Coca-Cola Company photographs of flower arrangements

Collection

Collection number: ahc.VIS273

Scope and Content

This collection contains photographs of flower arrangements used for the three volume set of Flower Arranging and Homes and Flowers. A few of the images are credited to photographer Fidelis Harrer (1898-1980). The photographs are enlarged, mounted on cardboard, and include publishing notations. Publication page numbers to each volume are also referenced. Some of the images include table settings featuring bottles of Coca-Cola. Of special interest is a photograph of Burroughs in her home on page 2 of volume 3.

Dates

1940-1942

Creator

Burroughs, Laura Lee, 1888-1970 (Person)
Coca-Cola Company (Organization)
Harrer, Fidelis (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Administrative/Biographical History

Between 1940 and 1942 the Coca-Cola Company published a three volume set of flower arranging books:Flower Arranging (volume 1, 1941), Flower Arranging (volume 2, 1941), and Homes and Flowers (volume 3, 1942). The author, Laura Lee Burroughs (1888-1970), was a well known flower arranger from St. Louis, Missouri. Burroughs and her husband, Mortimer Perry Burroughs (1885-1965), had two sons, Mortimer P. Jr. (1911-1983), and author William S. Burroughs (1914-1997). The Burroughs owned Cobblestone Gardens, a gift and antique store in St. Louis. The books could be purchased through mail order to the Coca-Cola Company and were also sold at flower shows and florist shops. Burroughs provided radio advertisements for the books and over one million copies were sold during the first year of distribution.