We Can Do It!
"We Can Do It!" is an
The poster was little seen during World War II. It was rediscovered in the early 1980s and widely reproduced in many forms, often called "We Can Do It!" but also called "
After its rediscovery, observers often assumed that the image was always used as a call to inspire women workers to join the war effort. However, during the war the image was strictly internal to Westinghouse, displayed only during February 1943, and was not for recruitment but to exhort already-hired women to work harder.[2] People have seized upon the uplifting attitude and apparent message to remake the image into many different forms, including self empowerment, campaign promotion, advertising, and parodies.
After she saw the Smithsonian cover image in 1994,
Background
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government called upon manufacturers to produce greater amounts of war goods. The workplace atmosphere at large factories was often tense because of resentment built up between management and labor unions throughout the 1930s. Directors of companies such as General Motors (GM) sought to minimize past friction and encourage teamwork. In response to a rumored public relations campaign by the United Auto Workers union, GM quickly produced a propaganda poster in 1942 showing both labor and management rolling up their sleeves, aligned toward maintaining a steady rate of war production. The poster read, "Together We Can Do It!" and "Keep 'Em Firing!"[3] In creating such posters, corporations wished to increase production by tapping popular pro-war sentiment, with the ultimate goal of preventing the government from exerting greater control over production.[3]
J. Howard Miller
J. Howard Miller was an American
Miller studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1939.[10] He lived in Pittsburgh during the war. His work came to the attention of the Westinghouse Company (later, the Westinghouse War Production Co-Ordinating Committee), and he was hired to create a series of posters. The posters were sponsored by the company's internal War Production Co-Ordinating Committee, one of the hundreds of labor-management committees organized under the supervision of the national War Production Board. Aside from his commercial work, Miller painted landscapes and studies in oil; Miller's family kept all of his works in their homes.[9]
Westinghouse Electric
In 1942, Miller was hired by Westinghouse Electric's internal War Production Coordinating Committee, through an advertising agency, to create a series of posters to display to the company's workers.[1][11] The intent of the poster project was to raise worker morale, to reduce absenteeism, to direct workers' questions to management, and to lower the likelihood of labor unrest or a factory strike. Each of the more than 42 posters designed by Miller was displayed in the factory for two weeks, then replaced by the next one in the series. Most of the posters featured men; they emphasized traditional roles for men and women. One of the posters pictured a smiling male manager with the words "Any Questions About Your Work? ... Ask your Supervisor."[1][2]
No more than 1,800 copies of the 17-by-22-inch (559 by 432 mm) "We Can Do It!" poster were printed.[1] It was not initially seen beyond several Westinghouse factories in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the midwestern U.S., where it was scheduled to be displayed for two five-day work weeks starting Monday, February 15, 1943.[1][12][13][14][15] The targeted factories were making plasticized helmet liners impregnated with Micarta, a phenolic resin invented by Westinghouse. Mostly women were employed in this enterprise, which yielded some 13 million helmet liners over the course of the war.[16] The slogan "We Can Do It!" was probably not interpreted by the factory workers as empowering to women alone; they had been subjected to a series of paternalistic, controlling posters promoting management authority, employee capability and company unity, and the workers would likely have understood the image to mean "Westinghouse Employees Can Do It", all working together.[1] The upbeat image served as gentle propaganda to boost employee morale and keep production from lagging.[17] The badge on the "We Can Do It!" worker's collar identifies her as a Westinghouse Electric plant floor employee;[17] the pictured red, white and blue clothing was a subtle call to patriotism, one of the frequent tactics of corporate war production committees.[1][2]
Rosie the Riveter
During World War II, the "We Can Do It!" poster was not connected to the 1942 song "Rosie the Riveter", nor to the widely seen
Rockwell's emblematic Rosie the Riveter painting was loaned by the Post to the U.S. Treasury Department for use in posters and campaigns promoting war bonds. Following the war, the Rockwell painting gradually sank from public memory because it was copyrighted; all of Rockwell's paintings were vigorously defended by his estate after his death. This protection resulted in the original painting gaining value—it sold for nearly $5 million in 2002.[20] Conversely, the lack of protection for the "We Can Do It!" image is one of the reasons it experienced a rebirth.[13]
Ed Reis, a volunteer historian for Westinghouse, noted that the original image was not shown to female
Rediscovery
In 1982, the "We Can Do It!" poster was reproduced in a magazine article, "Poster Art for Patriotism's Sake", a Washington Post Magazine article about posters in the collection of the National Archives.[21]
In subsequent years, the poster was re-appropriated to promote feminism. Feminists saw in the image an embodiment of female empowerment.[22] The "We" was understood to mean "We Women", uniting all women in a sisterhood fighting against gender inequality. This was very different from the poster's 1943 use to control employees and to discourage labor unrest.[1][17] History professor Jeremiah Axelrod commented on the image's combination of femininity with the "masculine (almost macho) composition and body language."[23]
Wire service photograph
In 1984, former war worker
Although many publications have repeated Doyle's unsupported assertion that the wartime photograph inspired Miller's poster,[28] Westinghouse historian Charles A. Ruch, a Pittsburgh resident who had been friends with J. Howard Miller, said that Miller was not in the habit of working from photographs, but rather live models.[36] However, the photograph of Naomi Parker did appear in the Pittsburgh Press on July 5, 1942, making it possible that Miller saw it as he was creating the poster.[35]
Legacy
Today, the image has become very widely known, far beyond its narrowly defined purpose during World War II. It has adorned T-shirts, tattoos, coffee cups and refrigerator magnets—so many different products that The Washington Post called it the "most over-exposed" souvenir item available in Washington, D.C.[1] It was used in 2008 by some of the various regional campaigners working to elect Sarah Palin, Ron Paul and Hillary Clinton.[16] Michelle Obama was worked into the image by some attendees of the 2010 Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.[17] The image has been employed by corporations such as Clorox who used it in advertisements for household cleaners, the pictured woman provided in this instance with a wedding ring on her left hand.[37] Parodies of the image have included famous women, men, animals and fictional characters. A bobblehead doll and an action figure toy have been produced.[1] The Children's Museum of Indianapolis showed a four-by-five-foot (1.2 by 1.5 m) replica made by artist Kristen Cumings from thousands of Jelly Belly candies.[38][39]
After
Geraldine Doyle died in December 2010. Utne Reader went ahead with their scheduled January–February 2011 cover image: a parody of "We Can Do It!" featuring Marge Simpson raising her right hand in a fist.[46] The editors of the magazine expressed regret at the passing of Doyle.[47]
A stereoscopic image of "We Can Do It!" was created for the closing credits of the 2011 superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger. The image served as the background for the title card of English actress Hayley Atwell.[48]
The
In 2010, American singer Pink recreated the poster in the music video for her song "Raise Your Glass".
The poster continues to inspire artists such as Kate Bergen. She has painted images of COVID-19 medical workers in a similar style, initially to cope with the stress of her work but also to encourage others and support front line workers.[54]
See also
- American propaganda during World War II
- Bras d'honneur
- Keep Calm and Carry On, another WWII poster that became famous only decades later
References
- ^
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56898-140-6. Archivedfrom the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ a b Bird/Rubenstein 1998, p. 58 Archived November 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
- ISBN 978-1-135-20189-0.
- ^ Wong, Hannah Wai Ling (July 17, 2007). A Riveting "Rosie": J. Howard Miller's We Can Do It! Poster and Twentieth Century American Visual Culture (M.A.). University of Maryland, College Park. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ "We Can Do It!". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-313-35652-0.
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- ^ The Setonian. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
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- ^ a b Harvey, Sheridan (July 20, 2010). "Rosie the Riveter: Real Women Workers in World War II". Journeys & Crossings. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Work–Fight–Give: Smithsonian World War II Posters of Labor, Government, and Industry". Labor's Heritage. 11 (4): 49. 2002.
- ^ "We Can Do It!". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2012. Search results for catalog number 1985.0851.05.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8014-7427-9.
- ^ S2CID 145551064
- ^ a b McLellan, Dennis (December 31, 2010). "Geraldine Hoff Doyle dies at 86; inspiration behind a famous wartime poster". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-313-35652-0. Archivedfrom the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-415-99475-0. Archivedfrom the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ Brennan, Patricia (May 23, 1982). "Poster Art for Patriotism's Sake". Washington Post Magazine. p. 35.
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- ^ "1999–2000 Highlights". Rosie The Riveter Memorial Project. Richmond, California: Rosie the Riveter Trust. April 2003. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Women Support War Effort". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Women On Stamps (Publication 512)" (PDF). United States Postal Service. April 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
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- ^ S2CID 147767111.
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- ^ Williams, Timothy (December 29, 2010). "Geraldine Doyle, Iconic Face of World War II, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ Memmot, Mark (December 31, 2010). "Michigan Woman Who Inspired WWII 'Rosie' Poster Has Died". NPR. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ Schimpf, Sheila (1994). "Geraldine Hoff Doyle". Michigan History Magazine. 78: 54–55.
- ^ "Ada Wyn Morford Papers". National Park Service Museum Collections. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ "All This and Overtime, Too". Corbis. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- ^ a b Fox, Margalit (2018). "Naomi Parker Fraley, the Real Rosie the Riveter, Dies at 96". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ Coleman, Penny (December 30, 2010). "Rosie the Riveter Image". PennyColeman.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Wade, Lisa (October 22, 2007). "Sociological Images: Trivializing Women's Power". The Society Page. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Paul, Cindy (April 12, 2011). "Masterpieces of Jelly Bean Art Collection at the Children's Museum". Indianapolis, Illinois: Funcityfinder.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Cumings, Kristen. "We Can Do It!". Jelly Belly Bean Art Collection. Jelly Belly. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
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- ^ Phoenix (March 12, 2011). "We Can Do It!". Flickr. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Phoenix (July 2, 2010). "We Can Do It!". Flickr. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Phoenix (January 23, 2012). "She Did It! (TOO SAD)". Flickr. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Table of Contents". Utne Reader. January–February 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "untitled". Utne Reader editorial blog. Utne Reader. January 3, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
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Working in tandem with the Office of War Information, the Ad Council created campaigns such as Buy War Bonds, Plant Victory Gardens, 'Loose Lips Sink Ships,' and Rosie the Riveter's 'We Can Do it.'
- ^ a b Conlon, Peggy (February 13, 2012). "Happy Birthday Ad Council! Celebrating 70 Years of Public Service Advertising". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ^ "HelpsGood Develops 'Rosify Yourself' App for Ad Council's 70th Birthday". HelpsGood. February 2012. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ^ Veres, Steve (February 13, 2012). "Plaza sign of the day: Matt as Rosie the Riveter". Today. MSN Allday Today. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- . Retrieved August 4, 2022.
External links