This post was written by Jill Reichenbach, Reference Librarian, Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections
One of the highlights of the World War II Photograph Collection, which includes press photos and promotional material created by the U.S. War Department, are the shots of women working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, ca. 1942-44. The war-time shortage of skilled male laborers forced the Navy Yard to start hiring women for the first time in its 143-year history.
While the contributions women made to the war effort are well-documented, the photographs of young ladies working alongside men still resonate, particularly in today’s political climate. It’s also great to see the women socializing together over lunch; one can imagine the bonds formed during that critical time and can’t help but wonder what became of these women after the war ended.
Perhaps most interesting is the text on the back of the photographs, written by the United States War Department. The photos were clearly an attempt to boost morale and portray servicemen, industrious women, and military activity in the most positive light. The accompanying captions, which often read like those in a high school yearbook, state the women’s names, ages and addresses, and occasionally mention a physical feature, such as hair color, or ethnicity. The subjects were referred to as “girls” in nearly every photo.
The collection includes over 2,000 black and white photos. See the online finding aid for more information.
Yet another terrific contribution from the Society’s Jill Reichenbach. This posting does not tell a new story, rather, it’s another scratch on the surface of an important story of great depth. In my opinion, U.S. women’s contribution to the WWII effort still has not been properly revealed or told. Now, it seems, each year a new story comes out about ways in which American women contributed to many of the greatest efforts and developments in U.S. history. While this must be celebrated, we must be sure to wonder how many more untold stories are still hidden away by HIStory. Where are these stories, these facts, hidden? And what is the best way to bring them finally into the daylight? These are marvelous photos, and I hope the Society will continue to show us similar stories via photographic artifacts.