Podcasts share letters from WWI

Students, museum, magazine collaborate to produce broadcasts

NEW BRITAIN >> The New Britain Industrial Museum and Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history, have paired up to present a podcast of New Britain soldiers’ letters from the front in France in World War I.

Thursday, April 6, marked the 100th anniversary of the United States’ participation in the war. The letters are by local soldiers who worked for Stanley Works. The podcast complements a special exhibition of World War I material at the New Britain Industrial Museum on view now through the end of 2017, and Connecticut Explored’s spring 2017 issue about Connecticut in World War I.

The 30-minute podcast is available, free of charge, on Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history produced by Connecticut Explored and the state historian Walter Woodward. Learn more at gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com.

Andrea Kulak, museum educator for the New Britain Industrial Museum, selected 11 letters from 8 soldiers. The letters were published in the Stanley Works em-

ployee newsletter in 1918. The newsletter was distributed to Stanley Works’ employees serving on the front in France. “It was an important way for both soldiers and the community to stay in touch,” executive director Karen Hudkins said.

Kulak and Hudkins contacted CCSU history professor Leah Glaser, who recruited three students in the history department to participate.

“We wanted to have the letters read by young men who would have been near the ages of the soldiers,” Kulak said. Jacob Carey, Joe Guerrera, and Ryan Paolino volunteered.

“This is the third in our series of podcasts about World War I complementing our current issue about Connecticut in World War I,” said Connecticut Explored publisher Elizabeth Normen. “These letters are compelling. With equal doses of wit and bravado, these young soldiers really give you a sense of what life was like on the front. And Jacob, Joe, and Ryan did a great job reading them.”

The episode features authentic music from World War I from the collection of Henry Arneth. The music was recorded from records played on a vintage Victrola provided by Arneth, a collector of vintage music.

For more information about “New Britain in World War I” at the New Britiain Industrial Museum, visit newbritainim. org. For more information on Connecticut Explored’s special issue about Connecticut in World War I, visit ctexplored.org.

The New Britain Industrial Museum is located in the CCSU Building at 185 Main Street in New Britain. Hours are Tues, Thurs, Fri 2-5 p.m., Wed 12-5 p.m., Sat 10-4 p.m.. The Museum is closed Sundays, Mondays and all major holidays. Contact Karen Hudkins Museum Director, at 860-8328654, for additional information. For further press inquiries contact Elizabeth Norman, publisher of CT Explored and producer of Grating the Nutmeg, at 860-233-5421.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NORMEN A Victrola and period music, used to accompany the podcasts, are from the collection of Henry Arneth.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NORMEN From left are Andrea Kulak, Joe Guerrera, Ryan Paolino, Jacob Carey and Henry Arneth, in background, producing a podcast with letters writted by Connecticut soldiers during World War I.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NORMEN These are original letters from World War I soldiers who worked at Stanley Works in New Britain.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NORMEN Students Joe Guerrera, Ryan Paolino and Jacob Carey take part in the podcast at the New Britain Industrial Museum.