AA-2026-8825AB
On the image
A suburban gardener in the 1950s had convinced herself that cultivating mountain laurel—a plant that belongs in Appalachian woodlands and requires acid soil and partial shade—in what appears to be a tended perennial bed was a sensible use of her weekend. The clusters of pale pink and white flowers are full and healthy, which means she either lived in exactly the right climate zone or had read the gardening column with unusual care and followed every instruction. The dense green foliage and the trellis visible at the frame's edge suggest this was someone who approached horticulture as a form of domestic improvement, the way one might refinish a basement or install new kitchen wallpaper. By the standards of the era, a flowering shrub this showy and this well-maintained was proof of competence, taste, and sufficient leisure time to spend an afternoon photographing it. She had succeeded, which was the only point that mattered.
Visually related — by likeness
Mountain Laurel in Bloom, 1950s. 1950–1959. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-8825AB. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/mountain-laurel-in-bloom-1950s.
@misc{aaAA20268825AB,
title = {Mountain Laurel in Bloom, 1950s},
year = {1950–1959},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-8825AB},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/mountain-laurel-in-bloom-1950s}
}TY - ART TI - Mountain Laurel in Bloom, 1950s PY - 1950–1959 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-8825AB UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/mountain-laurel-in-bloom-1950s ER -
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