used but saleable items to benefit the historical association. Desired items include knick-knacks, furnishings, household items, good quality clothing, linens, books, lamps, dust-catchers, small appliances in working order, or other miscellaneous treasures.
Call (732) 462-1466 to arrange for drop-off or pick-up of items. Contributions are tax-deductible and will support the work of the Monmouth County Historical Association.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is open Wednesday through Saturday. For membership or admission fees and further information, call (732) 462-1466 or visit the Internet Web site at www.monmouthhistory.org.
The historical association is offering a special bus tour of the historic western Monmouth County borough of Roosevelt, a national historic site, on June 26. This is a unique opportunity to see the community, established in 1936 as the Jersey Homesteads, part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal program, on a tour lead by Roosevelt town historian Arthur Shapiro.
Planned as a cooperative community to bring urban Jewish garment workers out of the city, Roosevelt’s original 200 homes were designed by architect Alfred Kastner and his young assistant Louis Kahn in the distinctive Bauhaus style. The tour will include one of these houses as well as the elementary school designed by Kahn, which houses the famous Ben Shahn Roosevelt mural. Additional stops on the tour will be the synagogue, the studio of artist Jacob Landau, the Franklin Roosevelt memorial sculpted by Jonathan Shahn and the cemetery.
Following the tour, the bus will drive through the Assunpink wildlife preserve to the Happy Apple Inn in the Imlaystown section of Upper Freehold Township for dinner. The cost of the trip is $75 for MCHA members and $85 for nonmembers which includes dinner. Call (732) 462-1466 for further information and to reserve a place on the tour.