Discover the Real Life Story Behind Bedford Falls!

Date: November 30, 2014
Contact: John Stoudt, 315-568-2991 x 3004

Seneca Falls, NY-Do you remember your parents or grandparents talking about victory gardens, war bonds, or “The White Cliffs of Dover”? What is printed on a ration card? Have you looked at a 1943 Life magazine cover? 

We invite you to learn more about these things in the World War II Home Front exhibit at Women’s Rights National Historical Park on display through January 31, 2015. This special exhibit presents the setting for the film It’s A Wonderful Life. While the film depicts the joys and trials of the fictional George Bailey, this exhibit presents real, everyday items which Americans on the home front used in order to survive.

Superintendent Ami Ghazala says of the exhibit, “This is one of the many special programs we will be offering during theIt’s A Wonderful Lifeweekend. The classic 1946 film, set during World War II, did not reveal Jimmy Stewart’s and Donna Reed’s contributions to the war effort. This exhibit shows part of the world in which the movie was set and the actors lived.”

During the “It’s A Wonderful Life” celebrations, Women’s Rights NHP will host several events on Saturday, December 13, and Sunday, December 14. All events and activities are free of charge and will be held at the Women’s Rights NHP visitor center at 136 Fall Street in Seneca Falls.

On Saturday, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, visitors are invited to taste the entry by the Friends of Women’s Rights NHP in the “Ma Bailey’s Hot & Hearty Cook-off.” Both Saturday and Sunday, children of all ages can create a holiday craft and Seneca County Historian Walter Gable’s collection of vintage Civil War and Victorian era Christmas cards will be on display. Also on both days, learn how female mathematicians became “computers” during World War II in the film Top Secret Rosies at 11:00 am. Later, hear about the contributions of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II in the filmFly Girlsat2:30 pm.

For more information, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/wori or call [phone]. All sites within Women’s Rights National Historical Park, located at 136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls, NY are free and open to the public.Follow the park's social media sites for Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/womensrightsnps) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/WomensRightsNPS) to learn more about our upcoming programs.