"Left Bud"

Dublin Core

Title

Subject

Description

This artifact is of a sketch drawn by Ms. Olive K. Foley. The sketch was found in a book now owned by her granddaughter, Judith Davidson. The sketch is of a floral arrangement and has a written description next to it.

The submitter provided the following about the artifact’s history:
This sketch was inside a book (photo also included) that belonged to my grandmother. The book was first printed in August 1955 and there are several reprints dated up to 1959. Nothing on the sketches made by grandmother features a date so we cannot be certain when this drawing was made.

However, the book entitled "Stepping Stones to Japanese Floral Art" by Rachel E Carr contained several of these sketches. Another book of notes on gardening and flower care indicates that she was involved in flower arranging during the 1970's. That book contains articles cut out from the local paper as well as extensive hand written notes from lectures she attended.

My grandmother came from Montana. The journey from that geographic location to her life as a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and her interest in the art of Japanese flower arrangement intrigues me.

Olive K. Foley kept a home that was a sanctuary to many. Her garden provided her with an endless supply of possibilities for her flower arrangements. This simple type of creativity and beauty was a hallmark of her home.

She not only participated in her local garden club for her own satisfaction and enjoyment, but she also volunteered at her local hospital and brought her flower arrangements for the benefit of both patients and employees.

My grandmother did not talk about herself much- she was of a different generation. Yet I believe her unorthodox interest in the art of Japanese flower arrangement as well as her general interest in environments and beauty tells us much.

I watched my grandmother construct elaborate and beautiful arrangements as a child and remember her most fondly. I probably have these books as a result of that interest.

Creator

Olive K. Foley

Source

Dr. Judith Davidson

Publisher

Unpublished

Date

Rights

Judith Davidson

Language

English

Identifier

Coverage

1950-1974

Notebook, Marginalia and Annotation Item Type Metadata

Genre

annotation, photo caption

Material

pencil, unlined paper

Circulation

None

Linguistic Text

Stepping Stones to Japanese Floral Art

left bud
[and] -
podocarpus branches +
anemones in white vase

Visual Text

The first image is a picture of the front cover of the book where this sketch was found. The sketch itself is of a small collection of anemones and podocarpus branches together in a cylindrical vase.

Genres Included in the Artifact

doodle, photograph caption, annotation

Uploaded

Sabrina Ashley Debrard 12/14/16
Shaimaa Khanam, 01/10/17

Files

IMG_7126.JPG
IMG_7125.JPG

Citation

Olive K. Foley, “"Left Bud",” Museum of Everyday Writing, accessed March 28, 2024, https://museumofeverydaywriting.omeka.net/items/show/307.

Output Formats