07/24/2026
Those who worked with Dr. Carter G. Woodson would sometimes recall how their mornings at the publishing office were defined by the smell of bacon, where Dr. Woodson had prepared his own breakfast on a hot plate at the back of the workspace. It is probable that this did not remain consistent throughout his entire time here, though. Remember, Dr. Woodson and the Associated Publishers, Inc. were based here through the Second World War. Even though Dr. Woodson remained in D.C., the hardships of the war still reached him and many more Americans on the homefront. Rationing was instituted early in the conflict, and shortages were obvious to everyone well before then. For over two years between 1943 and 1945, meat was included in the limited supplies, which meant that Dr. Woodson had to watch his consumption on those bacon breakfasts! In fact, greasier foods like bacon were in especially high demand, not only were they full of calories to keep people going, but animal fat was also used for some high-demand chemical manufacturing work. Still, despite the shortages and changes to his routine, the publishing house went on with their work through the war, and once it was over, the rationing disappeared.
How have you adapted to insufficient or missing supplies?
Image: Rationing was controlled by stamps pulled from standard-issue books like this one; once all the allowed stamps were used up, you'd have to make do with what you had until it was time for another book (Library of Congress/Public Domain).
