There is a ribbon cutting planned for Saturday, July 30 at 11 a.m. for Chelsea District Library’s World War I centennial historic display.
The festivities include a welcome by Mayor Jason Lindauer, comments from the centennial committee, and a musical rendition of “In Flanders Field.”
Volunteers from the Chelsea VFW Post and Auxiliary 4076 will be on hand to take donations for their Buddy Poppy Program during the event.
Docents will host free guided tours of the historic installations from noon until 2 p.m., following the ribbon cutting ceremony. Space is limited to 25 people per trip, and will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The south side tour includes bus transportation to the start of the walking tour, while the north side tour will begin at the library steps. The Chelsea Historical Society will also be giving tours of Chelsea’s Historic Oak Grove Cemetery, pointing out gravesites for local area WWI veterans, including some featured on the banners.
Strong Foundations, New Possibilities is held in conjunction with the city’s annual Sounds and Sights Festival, and will be on display through Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11.
The library has created and produced several community events focused on art and culture including WWI-era photographs, letters, stories and artifacts from local residents. The collection culminates with the installation of two dozen 36-inch x 18-inch avenue banners hung on light posts lining Main Street, as well as twelve large-format images (ranging in size from 55-inch x 91-inch to 167-inch x 96-inch) placed on 11 community buildings.
The 36 images chosen to be reproduced and displayed were among hundreds submitted by Chelsea residents who have shared histories from the Great War. This includes the only-known remaining photo of Herbert J. McKune, a local Chelsea soldier who died on Oct. 4, 1918 during the Battle of Champlain in France. Installation of banners and large-format images will begin July 11 and will take approximately two weeks to complete, weather permitting.
The original concept for this project came from Deborah Greer, co-director of Chelsea River Gallery, who was moved by a 2013 PBS documentary about artist Marian Marzynski titled “Before I Was Anybody, I Was a Child Survivor of the Holocaust.” It featured large-scale outdoor banners with images of child Holocaust survivors from Warsaw. Inspired to bring the presentation concept to her community, Greer shared her ideas with the library staff when they were looking for a way to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War.
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