This year, Mother’s Day, celebrated the second Sunday in May, falls on May 8th, which is also Victory in Europe or V-E Day. On May 8, 1945, the Allies accepted the surrender of Germany’s Nazi armed forces.
The photograph above is by A. Aubrey Bodine, a widely known photographer, and credited to the Baltimore Sun.
Demonstrating the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” this photo exhibits an impressive array of historical significance. A mother smiles at the welcome good news headline, “ALL GERMANY SURRENDERS,” while a woman purchases The Evening Sun, a Baltimore newspaper published between 1910 and 1995, covering the celebratory occasion. This photograph also features the Julius Gutman & Company Department store, which opened in 1886 on Park Avenue and Lexington Street; a vestige of the once thriving age of Baltimore department stores. And a popular poster advertising War Bonds is visible in the distance.
Today is a beautiful day to be thankful for Mothers and hopeful for peace.
Our Preservation Month posts were written and prepared by Rachel Rettaliata, one of Preservation Maryland’s Waxter Interns. Rachel’s work with us focuses on communications and advocacy. She is a Fulbright Scholar and will be attending the historic preservation program at the University of Maryland this fall. Learn more about Rachel and our intern program here: presmd.org/waxter.