June 25, 1924
The Real-Life Rosie the Riveter is born.
Rosalind Walter *first* inspired female patriotism during WWII (and beyond).
Rosalind “Roz” Walter
Born in 1924, grew up in Long Island & Connecticut attending prep schools.
At 19, she began working as a riveter (drilling fasteners) on WWII fighter planes at a factory.
In 1942, two men wrote a song called “Rosie the Riveter” after an article highlighting her work was published.
“All the day long,
Whether rain or shine,
She’s a part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory,
Rosie the Riveter.
Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage,
Sitting up there on the fuselage.
That little girl will do more than a male will do.”
Why It Matters
- In 1942, *many* attempted to depict “Rosie The Riveter” as a way to recruit American women to traditionally male jobs due to a wartime labor shortage. Norman Rockwell painted one particularly famous version.
- The image we *now* associate with “Rosie the Riveter” (1943 “We Can Do It!” poster) was NOT inspired by Roz, but by another woman supporting the war effort by working in factory.
The wartime image of Rosie The Riveter was only used for several weeks by a private company in 1942 but gained popularity in the 1980s. A lifelong philanthropist, when Roz passed away at 95 in March, she was the largest individual supporter of NYC's local PBS station.
Sources
READ MORE: https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/june-25/
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