Women At Work During World War II
March is Women’s History Month, so let’s celebrate by looking at 30 full color photographs of American women who went to work in factories during World War II. Shall we?
26 year old Doris Duke, mother of one, at work shot-reconditioning spark plugs. Photographed by Howard R. Hollem in August 1942.
Virginia Davis, who joined her husband at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Base, supervises Chas Potter. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Cora Ann Bowen (left), employed as a cowler, at work at Corpus Christi Naval Air Base. Eloise J. Ellis (right) is a senior supervisor in the Assembly and Repairs department. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Mildred Webb, a trainee, learns to operate a cutting machine. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Mary Josephine Farley repairs a motor. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Oyida Peaks riveting. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Pearl Harbor widows Virginia Young and Ethel Mann. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Grace Weaver paints an insignia on an airplane wing. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Unidentified woman at work, Corpus Christi Naval Air Base. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in August 1942.
Riveters at work in Fort Worth, Texas. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in October 1942.
Drilling a wing bulkhead, Fort Worth, Texas. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in October 1942.
Beulah Faith, 20 years old, reaming tools for transport. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in October 1942.
Mary Louise Stepan, formerly a waitress, operating a hand mill. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in October 1942.
Dorothy Cole converted her basement into a workshop to tin plate needles for valves for blood transfusion bottles. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in October 1942.
Elizabeth Little at work spraying parts. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in February 1943.
Mary Betchner, at work inspecting cutters for burrs. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in February 1943.
Lucile Mazurek working on black-out lamps. Photographed by Howard R. Hallem in February 1943.
Dorothy Lucke, employed as a railroad wiper. Photographed by Jack Delano in April 1943.
Viola Sievers at work cleaning a locomotive. Photographed by Jack Delano in April 1943.
Women employed as wipers on a lunch break. Photographed by Jack Delano in April 1943.
Woman working on an airplane motor at North American Aviation in California. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in June 1942.
Cowling an airplane. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in October 1942.
Woman completing the bombardier nose section of a B-17F navy bomber. Photographed Alfred T. Palmer in October 1942.
Women workers installing fixtures. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in October 1942.
Woman installing an engine in Long Beach, California. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in October 1942.
Woman aircraft worker checking electrical wiring. Photographed by David Bransby in June 1942.
African American woman working on a dive bomber in Tennessee. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in February 1943.
Worker taking a lunch break in Long Beach, California. Photographed by Alfred T. Palmer in October 1942.
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lupinelle a year agoSeveral more of the airplane-related photos unlabeled here as to location were also taken at the Douglas Air plant in Long Beach, CA. There are larger versions of the photos here. My great-aunt Dorothea “Pinky” Stewart (she had red hair, thus the nickname) worked in that plant. She drafted rivet layouts for the workers to follow when building the planes. After the rivets were placed, she and others checked that they were placed correctly and were secure. During the war, the entire plant was covered with camouflage netting. When photos of the camouflage netting was posted about on barnstormers.com last year, I asked my cousin, her daughter, if Pinky had ever told her about the netting. Indeed, she already knew all about it, but none of the younger generation in our family had ever seen a picture of it until last year. During this same period, Pinky was going to Long Beach Community College at night to take classes to further her career as an engineer. She was an early trailblazer on that path for her gender, and worked for many years at Westinghouse among a department that was otherwise entirely male.
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littleainge a year agoHistory chubbie. P.S. The woman in 17 looks like she has a teardrop tattoo; don’t fuck with her.
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