Working Girl c1942
An Excellent photograph taken by the late Alfred Palmer in 1942 that depicted the role that many women took on by working at our military defense plants during WWII. Their significant contribution, combined with our brave military forces and allies eventually led to the success of defeating the Axis powers. I took this image off the Internet and thought it was worth sharing once more, and highlighting the role that so many women played during that period. In this particular photo, the woman is taking a well earned coffee break, and doing so sitting next to a piece of some plane fuselage, possibly a C-47 military transport. Many of these women earned the moniker of "Rosey the Riveter"
And I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the unseen Grandma's, and their contributions. Many of these young women workers had children, and who watched those kids when mom went off to work at the defense plant, none other than Grandma! The unseen, and often unmentioned heroes for their contribution to the whole!
During World War II, Douglas joined the BVD (Boeing-Vega-Douglas) consortium to produce the B-17 Flying Fortress. After the war, Douglas built another Boeing design under license, the B-47 Stratojet turbojet-powered bomber, using a government-owned factory in Marietta, Georgia.
World War II was a major boost for Douglas. Douglas ranked fifth among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. The company produced almost 30,000 aircraft from 1942 to 1945, and its workforce swelled to 160,000. The company produced a number of aircraft including the C-47 Skytrain, the DB-7 (known as the A-20, Havoc or Boston), the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, and the A-26 Invader.
The Photographer:
As a young man, Palmer traveled around the world as the official photographer on several different cruise lines. When he returned to America, Palmer set out across America documenting everything that captured his interest. Around this time, he was chosen to head the photography department of President Roosevelt's Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Their goal was to rally and inform citizens about the use of their tax dollars via vividly captured photo stories. Palmer developed his gritty style on these assignments, capturing the geometry of mechanical form with the emotional range of men and women at work.
This eventually led him to the Office of War Information and later the Farm Security Administration. Palmer’s emphasis was on the typical American hard at work on the home front. His photographs were also an integral part of the campaign to change the public attitude toward women joining the work force. He showed women as patriotic, glamorous, and capable, working on fighter planes as well as assembly lines. Palmer also focused on the dedication and dignity of the black labor force and worked with the chief of the News Bureau Negro Press.
Palmer’s belief in promoting the strength of the people permeated his entire career. His works were praised for their symbolic power, conveying the courage and determination that Roosevelt sought to arouse in the nation. Alfred Palmer passed away in 1993, leaving a legacy of photographic work.
Working Girl c1942
An Excellent photograph taken by the late Alfred Palmer in 1942 that depicted the role that many women took on by working at our military defense plants during WWII. Their significant contribution, combined with our brave military forces and allies eventually led to the success of defeating the Axis powers. I took this image off the Internet and thought it was worth sharing once more, and highlighting the role that so many women played during that period. In this particular photo, the woman is taking a well earned coffee break, and doing so sitting next to a piece of some plane fuselage, possibly a C-47 military transport. Many of these women earned the moniker of "Rosey the Riveter"
And I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the unseen Grandma's, and their contributions. Many of these young women workers had children, and who watched those kids when mom went off to work at the defense plant, none other than Grandma! The unseen, and often unmentioned heroes for their contribution to the whole!
During World War II, Douglas joined the BVD (Boeing-Vega-Douglas) consortium to produce the B-17 Flying Fortress. After the war, Douglas built another Boeing design under license, the B-47 Stratojet turbojet-powered bomber, using a government-owned factory in Marietta, Georgia.
World War II was a major boost for Douglas. Douglas ranked fifth among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. The company produced almost 30,000 aircraft from 1942 to 1945, and its workforce swelled to 160,000. The company produced a number of aircraft including the C-47 Skytrain, the DB-7 (known as the A-20, Havoc or Boston), the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, and the A-26 Invader.
The Photographer:
As a young man, Palmer traveled around the world as the official photographer on several different cruise lines. When he returned to America, Palmer set out across America documenting everything that captured his interest. Around this time, he was chosen to head the photography department of President Roosevelt's Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Their goal was to rally and inform citizens about the use of their tax dollars via vividly captured photo stories. Palmer developed his gritty style on these assignments, capturing the geometry of mechanical form with the emotional range of men and women at work.
This eventually led him to the Office of War Information and later the Farm Security Administration. Palmer’s emphasis was on the typical American hard at work on the home front. His photographs were also an integral part of the campaign to change the public attitude toward women joining the work force. He showed women as patriotic, glamorous, and capable, working on fighter planes as well as assembly lines. Palmer also focused on the dedication and dignity of the black labor force and worked with the chief of the News Bureau Negro Press.
Palmer’s belief in promoting the strength of the people permeated his entire career. His works were praised for their symbolic power, conveying the courage and determination that Roosevelt sought to arouse in the nation. Alfred Palmer passed away in 1993, leaving a legacy of photographic work.