Everyday Women of the Golden Era

Amy Jeanne · Mar 21, 2010

THE BIGGER THE BETTER!!!!

I'm doing my family tree and it's been confirmed what I alread knew -- I come from a long line a factory workers, both male and female. My great grandparents came over from Wurttenberg, Germany in the 1880s and ended up being "Glass Blowers" over here. My grandmother was a Can Maker in the 1910s and 20s. My aunt was a Sheet Maker (?).

The other side of my family were farmers, but here's to the dames who worked in those wretched factories of the old days. I worked in one for 7 years. Here's to us.

Didn't post right, but I LOVE the hole in her shirt.

Inky · Mar 21, 2010

another fabulous shorpy image - imagine standing in the ration line for shoes - and likely not knowing what (if anything) would be available that day.

LizzieMaine · Mar 21, 2010

Hear, hear to more shots of the blue-collar gals of the Era. Women made up a very high percentage of the factory workforce, when Rosie the Riveter was still in diapers.

Here are the women of the Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, hard at it in 1925, another shot courtesy of Shorpy:

Women dominated assembly jobs thruout the radio industry because their smaller hands fit better in the cramped areas of a radio chassis. (I find this an advantage myself when doing radio repair work!) These particular gals are inspecting and testing transformer coils, a job that required a very good eye and a very precision touch.

LizzieMaine · Mar 21, 2010

Another radio industry factory shot, this one from the Crosley Radio Corporation in Cincinnati, c. 1940. Here the workers appear to be assembling the finished sets into cabinets.

LizzieMaine · Mar 21, 2010

And one more from the Atwater Kent factory, via Shorpy. This is Mary Ramsey, assembling an AK Model 20.

Occasionally I'll run into a guy who expresses amazement that I, a *woman* knows anything about this stuff. "Who do you think built them in the first place?" is my stock reply.

pretty faythe · Mar 25, 2010

proof women have always worked in nontraditional roles

Taxi driver, 1919

auto class 1927

Miss Neecerie · Mar 25, 2010

Amy Jeanne said:
I'm doing my family tree and it's been confirmed what I alread knew -- I come from a long line a factory workers, both male and female. My great grandparents came over from Wurttenberg, Germany in the 1880s and ended up being "Glass Blowers" over here. My grandmother was a Can Maker in the 1910s and 20s. My aunt was a Sheet Maker (?).

My grandmother and assorted other relatives were all taught to speak English by the other factory ladies while processing walnuts and individually placing marshmallows in confectionery cups...

back when marshmallows were a big deal

Fletch · Mar 25, 2010

LizzieMaine said:
This is Mary Ramsey

Subject of the famous palindrome "Yes, Mary Ramsey."

?was it a car or a cat I saw? Singapore, 1932.

Amy Jeanne · Mar 25, 2010

Not from "the era", but I think she's really pretty.

Lindabelle · Mar 26, 2010

This is my nanna in a Triumph Roadster in 1930. She was one of the first women to get her License in her town. She was a truly great lady. She had a wonderful fun-loving spirit. I adored her.

BoPeep · Mar 26, 2010

Wow, Mary Ramsey seems to be wearing chiffon or silk at her factory job. . sort of blows the whole theory that women lived in cotton wash dresses throughout the '30s.

Ada Veen · Mar 26, 2010

Lindabelle, that's a fantastic picture.

Octavia · Mar 26, 2010

I’m so in love with this thread.
I just looked at every page and I haven’t seen a single photo that hasn’t made me smile.

I salvaged these photos from among my grandmother’s things (bear with me as they are pictures of pictures and the second one is under glass):

This is my grandmother (right) and a very good friend of hers (left). I’m guessing this is from the early 40’s judging from her age.
I love the little chip in my grandmother’s front tooth. She always had it.

This is my grandmother’s older sister, who actually died under a year after this was taken.

This is the wedding photo of a friend of my grandmother’s.
I never knew the couple, but it’s a gorgeous photo (this picture of it does not do it justice).

Miss Sis · Mar 26, 2010

Amy Jeanne, have I told you how much I *love* you for posting these fab pics of all these lovely people? You always choose such interesting pics.

Lindabelle, the pic of your Nanna is so neat. Pics of ladies driving cars in the 30s always make me think how awesomely cool those women were! I know my Nana learnt to drive in the 30s, even though it seems alot of people didn't think it 'suitable' for women to drive or somesuch silly thing. I think my Great Grandfather liked my Nana doing these things as she was an only child and he did 'boy' stuff with her as much as he would have with a son.

Lindabelle · Mar 27, 2010

Hi Ada Veen and Miss Sis. Glad you like the picture. I'm hoping to get a few more of my nan that I can share. i really love this thread.
Octavia, love your pictures. Your grandma is really pretty. You look just like her!

Wire9Vintage · Mar 27, 2010

Amy Jeanne[IMG said:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4240275246_b2b2ec498f_b.jpg[/IMG]

I'm sorry, but can we pause a moment over these shoes? How fabulous are these??

Wire9Vintage · Mar 27, 2010

Oh, fooey! The pic didn't show up... The second from the bottom in AmyJeanne's batch of photos is what I'm talking about. (off to learn how to quote...)

Ada Veen · Mar 27, 2010

wire9vintage, I think there's a little square bracket missing.

I truly think this is my favourite thread on the lounge.

Lily Amelia · Apr 5, 2010

I've been having a bit of a lazy day today just browsing around the internet and I came across the Yorkshire Film Archive website.

There are quite a few films on there but this one was by far my favourite, the 'Saturday Morning Out' footage especially - it's full of everyday women out and about doing their Saturday morning shopping (back in the days when the shops would be closed on a Sunday!) - I've really enjoyed scouring it to see the fashions, shops and cars, and I'm amazed there aren't any accidents on there, no-one seems to check for traffic before stepping out into the road!

The 1963 hairdressing competition part is fun too lol

http://www.yfaonline.com/yfapublic/assetDetails.cfm?film=2910&keyword=&sortby=&area=4&by=area&start=11&fromSearchValue=fromBrowseBy

Hope the link works, as I'm sure you'll enjoy watching this (sorry the link is so huge, I couldn't figure out a way to make it smaller...)

CherryBubbles · Apr 5, 2010

Amy Jeanne said:

Great photos, Amy Jeanne! Love the dresses in the first pic above (and the sensible oxfords the lady on the left is wearing)! Oh, and I'm always up for a frock with gigantic bow... although, I wouldn't want to lunch while wearing it lol

Everyday Women of the Golden Era

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One of the Regulars

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One Too Many

One of the Regulars

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Practically Family

New in Town

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