I think this Rosie-wanta-be was beautiful and perhaps had actually done some riveting, but she's posed with a bit of beautification that belies her craft.
A riveting woman, implying someone you can't take your eyes off of.
A working woman, certainly signifying a woman who brings home wages (can I say brings home the bacon still?) There also was a use of this term to signify those women who work as prostitutes. But I don't think the term is accurate in today's society, as so many women work outside the home and it now means just that. (All women who have families who work outside the home know they also continue to have the work that is unpaid within the home.)
I'm actively promoting having a US Constitutional Amendment ratified, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)...which only needs 2 more states to become a law of the land. North Carolina is among those who haven't ratified it yet...and many amendments have taken more years than this one to finally be ratified.
Nevada's legislature passed their ratification just days ago. Thank you to all those men and women who finally declared the rightness of this action.
But rather than make this a political post, let's get back to Riveting Women. (And I promised unspokenly that I'd actually make this post appropriate for Sepia Saturday this week!)
We can Do it is not Rosie at all..
"During the war, the name "Rosie" was not associated with the image, and the purpose of the poster was not to recruit women workers but rather as motivational propaganda aimed at workers of both sexes already employed at Westinghouse. It was only later, in the early 1980s, that the Miller poster was rediscovered and became famous, associated with feminism, and often mistakenly called "Rosie the Riveter" ' Source: Kimble, James J.; Olson, Lester C. (Winter 2006). "Visual Rhetoric Representing Rosie the Riveter: Myth and Misconception in J. Howard Miller's 'We Can Do It!' Poster". Rhetoric & Public Affairs. 9 (4): 533–569.
Rosie by Rockwell:
"Norman Rockwell's image of "Rosie the Riveter" received mass distribution on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on Memorial Day, May 29, 1943. Rockwell's illustration features a brawny woman taking her lunch break with a rivet gun on her lap and beneath her penny loafer a copy of Hitler's manifesto, Mein Kampf. Her lunch box reads "Rosie"; viewers quickly recognized this to be "Rosie the Riveter" from the familiar song...." Source Wikipedia
Today's quote:
The willingness to consider possibility requires a tolerance of uncertainty. ..
Rosie or not Rosie, I like Rockwell's image better, but either one was an inspiration designed to attract women to work. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I had never heard of 'Rosie the Riveter' before now, but now I am much better informed aoth about her and about the ERA.
ReplyDeleteWow. All that from what I had thought was a documentary photo.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I did a little research last week about Rosie the riveter, after Trump referred to her in his weekly fb address. He spoke as if she were a "real" woman... and I had always thought her to be a fictional poster icon. I discovered, many of the same thing you write about. The most surprising to me was that the name came from a song.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that NC is among the last states to ratify ERA, but it doesn't surprise me. Guess I need to brush up on my state's history.
Hi Michele: NC is currently considering passing the ERA (in its legislature.) So now is the time to encourage your NC state Rep and Senators to pass it!
DeleteI have always liked seeing vintage advertisements and you showed us some great examples that matched the prompt photograph so well.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, there's something much more enjoyable about the art in vintage ads, isn't there?
DeleteThanks for the clarification about Rosie. The manicure on the woman in the prompt photo puzzled me too. It seems so
ReplyDeleteobvious.
Helen, maybe it's because us women would notice that kind of thing, where a man might not!
DeleteI had never heard of Roxie the Riveter before now, whether real or fictitious, so I found your blog very informative and interesting. I tried to comment earlier but it either got lost or didn't meet with your approval. Hopefully it was the former.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jo...this comment was waiting for me this morning when I logged on...so the other must be out there in www-land. Glad to hear from you!
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