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American Small Arms: From Bunker Hill to Baghdad

On Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m., Karl Dolnier, a Wilton Historical Society board member and captain of the Wilton Fire Department will discuss and exhibit a selection from his extensive collection of firearms. Included in the collection are firearms from the Civil War to more modern rifles and pistols.

Mr. Dolnier will take guests on a tour through the decades, demonstrating how one technological improvement in firearms lead to another and another.

Mr. Dolnier's presentation and other events help bring to life America’s Civil War Retrospective, a new exhibit at the Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road.

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On loan from the extensive private collection of a local resident, America’s Civil War Retrospective features a wide array of paintings, photographs, maps and newspaper articles and memorabilia, which bring to life the chaos of the time. The fast-paced technological changes of the times are also revealed through the many artifacts on display, from an 1850 Louis Comfort Tiffany-designed officer’s sword to early pistols and more modern revolvers.

Artillery shells and cannon balls – one cut in half to display the interior ball and shot – represent the early days of the war, while a hand grenade demonstrates the changing lethality of weapons of war.

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The exhibit is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and is closed on Easter. Admission to the exhibit and events is free to Society members and $5 for non-member families. The exhibit closes Friday, May 13.

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