Part of From War to Peace — a series contrasting wartime opportunity with postwar constraint — this work sets robust ivy against delicate orchids. Ivy signals the resilience and capability recognized during World War II, while orchids evoke the fragile ideal promoted in the early 1950s. A WWII recruiting poster anchors the composition, tying the symbolism to the home-front narrative.

Ivy & Orchids weaves together women-in-WWII history and botanical symbolism in a compact narrative scene.

Materials: Dollhouse miniatures, Murano glass, freshwater pearls, garnet, shell, art board, paper, public-domain World War II poster, artificial flowers, and paper orchids.

Framing: Archival museum glass in a deep black custom frame by Chevy Chase Art Gallery, Washington, DC.

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From War to Peace (Series)

A collection of miniature, historically grounded narratives tracing a cultural shift that still resonates today. During World War II, women stepped into expanded roles — cryptography, logistics, parachute rigging, radio repair, and more — only to be steered back toward narrowly defined domestic expectations as the war ended.

Drawing on period posters, archival photographs, and symbolic materials, each work juxtaposes wartime competence and leadership with postwar ideals of home and femininity. Intimate and research-driven, the series rewards careful viewing, restores these contributions to the historical record, and reasserts these women as clear role models for later generations.

Steeped in World War II women’s history, the series highlights the roles of both civilian and military women on the home front and beyond.