Monty’s Diner – Monty’s Diner was open 24 hours a day during the war to accommodate shift workers in the town’s defense plants, but business declined in the postwar years and Monty’s closed in 1964.
In May 1942, during World War 2, the town of Southington in Connecticut was selected by the US War Department to be featured in a defence pamphlet called Southington, CT—Microcosm of America. At that time in the war the small, farm-based town had a population at just under 10,000. Of that 10,000, according to the Southington Observer 1,591 residents were serving in World War II. Having worked for Life, Fortune, and U.S. Camera magazines, the talented Charles Fenno Jacobs was chosen to photograph the small town to capture the essence of daily life in America.
The publication was intended to show friends and foes alike in Europe the typical American citizens and families, their traditions and values. Thousands of copies were dropped from military airplanes over Europe during the Nazi German Occupation.
School children in Southington, Connecticut performing the Bellamy salute in May 1942.
The hand salute that the children are giving is called The Bellamy Salute, created by Francis Bellamy to accompany the American Pledge of Allegiance, which he wrote in 1892. During the period when it was used with the Pledge of Allegiance, it was sometimes known as the “flag salute”. In the 1920s and 1930s Italian fascists and Nazis adopted a similar salute mistakenly thinking the Romans used a similar gesture. Unsurprisingly it was officially replaced by the hand-over-heart salute when Congress amended the Flag Code on December 22, 1942.
May 23-30, 1942 Southington, Connecticut. (“Where Southington folk buy their magazines.”)
colourised version.
An extraordinary colourised version of the original photograph by Colorizing History Each magazine was researched and coloured accurately. Worth having a look.
May 23-30, 1942 Southington, Connecticut. (“Where Southington folk buy their magazines.”)
The Old Mill is a popular place for young couples on Saturday night
Women standing outside of Oxley’s Drug Store, at the corner of Center and North Main Street. The store opened in 1889 and served the Southington community for more than 100 years.
Laff in the Dark, Amusement Park
Shopping on a Saturday night.
An American town and its way of life. Southington girls, members of the youth drum corps
Southington school children staging a patriotic demonstration
Mrs. Ethel Oxley in the drugstore she ran on the town’s main street. Her family had a business on this same corner for more than 200 years
group of women rolling bandages and preparing surgical dressings May1942
Members of the youth drum corps
Southington Connecticut highlight in the town’s life is the annual girls’ glee club recital May 1942
Member of the youth drum corps
School girl studying
Dancing at the Amusement park
Amusement park dancing
Post office exterior
Dancing at the Old Mill
Post office
Dimitrios Giorgio’s soda fountain
Red Cross mess hall
School children pledging their allegiance to the flag
Amusement park dodgems
Amusement park Dodgems
At an early age school children learn about the meaning of the American flag
Southington school children staging a patriotic demonstration
May 1942
Thomas J. Murphy, chief of the fire department, and its only salaried member, chatting with one of the volunteers
dancing and music Amusement park
Dancing at the Amusement park
Roller coaster amusement park
An one-room school. A photograph featuring the only African-American in any of Jacobs’ photographs of Southington.
Shopping on Saturday nights
more dancing musement park
Amusement park Laff in the Dark in the dark
A highlight in the town’s life is the annual girls’ glee club recital
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, FSA-OWI Collection
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