Taylor Community and Wright Museum launch 'Faces of Taylor'

WOLFEBORO — Sitting in a crimson red chair in the living room of his charming apartment, 96-year-old Joe Picard took a deep breath, looked into the camera, and began to recall his memories from more than 70 years ago during World War II.

Powerful moments like these have been captured throughout the summer, with veterans and family members of veterans alike sharing their stories from the World War II era as part of a collaboration between Taylor Community, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community, and the Wright Museum of WWII.

Picard’s recollection of the war has become the first story unveiled in the “Faces of Taylor” series of videos that shed light on some of their residents who experienced life during WWII.

In the first video, Picard shares his experience enlisting for the draft in 1943 and of his service overseas, while discussing how his unit moved through Scotland, England, Germany and France until his return home in 1945. Commonly called “Pic” while in the military, Picard was a Field Clerk in his battery.

“It has been an incredibly moving and emotional experience filming these stories and recording the audio pieces for this project,” said Alana Persson, a Taylor Community employee who is filming the Faces of Taylor series.

“Joe’s story underscores the importance of the Wright Museum in being able to present these stories to people of all ages,” he said. “We are thrilled to work with Taylor Community on this project.

Other videos in the series will be released monthly in addition to accompanying written stories.

“As a museum, part of our role is to preserve not just artifacts, but the memories of the way things were and how they connect to today,” added Culver. “This is a collaboration that has all of us deeply moved.”

Faces of Taylor will culminate in a 30-minute pre-recorded video that will be released later in the summer as part of a special virtual event that includes interviews with residents.

In addition to Faces of Taylor, Taylor Community is co-presenting Shaped by Conflict: Mementoes of the WWII Era, an exhibit that provides an in-depth look at common mementos and personal items of the WWII era. Some items in the exhibit, co-presented by Weirs Publishing Company and John and Evelyn Frank, includes sweetheart jewelry, trench art, journals and diaries, and more.

To learn more about Wright Museum, or Faces of Taylor, visit wrightmuseum.org.