Donations of Artifacts and Papers

We are actively accepting unrestricted donations of papers and artifacts that will help us preserve the reality of World War II. We cannot promise to exhibit pieces, but we agree to accept only papers and artifacts we believe will be of value to the museum’s mission both in terms of exhibitions and research.

We already have sufficient examples of helmets, hats, medals, guns and uniforms from the European Theatre of war but are in need of new uniforms and artifacts for the new Pacific area we are developing. In general, Russian, Japanese and Italian artifacts, and American artifacts with interesting personal connections, help illustrate the museum’s mission. 

Photographs are a major part of the museum’s archives (see the descriptions under ARCHIVES)  If they are purely  of a personal nature, or of training,  they don’t have the research value that is part of our mission.

Correspondence, except in unusual situations, such as from the Pacific, combat or prisoners of war, generally is an area we have sufficiently covered in the archives.

We feature gifts of artifacts and archives on our website when we know the personal story behind them. Please tell us if you would like us to consider your gift to be on our website with the personal information. We will almost always replace artifacts on display if we acquire a similar one where we can attach a personal story. A helmet is just another helmet, but a helmet identified with a person whose story can be told, is what we are all about. It is very important these stories are not lost.

Our changing SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS include many pieces not part of our permanent displays, and we will be glad to notify you if we include your donation in  an exhibition.

Please send us an email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ), or regular mail (46 Eliot St., Natick, Ma. 01760), describing what you have, any personal information about the user or creator, and photos if possible. The personal history of artifacts is particularly important. All donations are tax deductible.