Sunday, July 22, 1945
- Long Beach, California -
Learn & Lather!
During World War II, Victory Gardens were planted to safeguard the country against food shortages, boost morale on the home front, and promote patriotism. By the end of the war, more than 20,000,000 Victory Gardens had been planted in the United States.
It was after 2:00 p.m. when...
...I was finally able to get someone from the newspaper on the telephone. They connected me with a real estate agent and together we drove to see the property—a house that was advertised as having a “very fine victory garden.” The house was still occupied but the owners allowed me to explore the property on my own. Before leaving, I asked the owner why she had planted so much rosemary and lavender in her garden. She explained that the herbs had been planted “to keep deer out” but were also used to season meats and stews.
Key (found in Uncle Albert’s possessions) – Real estate ad from the Long Beach Independent newspaper, July 22, 1945.
Arrival – Early morning, corner of Sixth and Pine streets (newspaper office). Because it was Sunday, there was no traffic (neither human nor cars) in the vicinity of the building, so I concealed Mr. Franklin in a nearby alley.
Scent/s – Late afternoon. Mrs. Griffith’s victory garden was in full bloom and many vegetables were ready to be picked. However, unlike most gardens, the smell of vegetable bushes and freshly turned dirt were minimized by the fragrant smells of rosemary and lavender; two scents that when combined, created a woodsy and floral aroma. What a fresh and clean scent! [ Custom-coated fabric (SX4) collected the scent in 4 minutes 15 seconds (conditions: warm and dry). ]
Poster created by Grover Strong, 1945; Image from University of North Texas Libraries -https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc545/?q=Victory%20Garden