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- Brave New World: 1942
- ... View full size. Medium format safety negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
Welding I can confirm it: ... Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:23pm -
- Bantam: 1942
- ... the firehouse. View full size. Photo and caption by Howard Hollem for the OWI.
Modern Furniture The Warren McArthur plant referred ... Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 2:58pm -
![January 1942. Bantam, Connecticut. The business section of Bantam with the camera facing south along Lafayette Boulevard (Route 25). A few rods to the left is the Warren McArthur plant [fabricator of aluminum aircraft parts], while the block of stores visible at the left includes Mitchell's Tavern, the First National Store, a garage and two service stations. Not shown, but lying just this side of Mitchell's restaurant, is the birthplace of Horace Bushnell, a discoverer of anaesthesia. Reading from the right are the Episcopal Church, Tony's Bantam Inn (favorite eating place), Marcel Roy's drugstore, the Bantam grocery store and the firehouse. View full size. Photo and caption by Howard Hollem for the OWI.
Modern FurnitureThe Warren McArthur plant referred to in the caption made well designed aluminum furniture before & after WWII. Warren McArthur (1885-1961), whose furniture helped define the glamour of 1930s Art Deco, was a mechanical engineer by training. Surviving examples of his work are sought after & fetch good money.
[During the war the factory made aircraft seat frames. - Dave]
Bantam"A few rods to the left"??
Were we still using "rods" as a unit of measurement in 1942? Sounds biblical or very old timey New England Yankee.
re: BantamBill, in my business, we still use the term rods every single day. The price of pipeline right of way is always determined as "X" dollars per rod.
In 1942 the going rate for right of way in Texas was 25 cents per rod. In 2008 it's more like $30.00 per rod, but I've seen up to 3 figures on occasion.
(For those who might be unaware, a rod is 16.5 feet)
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, Small Towns, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8e10830u_1.thumbnail.jpg "Bantam: 1942")
- In Like Kwint: 1943
- ... and son are in the U.S. Army." Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
1897-1979 ... Posted by Dave - 11/08/2021 - 1:25pm -
![February 1943. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "War production workers at the Heil Company making gasoline tank trailers for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Mrs. Angeline Kwint, age 45, an ex-housewife, checking the tires of trailers. Her husband and son are in the U.S. Army." Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
1897-1979Angeline Wypysyranki Kwint -- born Nov. 28, 1897; died Oct. 29, 1979 age 81. She had three or four children.
Surprisingly comfortableMy great-grandmother had those shoes in black. A bit heavy, but excellent support if you're on your feet much of the day. In a genetic association of astounding similarity, my feet and hers were identical. I was able to wear her shoes and they felt perfectly formed to my foot.
Those shoesMore power to Mrs. Kwint for spending the day working in those shoes, without socks no less.
[She is wearing hosiery of some sort. - Dave]
Mine, too.I just wanted to recognize my own grandmother, also 45 in 1943, who worked as a lens grinder during WWII. She was, of course, just one of millions who served in some way. Every one of them deserves to be remembered.
Women did itWhen you think about the tremendous output of vehicles, arms, and equipment during WWII, think also about the percentage of women in the labor (and management) force.
My mom, at 22, worked the entire war in Washington DC, breaking codes for the Navy, something she never said much about during her lifetime, but we have the unit commendation letter and her ribbon.
Defense Needs Rubber Save your tires!That home-based retread is holding on for the war effort.
Paging all Armchair Experts --Can any experts here tell if that is a split rim wheel? And is Mrs. Kwint in the position she should be to air up such a wheel?
New Jacket & HatComparing the jacket to the pants it seems that she was given a new jacket and hat for the photo op. The pants have seen use that the jacket hasn't.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, Industry & Public Works, Milwaukee, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-1a34981u.thumbnail.jpg "In Like Kwint: 1943")
- Wonder Women: 1942
- ... at the plant." Large format Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Salute this ... Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:48pm -
- Fort Worth: 1942
- ... Texas. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information.
“Forth Worth” There was a Dodge ... Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:02pm -
![October 1942. Lathe operator machining parts for transport planes at the Consolidated Aircraft plant in Fort Worth, Texas. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information.
“Forth Worth”There was a Dodge truck commercial that ran down here in Texas for 3 or 4 years that had a Texas map in the background that had that same typo in it ("Forth Worth" instead of "Fort Worth"). I don't know if anyone else ever noticed it or if Dodge (or its ad agency) just didn't care.
[Oopfh! Fixed. - Dave]
Fort WorthForth Worth, Where the Westh Begins
Dallash, Where the Easth Ends
This site indicates Consolidated Air is now Lockheed Martin, and was General Dynamics in between. The plant is adjacent to the former Carswell Air Force Base, which was closed and transformed as the Joint Naval Air Station.
Fort WorthGod bless you ladies, and God bless Kodachrome.
[Amen! - Dave]
Has anyone else noticed?That she is wearing red nail polish?
AE
DangerThat hanging strap is dangerous over a lathe!
What a lovely lady!What a lovely lady!
Nail PolishAnd why should she not wear nail polish? It didn't affect how well she did her job and made her feel pretty. An affordable luxury went a long way in those uncertain times.
The CapDo you get the feeling the new, clean yellow cap was carefully perched on top of her hair by the photographer to get some "Kodachrome" color into the posed picture? Love the detail in the metal, though.
ProtectionIt is a good idea to wear eye protection when running a turret lathe.
HerNice shot, although it is completely staged. There is no workpiece mounted to the faceplate of the lathe!
[Posed, not "staged." - Dave]
Authentic FeelingThe photo may be posed, but the soiled apron and shirt provide a feeling of authenticity. The 4x5 Kodachrome and sharp focus give great detail, including the end of the steel rule visible in the apron pocket.
No workpiece?No tooling either. And you usually don't want to leave hand tools on top of an old school turret lathe while running parts. Still it's fun to see a picture of one of these new. I've never seen one that wasn't covered in ... we'll call it "patina".
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34951u.thumbnail.jpg "Fort Worth: 1942")
- American Locomotive: 1943
- ... York, plant of the American Locomotive Company." Photo by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Two variants ... Posted by Dave - 01/25/2014 - 10:20am -
- Plane Doctor: 1942
- ... she has been trained." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Cringe Even back ... Posted by Dave - 12/18/2012 - 10:26am -
![August 1942. "Women in white doctor Navy planes (motors) at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. Mildred Webb, an National Youth Administration trainee at the base, is learning to operate a cutting machine in the Assembly and Repair Department. After about eight weeks as an apprentice she will be eligible for a civil service job in the capacity for which she has been trained." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
CringeEven back then, they had safety glasses. I suspect a posed publicity shot.
[These were taken by the government for use in promotional materials, such as posters, to encourage women to seek wartime industrial employment. The workers and their tasks were real, but the photos were posed. - tterrace]
Machine shop memoriesFirst days of machine shop apprenticeship - I remember it well. Bandsaw: Break the blade, square up the ends, re-weld the blade, anneal the weld joint, grind off the slag from the joint, quickly re-anneal & then bend it in half, until you've done it 5 times in a row without it shattering at the joint. Then it's time to remount the blade and saw some steel stock: Set the upper blade guide height (what she's doing here), check and adjust blade speed on the chart for the blades' teeth per inch vs. the thickness of your stock, etc.
Safety wise: No jewelry, short sleeves, hat to keep hot metal chips out of her hair... looking pretty good. Her pair of old-style, round safety glasses are probably just out of sight.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_1a34880u.thumbnail.jpg "Plane Doctor: 1942")
- Invasion News: 1944
- ... New York. Times Square and vicinity on D-Day." Photo by Howard Hollem et al. for the Office of War Information. View full size.
... Posted by Dave - 06/06/2014 - 9:43am -
![June 6, 1944. "New York, New York. Times Square and vicinity on D-Day." Photo by Howard Hollem et al. for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Buitoni -- Now with Gluten added!!Not quite a selling feature these days.
Wire hangersWire hangers create horizontal creases on trousers.
Unusual in two respectsThe Embassy Newsreel Theater had two distinctions: starting in 1929 it was the first theater in the country with an all-newsreel format, and it was one of the very few theaters anywhere to be staffed almost entirely by women.
With newsreels on the wane in the postwar years, the Embassy dropped the "Newsreels" from its name in 1949 and showed ordinary movies for the next 48 years. It closed in 1997, but after major renovations reopened as the Times Square Visitors Center.
[The female staffing was during its first incarnation as a Loew's-owned, upscale reserved-seat venue from 1925-1929. -tterrace]
PipesAre being smoked by two well-dressed gentlemen who look old enough to remember their own service in the First World War.
PantsWhat's with the folds in that guys pants?
Embassy Newsreel TheatresThe newsreel theaters usually ran one hour shows. It was a good way to kill some time in between appointments. They had one on West 72nd St that I used to visit. In those day if you were trying to find a quick news fix, there were few places to go. These theaters couldn't come up with the programs that fast so we looked elsewhere. There were no all news radio stations, some had news headlines on the hour and TV was in its infancy then.
If you really wanted to know something quickly, the New York Daily News had a telephone number that could be called for information, it was mainly used for sports info. I found the attached photo showing the Times Square Embassy theatre overwhelmed by Mr Peanut. From the Masaryk headline on the Marquee, the picture was from March 1948.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, Movies, NYC, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-8d36271u.thumbnail.jpg "Invasion News: 1944")
- Navy Man: 1942
- ... Base." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information.
Where can I get a back belt like that? ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 12:47pm -
![August 1942. Corpus Christi, Texas. "After seven years in the Navy, J.D. Estes is considered an old sea salt by his mates at the Naval Air Base." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information.
Where can I get a back belt like that?Now THAT'S a supportive back belt he's wearing. A belt like that could turn any of us into Superman.
Consolidated PBYI'm going to go out on a limb here and surmise that J.D. is holding a .30 MG that goes in the the big blue Consolidated PBY patrol plane behind him.
Back BeltMy long-ago boyfriend was a Navy reserve signalman, and he had a belt similar to the one in the picture. This would have been the late 80s/early 90s. Same looking leather, buckle, everything, and it was used aboard ship to support carrying heavy loads. I'd check around some Army-Navy surplus stores or similar online--bet they're available someplace like that.
1919That's most likely a Browning M1919 caliber .30-06 machinegun. Can't quite make out the data plate on the mount.
BeltsMy father served as Radio/Radar/Waist Hatch Gunner on a Martin PBM patrol plane from '42-'46. I can remember him talking about having a safety belt that attached to either side of the hatch. I think if you look close enough, you can see D-rings on the side that would have been used for this purpose.
[Both J.D. and Jesse Rhodes Waller, ordnance mates at Corpus Christi who spent their day lifting heavy equipment into planes, wore these support belts. - Dave]
BMG IDBrowning is the standard AN (Army-Navy) M2 .30-06 aircooled aricraft gun. It is an MG specifically made for aircraft use with considerable lightening of internals and reduction in size of receiver components and internals. It also had a very high rate of fire, 900-1000 RPM and used disintegrating metal link cartridge belts. It was made by four different manufacturers in large numbers and used as defensive firepower on many different types of aircraft. It did not serve well as an offensive weapon due to the light caliber. Many of these BMGs in privat ehands.
Bob Naess
Black River Militaria CII
BMG ID CorrectionI believe that the weapon is an M2, yes. However, that is a .50 caliber weapon. The M1919 was chambered in 30-06 and has a pistol grip. The butterfly trigger on this one is a good visual give-away that we are looking at the M1919's big brother.
Is that shirt regulation?Those are unusual pockets for a USN chambray shirt, no?
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34896u_1.thumbnail.jpg "Navy Man: 1942")
- George Lane: 1942
- ... View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
The Last War if I understand ... Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:48am -
![April 1942. "Sixty-year-old George Lane, former house painter, is a valuable worker in the De Land, Florida, industrial pool [of small machine shops]. He served in the last war with the British Army from Vimy Ridge to the Occupation. Two of his sons are in the American Army, one with the Air Corps in Australia. His daughter volunteered for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Seven of his nephews are in the British Army. Using his old skill with the brush, he is now painting De Land pool products." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
The Last Warif I understand it well, the "last war" mentioned in the capture must have been WW-I. So George must have been in his thirties during that war, not as a private I suppose, but as a professional. At Vimy Ridge the Canadian Corps (helped by the British Army?) fought against the Germans in 1917. So I am puzzled a bit about when he joined the army (as is said "he served ... from Vimy Ridge to the Occupation") so must have been from 1917. By the way, what is meant by "the Occupation"? And then: when was he a house painter: before or after he served in the army? And at the time of the photograph he is painting "De Land pool products", but I can't imagine what kind of products he is painting, seems more to be products for a bridge or something, but a pool .....??
[As stated in the caption, George is working for the De Land industrial pool of small machine shops. Pool means group. Not something to swim in. He's painting a motor rack for a radial aircraft engine. - Dave]
That paintbrushwon't need much cleaning!
Vimy RidgeWhen Vimy Ridge is mentioned, people inevitably think of the 1917 attack by the Canadian Corps (including my Great-Grandfather) under Sir Julian Byng and Arthur Currie. For the attack the British attached one division (the British Fifth Division) and the bulk of the heavy artillery. What isn't so well known is that the French first tried to take the Ridge twice in 1915 and suffered something like 150,000 casualties. The British Army held the Vimy Ridge position from February to October 1916, when the Canadians took over. In May 1916 the Germans made an attack on the British positions to prevent mining and tunneling activities by the British.
As to George's age, he might have been cconscripted after May 1916 when Britain extended Conscription (adopted in January 1916 for single men from 18-41) to married men. By 1918 almost 1/4 of the total male population of Britain was in the service.
(The Gallery, Florida, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8e11075u.thumbnail.jpg "George Lane: 1942")
- Toy Story: 1942
- ... screwdriver to assemble parachute flare casings." Photo by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Factory Babes ... Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:08pm -
![February 1942. A.C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Connecticut. "Conversion. Toy factory. Stephanie Cewe's skill with this electric screwdriver has been turned to the aid of Uncle Sam's war machine. Stephanie used to assemble toy locomotives; today, she uses the same screwdriver to assemble parachute flare casings." Photo by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Factory BabesJudging by the Shorpy shots from WWll, all the pretty women had factory jobs. Who said working in a factory is boring? One just has to choose the right period in history.
Great RestraintWas exercised in the writing of the title for this one!
Those toy trains must have been huge!No way she used that "screw driver" to assemble toy locomotives. Nice story though.
[Think again. Click to enlarge. - Dave]
Pretty Woman There probably was some written or unwritten directive to those OWI lensmen. Photograph only the attractive ones, it's better for the public morale.
O-27A.C. Gilbert was making 1/64 scale trains, (O Scale is 1/48, and HO is 1/87) running on O-Gauge track, popularly known as O-27, so yeah, those toy trains were pretty substantial.
Fark OffOne quick look at certain aspects of this picture demands Fark action.
Toy Story #2I was thinking the same thing about that huge screwdriver.
I'm glad he said it as the second photo is delightful.
I like the trains too.
Satisfied CustomersThis lady should be pleased. Countless children were undoubtedly delighted by the toy locomotives she assembled. Equally pleased were Marines and soldiers in foxholes when their aircraft dropped these flares to neutralize the enemy's nighttime infiltration capabilities.
Erector SquareView Larger Map
Erector Square is still there. The A.C. Gilbert Company was best known as maker of the Erector Set.
Ring zoom pleaseThat ring looks like a Buddha, or an angel or a baby.
Oops!I believe Stephanie was actually known as Stephan until the day the screwdriver slipped.
Toy Story IIWorld War II was the second time that AC Gilbert's factory was converted to war production. It was also converted during World War I; Gilbert's brother served in that war.
Also during World War I, the War Production Board wanted to cancel the normal Christmas giving of toys to children and replace them with Liberty Bonds. Gilbert traveled to Washington to argue against that idea and became known as the man who saved Christmas.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8e10860u.thumbnail.jpg "Toy Story: 1942")
- Coaling the Stove: 1942
- ... View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office for Emergency Management.
Pets I spy a bird in the ... Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 10:47am -
![January 1942. Bantam, Connecticut. "Defense homes. The heating unit is in the kitchen of Fred Heath's four-room apartment in the new federally-financed homes for 80 families just a few minutes from the Warren McArthur factory in Bantam. The well-insulated coal fire puts steam in the radiators and provides the heat for cooking. The tenants are well-pleased although on several nights when the temperature dropped to 10 degrees below zero they were forced to replenish the fuel every two or three hours. That cigarette Fred Heath holds is not tailor-made, by the way -- he likes to roll his own." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office for Emergency Management.
PetsI spy a bird in the cage, and a dog under the table.
StoveA cooker that heats the house! Why can't we have that now?
[The still make woodstoves. Not quite the same, though. This is more like a small coal-fired boiler. - Dave]
StoveIt IS still available now! They're heavy duty cast-iron enameled ranges called AGAs. They are available to burn coal, gas, even peat. They're apparently very airtight, and are basically on 24/7...yet use minimal energy to both cook and if you want them to, heat the house too. Coal in the USA has gotten an unfairly bad rap, generated I'm sure by the oil folks. In eastern Pennsylvania, heating your house with clean, hot-burning Anthracite coal costs one-third as much as doing it with oil, gas, or electricity.
[They have one set up in a model kitchen at the Home Expo showroom near my house. Only $12,000! - Dave]
Little Ann Heath & her mom at the sinkShorpy picture: https://www.shorpy.com/node/13281
E_R
Central heating Till the 70's, we had a spring and fall heater embodied in a Kalamazoo cast iron stove. A center griddle, two six inch plates, an eight inch, and a nine inch, triple ring plate. The nine inch was used for fast boil by lifting out one or more center rings. The stove had a right side water heater, a top mounted warmer and a sheet steel hot box on the rear which made the kitchen a sauna in summer. I don't blame my Mom for junking it for a gas fed Monkey Wards Enamel stove.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, Kitchens etc., WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8e10823u.thumbnail.jpg "Coaling the Stove: 1942")
- Hello Up There: 1942
- ... with one of the men." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem. View full size.
Mr. Ellis is a lucky man Love that quasi ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:57am -
![August 1942. Corpus Christi, Texas. "Mrs. Eloise J. Ellis, senior supervisor in the Assembly and Repairs Department of the Naval Air Base, talking with one of the men." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem. View full size.
Mr. Ellis is a lucky manLove that quasi military look Senior Supervisor Ellis sports. The saddle shoes, rolled cuffs, red nail polish, and civilian belt offset the military cap and dungarees in a very sexy way!
CatalinaA PBY-5A Catalina!
Catalina Cont'dIt is a PBY Catalina, but not a 5A, which was a later-war amphibious model. This Catalina is an earlier model, as evidenced by the lack of the distinctive teardrop shaped blisters introduced later towards the end of the production of -4 models. These blisters replaced the sliding hatches that the man is standing in.
The "landing gear" visible in the picture is really the beaching gear, which was attached to the sides of the hull (as seen) and under the tail (just out of view to the left) in order to move the plane in and out of the water. The beaching gear could not be used for takeoffs or landings.
In addition to the side blisters, the amphibious -5A's had a tricycle landing gear with one large main gear wheel which retracted into a bay located between the two wing brace struts and a single nose wheel under the nose.
Another thing to note in the photo is that a mechanic is working on the port engine. He is standing on a removable work platform that hooked onto the side of engine nacelle.
[The gun blisters are far aft of where the man in the photo above is sitting. Below, another PBY at Corpus Christi in August 1942. - Dave]
Uniformly greatCan't agree enough with Gman77. Jane Greer, one of film noir's most famous femmes fatales ("Out of the Past"), posed in uniform for War Bond posters. No wonder Howard Hughes signed her up for the movies.
Baby-facedThat Lieutenant j.g. looks like he hasn't started shaving yet. One of the slightly disconcerting things I've found about Shorpy is how often I find myself looking at someone in a picture who is old enough to be my grandparent and thinking, "How did that kid get in a uniform?"
PBYThe seaplane-only version of the Catalina (shown in the picture) was the PBY-5, or Patrol Boat Y. There were earlier PBY-1 thru 4 versions, but they were vastly outnumbered by the mainline production model PBY-5. The 5A designation was the amphibious version that came out later. It was a really cool airplane that unfortunately is almost extinct today. Many were used for executive transports after the war. As I recall, in the 1970s Jacques Cousteau operated one for several years as part of his seagoing operation until his son was killed piloting it.
Outstanding!Is it too soon to make a nomination for best photo of the year? Yeah, probably. But a stunner, nevertheless.
PBY means...P = Patrol
B = Bomber
Y = Consolidated Aircraft (builder)
There were at least two other versions of the aircraft: The PBN series was built by the US Navy's Naval Aircraft Factory and the PB2B came from Boeing of Canada.
Mrs. EllisMrs. Ellis also seen here two years ago on Shorpy.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34889u.thumbnail.jpg "Hello Up There: 1942")
- Doomsday Weld: 1943
- ... for the Army Air Forces." Medium format Kodachrome by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Irony ... Posted by Dave - 09/27/2018 - 6:52pm -
- Lone Star: 1942
- ... repaired Navy plane wings." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Neatness ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 12:48pm -
![August 1942. Corpus Christi, Texas. "Women from all fields have joined the production army. Miss Grace Weaver, a civil service worker at the Naval Air Base and a schoolteacher before the war, is doing her part for victory along with her brother, who is a flying instructor in the Army. Miss Weaver paints the American insignia on repaired Navy plane wings." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Neatness CountsAmazing how she hasn't gotten paint on her hands or that white blouse.
No decals for me, thank you.That just might be a Grumbacher brush she's holding! Oh and I can smell the lead-based 1-shot lettering enamel and pure gum turpentine from here!
Goodbye KodachromeWhat a lovely image (color and composition-wise); and, sadly, one we won't see being made again any time soon with the demise of Kodachrome (and film in general) as a medium.
Black and whiteApplying black paint while wearing a spotless white blouse. I wonder how long that will last.
[The paint is blue. "Insignia Blue." - Dave]
She's a SchoolteacherWhich is why she can stay inside the lines! A great photo for Flag Day.
No stencil?I'm surprised to see no stencils or masking to keep her from getting the Insignia Blue paint on the white star. Taken with the spotlessness of her clothing as already noted and I have to imagine the photo as being staged.
Blue and WhiteApplying blue paint while wearing a spotless white blouse. I wonder how long that will last.
Not buying itIn addition to the immaculately white blouse and squeaky clean hands, from that position, with the extended arm, her brush strokes could not possibly have been that steady. Plus, she is setting the can on top of the fresh paint! No experienced painter does that. Call me a skeptic, but I'm convinced it is a staged shot.
Nevertheless, she's easy on the eyes (in a 1940's kind of way), and I'm sure the real painter didn't look as nice.
[I think you're confusing "posed" and "staged." The "real painter" is the lady in the picture. Not to belabor the obvious, but the Kodachrome OWI work portraits are not documentary photography. They are almost all posed and floodlighted. - Dave]
Darn good paintThe rest of the star is bone dry. I wish I could find paint that dried within seconds of applying it.
KodachromeThis image (and all the OWI color images) makes me appreciate Kodachrome even more than I did. To last as many years as it has and still retain its color without shifting is nothing short of miraculous. It also brings up a question: What will happen to all of the family photos that are being taken by digital cameras these days in 50 years? Unless they are properly stored and cared for, a whole generation will lose its heritage.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34890u.thumbnail.jpg "Lone Star: 1942")
- Doing Her Part: 1942
- ... Fort Worth, Texas." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Always in my ... Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:43pm -
![October 1942. "Rita Rodriguez. Production of B-24 bombers and C-87 transports at Consolidated Aircraft, Fort Worth, Texas." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Always in my underwear ...... I find little paper notes that say "Inspected by No. 17." So she's the one!
Heavy DutyThose must be some industrial strength skivvies, Yoda.
Wheel of FortuneSo, what manufacturer of machine tools has a company name that ends in Y?
Kent-Owens Horizontal MillAccording to this guy selling the identical horizontal mill on eBay, these are Kent-Owens No. "O" machines.
http://cgi.ebay.com/KENT-OWENS-HORIZONTAL-MILL-14-X-36_W0QQitemZ37010447...
If these old machine tools could speak, what stories they could tell.
OuchAs Safety and OSHA Compliance Officer at my workplace and the son of a retired shop teacher, my first reaction was "Safety Glasses!" Just looking at all of the metal particles on the machine and her apron makes my eyes hurt.
[If there were something in the vise and if Rita were really working instead of posing, she'd be wearing goggles. - Dave]
Pratt & Whitney Machine ToolsTwo possible machine tool companies ending in "y" - Pratt & Whitney and Lodge and Shipley. (Pratt & Whitney machine tools is very distantly related to Pratt & Whitney div of UTC which makes aircraft engines).
I believe the Ft Worth factory is still in use, producing F 16s and F 22s. It's owned by the US govt and currently operated by Lockheed. According to an article on the web, the plant occupies 7 million square feet which I calculate to be about 175 acres!
[The name looks like it ends in "AY," or maybe "MY." Then something ending in "AS" or "MS" under that. - Dave]
LightingDave. do you think that was a flash that was used for lighting or daylight from a nearby window?
[Neither. Probably floodlights. - Dave]
U.S. Machine ToolsFor the third time, it's a U.S. Machine Tools mill. A pretty positive ID can be seen towards the bottom of this thread.
Now it's quite possible, if not probable, that USMT was a dealer/seller rather than the manufacturer, but it's not a Kent-Owens.
Viva RitaThis is great. You don't see too many Latinos represented in media of this era. Who would have thought that Rosie the Riveter's real name was Rita Rodriguez.
K&TCould this milling machine be a Kearney & Trecker?
[As noted below, the letter before the Y seems to be an A or an M. - Dave]
Fark FactoryFarked again.
Machinist's realitiesI'm sure she worked her butt off for the effort, but this is obviously posed, my shop aprons lasted about five minutes in that pristine condition. Plus the lack of, even then, federally mandated safety equipment is a sure sign of war time photo-op. Horizontal mills, like K&T's and Bridgeports didn't come with shields, so you had to do the quick step to avoid coolant and chips, but you ended the day pretty wet anyway.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Farked, Howard Hollem)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34937u.thumbnail.jpg "Doing Her Part: 1942")
- On the Town: 1944
- ... Cuffs" is the operative term.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, NYC, WW2) ... Posted by Dave - 06/07/2014 - 1:23am -
- Hot Rivalries: 1942
- ... shop." View full size. 5x7 nitrate negative by Howard R. Hollem for the Office of Emergency Management.
Ball size The bowling ... Posted by Dave - 01/07/2008 - 7:31pm -
![January 1942. Bantam, Connecticut. "In the basement of the town firehouse is the bowling alley, revenue from which helps to support the town's volunteer fire companies. Each night is alloted to a specific group, and there are several hot rivalries. Among the women shown here is Mrs. Winfield Peterson, whose husband is foreman of the Warren McArthur experimental shop." View full size. 5x7 nitrate negative by Howard R. Hollem for the Office of Emergency Management.
Ball sizeThe bowling balls pictured seem smaller than today's?
[Those are duckpin balls. No holes. - Dave]
Duckpins or candlepinsFrom the size of the balls I'd guess they're engaging in duckpin or candlepin bowling. These types of bowling use relatively small balls without finger holes.
Also five-pinThat's also the size of the ball in five-pin bowling, but that game is exclusively Canadian.
Bowling DressI thought it was interesting that every one of these women was bowling in a skirt or dress. How things have changed! Already by my childhood 25 years later, all these women would have been wearing pants.
Interesting sheenon Mrs. Peterson's leading leg, perhaps indicating nylon rationing had not yet made its way to her neighborhood. Or, maybe, she had been saving a pair for special times: like this one!
[Or they might be cotton stockings, a nylon substitute that was the subject of about a dozen OWI photos. - Dave]
Re: ConnecticutConnecticut is a lingering stronghold of duckpin bowling. This appears to be that game.
Virginia is for lovers...........of duckpin bowling as well. I grew up in the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia, from the late 50s until I left in 1977 with my new husband of just one year (of marriage, not age, before anyone else comments), right after he got out of the Air Force, having been stationed at Langley AFB for his entire enlistment.
Duckpin bowling was a major force in bowling competition when I was a little girl, and my dad taught me how to bowl in duckpins because the smaller duckpin balls were/are easier to handle by smaller children's hands. I got pretty good at it too. Adult leagues were going strong then, and it was amazing to me to watch the men in the men's and mixed leagues fire those little balls down the alleys like rifle shot at the short, squatty pins waiting at the other end!
It was still quite popular when I left the area for the "Great Midwaste" in 1977, to accompany my husband to his home territory. I haven't heard anything to the contrary since then about it still being quite popular.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, Small Towns, Sports)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8e10831u.thumbnail.jpg "Hot Rivalries: 1942")
- Wright Whirlwind: 1942
- ... shop. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard R. Hollem.
My God. I'm sitting here looking at this beautiful woman, and ... Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 12:34pm -
![August 1942. Mechanic Mary Josephine Farley works on a Wright Whirlwind motor in the Corpus Christi, Texas, Naval Air Base assembly and repairs shop. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard R. Hollem.
My God.I'm sitting here looking at this beautiful woman, and then I realise ... 65 years ago.
Older than my motherYeah I'm 51 and whenever I look at these beautiful women I have to keep reminding myself that they were all born before my 79-year-old mother.
There's something about them though that makes them seem more in synch with our times than the women of say a decade later. Don't know what it is.
Mary JosephineThis is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I found this in the Archival Collection at Texas Woman’s University.
“Mary Josephine Farley Tilton, Letters, 1943-1944, 5 folders. Native of Aransas Pass, Texas. Worked as an engine mechanic and Link trainer instructor during World War II, then joined the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP), class 43-W-4. Later was commissioned in the Air Force. Served in Germany during the Korean War. Graduated in 1965 from Midwestern University with a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education and became a teacher. Letters (all photocopies), written to her family, document Tilton's experiences as a WASP trainee at Avenger Field Sweetwater, Texas, and a ferry pilot based at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. Also includes news articles and a copy of "The Flying V," newsletter of Love Field's ferrying group and a color copy of photograph [1943 or 1944]. Gift of Mary Josephine Tilton, 1995.
Mary JosephineThis touching photograph is quite similar to a painting by Norman Rockwell.
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” Dorothea Lange
"65 years ago"Makes you want to go find a DeLorean and a flux capacitor.
Mary Josephine FarleyI am uploading a photo of her in her WASP uniform taken in 1943.
[Thank you, whoever you are! - Dave]
ColourizationInteresting with all the comments on colourization, that here is another colourized shot.
My first job in a photo studio was making prints for the artist downstairs to colourize. We would make a black and white print, and then "sepia tone" it (boy, that smelled). The sepia would add the warm tones to areas not painted. On the back of the print we would write all the colours to be used -- "complexion," "hair colour," "eye colour," "misc." She would then use transparent dyes to add the colour and varnish over it (or "fixative" in the later years).
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34879u_0.thumbnail.jpg "Wright Whirlwind: 1942")
- News Flash: 1944
- ... at Times Square." Large-format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem or Edward Meyer, Office of War Information. View full size.
... Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:07pm -
- Texas Tail: 1942
- ... end up flying this thing. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Holding the Bucking ... Posted by Dave - 02/22/2013 - 8:03pm -
- Off We Go: 1942
- ... at Corpus Christi, Texas, Naval Air Base." Kodachrome by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Kingfisher Vought ... Posted by Dave - 04/03/2015 - 7:44am -
- Corpus Christi: 1942
- ... plane. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
CC 1942 I believe that the ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:55am -
![August 1942. Naval Air Base at Corpus Christi, Texas. Jesse Rhodes Waller, aviation ordnance mate third class, tries out a 30-caliber machine gun he has just installed in a Navy plane. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
CC 1942I believe that the plane is a PBY Catalina used in recon missions, I don't think they were normally armed until later. Anyone know if this is true?
PBY CatalinaIt is indeed a Catalina, but I think they were designed with offensive capabilities from the onset. "Bomber" is even in the prefix.
Navy PBYThis is a PBY-5 or 5A. First to have the "blister" for gun location. The PBY-3 had a sliding hatch. Probably a recruiting photo as the guns in the 2 blisters were .50 caliber. The .30 caliber was used in the bow location and in the tunnel hatch in rear section of the plane. The PBY designation means Patrol Bomber built by Consolidated Aircraft. They sometimes carried torpedoes, as was done at the start of the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
You can even see the sweatAt first this photo reminded me of some of the "near real" computer generated scenes you see in current war films. The color, the depth of field, the contrast - everything has a feel of careful perfection beyond normal shots. Of course that is all true in this case. But what really sets it apart is the sweat on the arms and neck of the gunner. It was what gunners dealt with and more real it couldn't be.
[I have another photo of Jesse (the third on Shorpy) to post later today. The first one is here. - Dave]
Jack CramMajor Cram flew General Geiger's personal PBY Catalina flying boat in an attack on Japanese shipping on October 15, 1942. Click to read about this event in Jack Cram's own words. See the section titled "The Aircraft" to see a photo of his PBY and for additional info.
http://www.daveswarbirds.com/cactus/cactus.htm
WW2 BombersA WW2 AAF vet once said that what is missing in photos is the incredible smell of newness of the planes having just so recently been delivered from the factory. As the interiors are largely unlined metal and lined with insulated wire and cables I can imagine the type of smell you get in a machine shop being present.
Navy PBYMy dad was a PBY Instructor in Corpus Christi probably around 1943-1944. I'd love to learn more about this plane and the Naval Air Training Base around this time. I'm a student pilot, myself--at 60 years old. My dad, if he were still with us, would be 95 years old. Any info about the plane, the training setting, and the crew members who flew them back then would be wonderful!
Beautiful PBY When new they smelled like anti-corrosion paint, cosmoline and the wax most of the rubber and fabric wiring was coated with. The forward bubble was so big, they had to add plexi-glas stiffener strips to it to keep it from flexing at speed. Some of the weapons were on an arm that could swing away and locked in stow so the huge blister could be un-latched and rotated down, more for flight efficiency than crew comfort.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34876u.thumbnail.jpg "Corpus Christi: 1942")
- Plastic n Plywood: 1942
- ... likes her overstuffed Teddy Bear." 4x5 nitrate negative by Howard Hollem. View full size.
Rent Using the inflation calculator the ... Posted by Dave - 02/20/2012 - 4:10pm -
![January 1942. Bantam, Connecticut. "Defense homes. Fred Heath works on the night shift at the Warren McArthur plant in Bantam, and spends his days with Mrs. Heath and their three-year-old daughter, Ann. Here they are in the living room of the Heaths' new four-room apartment, part of the new eighty-unit defense housing project just five minutes walk from the plant. The Heaths, who pay thirty dollars rent, like overstuffed chairs, and Ann also likes her overstuffed Teddy Bear." 4x5 nitrate negative by Howard Hollem. View full size.
RentUsing the inflation calculator the equivalent rent today would be $435/mo. I wonder what the dad's salary equivalent today is.
Cushy job?Of course they liked the overstuffed chairs. The Warren McArthur plant in Bantam made upholstered seating for bombers and other planes. Its name changed many times following the war, from Warren McArthur to Aerotherm Corp., to Aerotec Industries, UOP Aerospace Division, PTC Aerospace, and finally, in 1992, B/E Aerospace. It closed its Bantam operations in 2002, and shifted its CT operations to facilities in Ireland and North Carolina.
BoomThis instantly reminded me of one of those "typical" rooms the military had set up in the blast range during the atomic bomb tests in the 50's.
Re: RentI have no idea what this dad's salary was, but last week while touring the Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum here in Baltimore, I noticed in a display case a 1944 "New Employee" info card, for unskilled labor. His starting hourly wage was 60 cents an hour = about $5.50 today.
Cute little Anndoesn't care that the walls are plywood!
Idle chatterIn the context of the photo I know why the overstuffed chair thing is relevant, but when I read the caption it seemed like such an odd thing to say about a family. You can almost imagine one of the neighbors: "Oh, the Heaths? Nice folks. They sure like their overstuffed chairs, those kids do."
Nice to knowI am wondering if little Ann would remember this? She would be 72 now, so maybe she is still alive. Would one of our many genealogy researchers like to find out?
DiplomaI am guessing that it is the mother's high school diploma from Torrington HS in Connecticut that is on the wall. Her first name appears to be Mary but I cannot make out the last name or year. The last name does not appear to be Heath. If we could enlarge that section we might have her maiden name and a good guess on her age for the genealogy folks to use.
Some time back I was able to download the large tiff files from the LOC and view them, but I don't remember how I did it. Can someone help me out.
[The link to the tiff is on this page. - tterrace]
Mary Giarneseb. 12/27/1922
d. 08/23/2000
Radiators and ply wood wallsHow strange that there are still homes who use those radiators today. I have heard that they are in homes all over NYC. I don't remember ever seeing a home with ply wood walls.
Like a childHer Daddy is her biggest Hero.you can see it in her smile.
Where The Heaths Live Here's a shot of a wintertime, ice and snow covered street in the business district of the town where the Heaths have taken up residence while Mr. Heath works for Warren McArthur.
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_8e10822u.thumbnail.jpg "Plastic n Plywood: 1942")
- Back the Invasion: 1944
- ... on D-Day, Madison Square." Medium format negative by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Were there any ... Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:18pm -
![June 6, 1944. "New York. Part of the parade on D-Day, Madison Square." Medium format negative by Howard Hollem, Office of War Information. View full size.
Were there any anti-invasion people?I know during WWII this country had a very small minority of objectors but it's hard to believe at that time there would be any anti-D-Day people out counter-marching. Unless they were daredevils with a death wish. Especially in NYC!
New York City slickersThank goodness I can finally get rid of this unsafe rainwear and pick up some of the good stuff at the Safe Rainewear Co.
That's the Flatiron Building at the far rightThe Nic Nac, Freud Bar, and Adam Hat buildings are still there. The view looks to the SW from the SE corner of Madison Square Park.
View Larger Map
Who Were They?Any idea what group this was? There seem to be quite a few draft-age men in it: what looks like "ime" and a ship's wheel on the banner makes me wonder if it might be some sort of maritime or merchant marine union.
[National Maritime Union of America - CIO. - Dave]
That Nurse better be carefulThere are Rogue Sailors going around sweeping Women off their feet and kissing them hard on the lips.
Mayor's D-Day CommitteeThe next morning, the New York Times reported on the events surrounding a rally held on June 6 near the Eternal Light at Madison Square Park, featuring clergy and rabbis, singers of the major allied nations, and of course Hizzoner, Mayor LaGuardia. It also described the work of members of the "Mayor's D-Day Committee" in publicizing the rally through leafleting.
Bar sign is still thereThe bar sign for Metro Bar is still prominent as a sign for the Live Bait Restaurant and Bar. Either it's the original or an identical one.
Check out that AmbulanceWhat model of truck was that ambulance? I never saw one with a window in the shape of a cross! Much more stylistic than utilitarian.
"Good Like Nedick's!"Nedick's had a superb orange drink that could never be duplicated and the hot dog on a toasted bun was a special treat. When Mom bought you a "dog and an orange" you knew she loved you dearly. On the radio when the Knicks sank a basket you'd hear announcer Marty Glickman exclaim, "Good like Nedick's!"
Nic-NacNic-Nac is now a Quiznos, the Metro Bar is now Live Bait, a Cajun themed bar/restaurant. The building that housed The Safe Rainwear Co and those to the west of it were destroyed by fire October 17, 1966. Twelve firemen died fighting the blaze.
1944New York City police used Plymouth coupes, white on the top and dark blue-green on the bottom. The one in this picture looks so good to me. That bus type was used on the cross towns.
Safe Rainwear Co connectionFunny that Jon commented on the Safe Rainwear Co. - That was actually my wife's grandfather's store. He hailed from Poland, emigrating to Italy in the 1930's, finding himself an Austrian wife (also originally from Poland) and settling down in Rome. Just prior to the start of WWII he prudently realized it was time to say goodbye to Hitler's Europe and emigrate to the US. With his wife and two (soon to be three) small children in tow, he embarked on a 2 1/2 year long journey which took them through France, Cyprus, Spain, and Portugal, finally arriving in NYC in 1941. Not speaking a lick of English when they got here (although they both spoke multiple languages), they quickly achieved English proficiency, and opened up this store on 23rd Street. Over the years he opened up several stores in NYC, including one down on Nassau street. When his son (my father-in-law) took over the 23rd street store, he changed the name to "Victor's", and eventually sold the store in the early eighties.
Update: Talking to my father-in-law yielded the origin of the name "Safe" rainwear - his father concatenated the first two letters of his and his wife's first names (Samuel and Sadie) and last name (Feiwel).
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, NYC, Patriotic, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_8d36280u.thumbnail.jpg "Back the Invasion: 1944")
- Lucille Mazurek: 1943
- ... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard R. Hollem for the Office of War Information.
Penny for Your Thoughts I ... Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 2:01pm -
![February 1943. Lucille Mazurek, age 29, ex-housewife, husband going into the service. Working at the Heil and Co. factory in Milwaukee on blackout lamps to be used on Air Force gasoline trailers. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard R. Hollem for the Office of War Information.
Penny for Your ThoughtsI would *love* to know what the lady in the corner is thinking:
"That redheaded vixen and her damn lipstick... God, I hate her..."
Electric?Most curious...I'd think that these would be electric lamps, but can't figure why they'd have pipe/tubing fittings on them. Any ideas?
And, Mrs. Mazurek is certainly beautiful.
Blackout lightsBeen doing a little online research and have some basics. A blackout light generally put out a rectangular beam of light smaller than what a regular headlight would. In many of the examples I've seen online there was a sort of shield at the top of the rectangular beam that would keep light from spreading upward, and being visible to aircraft overhead. Some wartime jeeps had blackout lights under the regular headlights, but some models - probably made early on - had a single blackout light mounted on the driver's side fender. Presumably most military vehicles hadt to be similarly retrofitted with blackout lights. I'm just guessing, but the tubes look to be designed to protect the wiring of the retrofitted lights from water or other environmental damage from being exposed, and (probably more important on a gasoline trailer) to eliminate the possibility of sparking.
Explosion-proof blackout lampsI believe the conduit (tubing & fittings) was used to house the wiring and provide an explosion-proof lamp assembly. The sealed lamp wiring was necessary to prevent any potential internal ignition (such as an electrical spark) from escaping to the outside atmosphere, which for a gasoline trailer could contain explosive gas fumes.
Here is a web page that describes military blackout lamps and includes some photos.
Mike_G
Blackout lamp?Ok, what is a blackout lamp? I imagine it is something used during blackouts, but what is it? A light with a red lens?
hmmm... the tight sweater probably didn't hurt her employment opportunities.
Blackout lampsVehicles hauling inflammable liquids typically had the wiring sealing inside metallic tubing to prevent a loose connection from arcing and igniting fumes.
Hmmm...Quarter after five..Must be the second shift. Anyway, my guess to Lonestar's question is that since these are blackout lamps for a gasoline trailer, the copper tubing could be used as an electric wire conduit to reduce the chance of electric sparks-copper used because it is a non-sparking metal when struck.
And to robcat2075 and Jason Martens: Y'all be careful now, that Ms Lucille looks like an Irish lass with that red hair, and you wouldn't want to go and get her mad at you...she looks like she could be a handful.
Not the Air Force yetNot to be too picky, but the USAF wasn't formed until 1947. That really should read "Air Corps gasoline trailers".
[Not quite. "Air Force" was short for Army Air Forces, the name of the flying service from 1941 to 1947. Before 1941 it was the Army Air Corps. - Dave]
Heil and CompanyIt appears that Heil and Company started in Milwaukee in 1901 and is still in business.
http://www.heiltrailer.com/history.aspx
[Thanks Jack! If you signed up for a user account and then logged in, your comments would appear right away. - Dave]
In the 1940sEvery woman was lovely and graceful and every man was handsome and dashing.
Lucille Mazurek 1913-1991Mrs. Mazurek passed away in Milwaukee in 1991 according to the SSDI.
She certainly was a beautiful woman.
No wedding ring.No wedding ring. I wonder if they were required to remove them when working or is the photo reversed?
[As we can tell from Lucille's ID badge and the writing on the metal parts, the photo is not reversed. - Dave]
No rings allowedMost factories had rules against too much jewelry, but in this case, it may have interfered with her work - she has a ring line on her finger, so I guess she took it off when working. A lot of gold bands back then were softer alloys, like 24-carat, than a lot of bands nowadays, too, so maybe she didn't want it marked up or abused.
Re: No rings allowedThe lady's wedding ring could have been made from no softer than 18kt gold, not 24kt gold. Pure gold, as in 24kt gold, was entirely too soft to be made into wedding rings, or most all other forms of jewelry, which is why it is alloyed with other metals. This improves the strength and wearability of gold jewelry, as well as the working characteristics while being formed into jewelry. It also increases the affordability of the wedding rings, as pure gold would have been much too expensive to be affordable by most people.
Most common alloy used for wedding rings was, and still is, 14kt, as it provides the best characteristics of affordability, durability and workability. During the war years, gold wedding rings were in both high demand and decreased availability, and platinum was not available at all due to its requirements for the war industry in electronic devices. White gold was the most usual substitute, while palladium filled in some of that gap.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Factories, Howard Hollem, Milwaukee, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34977u_0.thumbnail.jpg "Lucille Mazurek: 1943")
- Ordnance Mate Waller: 1942
- ... mate." View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.
Possibly.. This may be Jesse R. Waller born 22 Sep 1918 and died ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 12:43pm -
![August 1942, Corpus Christi, Texas: "It's an intricate operation, installing a 30-caliber machine gun in a Navy PBY plane, but not too tricky for Jesse Rhodes Waller. He's a Georgia man who's been in the Navy 5-1/2 years. At the Naval Air Base he sees that the flying ships are kept in tip-top shape. Waller is an aviation ordnance mate." View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem.
Possibly..This may be Jesse R. Waller born 22 Sep 1918 and died 16 Sep 1983 in Virginia. If so, he worked on railroads after the service.
hide that one from the marketers...... or they'll photoshop "the new fragrance by XYZ" on the side ;-(
That's one hell of a cool picture, right there!
White socks?White socks, penny loafers, flying helmet and goggles just to install a gun? Me thinks the photographer didn't know what the military worn when he dressed the "model".
[Jesse Waller was a Navy ordnance mate stationed at the Corpus Christi naval air base. The photo was posed as a study for a recruiting poster. - Dave]
Why is Jessie wearing pennieWhy is Jessie wearing pennie loafers?
[We might also ask why Jesse is wearing penny loafers.]
penny loafersActually these are not penny loafers. He is wearing a pair of black buckle strap oxfords similar to an optional shoe that could be worn by army air force officers. I have not seen this shoe in black before but its probably something a naval aviator could have worn. Jesse is also wearing standard navy issue blue denim trousers and chambray work shirt along with a load carrying equipment belt.
However...
The M-450 navy summer flight helmet(with added electric headphone receivers) and 6530 flying goggles is certainly not something he would be wearing to maintain an aircraft.
-bgb
Jesse Rhodes WallerWhen I first looked at this picture I couldn't believe Jesse looked old enough to have been in the Navy 5-1/2 years by 1942. But I have known guys who kept their boyish faces well into the 30s, including a former college roommate who looked essentially the same 16 yrs after we got out of college.
So, the suggested birth date of September 1918 would have made Jesse almost 24 at the time this picture was taken and as he'd turned 18 in 1936, he'd have had time for 5-1/2 years in the Navy as well as the Great Depression to motivate him to join. Remember, that to most people in the US, WWII was not yet seen as inevitable in 1936. In fact, most in the US in the late 1930s strongly hoped to stay out of another war even if one did occur.
We have a believable age and a youthful model--great for an enlistment poster. As for the shoes, they are indeed buckle strap--I took the photo into my photo program and blew it up and lightened it enough to see the buckle on the foot that's still on the concrete. Likewise the toe area of the other shoe is too tapered to be a penny loafer.
As for the white socks, perhaps they were the absorbent type as we wear today, a real boon for an active man in hot leather shoes in the steamy August climate of Corpus Christi, TX.
While the goggles and helmet would not have been worn by a maintenance mechanic, there is an explanation for that, also. There are two companion pictures to this one showing Jesse "trying out" the newly installed machine gun and he has both the helmet and goggles on as you would expect. Here and here.
There's no evidence he actually fired the gun but he's got the right "look" for it in this other photo, I think.
There were many other photos taken of the base, other military and civilian personnel, and of Corpus Christi generally at the same time. Most are not color, but a surprising number for that time are.
One other item about him turned up in the small search I did: Two months after this picture was taken young Jesse and his wife had a baby girl they named Beverly Carolyn (or perhaps the other way around.) She could well be living today, as she'd only be about 66.
So the Jesse R Waller mentioned by another poster who passed away in Virginia in 1983 may very well be this man. The dates certainly fit.
Excellent photo and it could have made a powerful recruiting poster indeed.
High caliber photo but low caliber gunBy the time of this photo it was quite obvious to the U.S. military that a .30 caliber machine gun was inadequate for attacking enemy aircraft or, in the case of this PBY, for defense. Japanese fighters had guns as large as 20 millimeter (and sometimes bigger than that), and Japanese machine guns that fired .51 caliber (by our measure) came along during World War Two. Equipping U.S. fighters with as many as eight "fifties" created a fearsome opponent; other Allied aircraft were fitted with multiple guns of that size and cannon, too. Among heavy bombers, the aptly-named B-17 Flying Fortress eventually had thirteen .50 caliber guns. (My Uncle Andrew was a B-17 tail gunner.)
Here's a comparison of ammunition sizes.
Stylish Safety That heavy belt he's wearing has straps on either side for attaching to his gun mount, kept the gunner from being tossed around by the pilot's evasive maneuvers and steep banked turns. There were an awful lot of sharp and pointy parts on those highly functional military aircraft, I've got the scars to prove it.
(The Gallery, Aviation, Howard Hollem, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34894u.thumbnail.jpg "Ordnance Mate Waller: 1942")
- D-Day: New York
- ... on the New York Times building at Times Square." Photo by Howard Hollem or Edward Meyer for the Office of War Information. View full size. ... Posted by Dave - 06/06/2013 - 10:25am -
![New York, June 6, 1944. ALLIED ARMIES LAND ON COAST OF FRANCE. GREAT INVASION OF CONTINENT BEGINS. "D-Day. Crowd watching the news line on the New York Times building at Times Square." Photo by Howard Hollem or Edward Meyer for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Unidentified ObjectDoes anyone know what the curved metal object with letters on it is? It appears to be on top of a car on the right.
[DeSoto "Sky View" taxicab sign. - Dave]
Internet, 1944is what this could have been titled. The scrolling electric sign was as good as it got then, and I am sure those folks were fairly amazed to see it. I wonder what it took to program it?
My great-uncle went in at D Day +60 (August 7) as a replacement in the 2nd Infantry Division (L Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment); he was seriously wounded at Brest, France, a month later, died in 1956...and I was named for him.
That was never far from my mind when I served in Iraq in 2004 at the same age he was when he earned his Purple Heart and (I believe) a Bronze Star.
To all those who went in on D-Day...and throughout WWII, I stand and salute.
So what about that moving sign?According to various sources the NY Times installed the first moving "news ticker" in 1928, using 14,800 electric bulbs. Given the technology of the day, I can only guess that each bulb required a relay, which would have to click on and off almost instantly to momentarily light its bulb, as the text scrolls along. This must have been a maintenance challenge (there seems to be a few extra bulbs lit, and some brighter ones that may just have been replaced). They may have used or even invented the "matrix" technique still used today for LCD displays, which uses "crosspoint" wiring to greatly reduce the number of lines going from the elements to the control system, but my mind still boggles at the number of wires remaining, and what kind of electro-mechanical system translated "operator input" to the streaming text. If only Shorpy's world-wide readership included a retired electro-mechanical sign technician!
Just the technology of the news line was something...Before zooming in to see the image full size, on first glance the guy on the left and the guy 2nd from the right were in a posture not to different than someone holding a cellphone to the ear. Of course it's clear they were dragging on fags, sucking on coffin nails, drawing down on Pall Malls while taking in the portentous news. As someone not born until 12 years after the war was over - I am fascinated by what day to day life in the US was like, mobilized for war. Of course I grew up knowing it was a success, but at that very moment, who knew how this was going to work out - the intensity of the moment, even for folks in the street in Times Square, must have been incredible.
Pausing to rememberMy brother landed D-Day plus 12 and my uncle D-Day plus 20. They were lucky, I guess, and returned to us to live out long lives. Great photo. Really profound.
6-6-44Yet to be born, a twinkle in my father's eye as he dropped from the sky into Caen with the Canadians early that morning. RIP Dad.
23,740 days later
Kind of Gladwe can't see many faces in the crowd. We'd have to start wondering what they were thinking -- Is my son there? My dad? My husband? My brother?
Funny but I cannot summon up any memory of D-Day. VE and VJ Days, and the dropping of the two A-bombs are sharp and clear, but not D-Day.
I think perhaps that it might relate to what happened in early May. I was out riding my trike when a Western Union messenger rode up on his bike and went into the three-family apartment in which I lived. I heard a terrible scream through the open windows of the first-floor unit. All the neighbors (women since the men were in the military or working) flocked to the apartment with screams continuing for some time. I learned that the woman's son had been killed in action.
I did not totally understand the horror, but I was sad because the young man had been very nice to the punk kid airplane nut from the third floor, even letting me hold his model planes.
The first-floor family were an elderly couple, with the one child, who had become a fighter pilot in the Pacific. The husband walked with heavy braces and crutches, and, as I later learned, they just quit and gave up life. They moved within days and we never heard from them again.
I think that I was in a bit of a void for a while.
Walking to churchOn January 6, 1944, I was 6 years old in Fort Smith, Arkansas, part of a young generation which at the time had no knowledge of a condition known as peace. On that day, my mother received a phone call from a fellow church member who was calling everyone in the congregation to say that the invasion was under way. This was the signal to come to the church to pray. Our family; mother, father and two boys walked to the church to pray for the safety and success of our "American Boys" on that day.
DeSoto Sky ViewThose great old DeSoto cabs had a sliding roof panel to let passengers see the views above them while being carried through the Manhattan canyons. The skyscraper with the clock housed the Paramount Theatre, a wonderful place to visit for a movie and a live stage show. I saw Phil Spitalny and his "All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and her Magic Violin" there with my family. The movie was "Miss Susie Slagle's," starring Veronica Lake and Sonny Tufts.
Bright Lights, Big SignRadio CoverageThe National Archives in College Park, Maryland has recordings of the entire NBC and CBS broadcast day from D-Day and anyone can go in and listen to them. It's a very good way to get a sense of what the day was like for people at home listening on the radio as events unfolded.
News ZipperFrom a 2005 NYT article on the Zipper:
The Motograph News Bulletin, to use its original formal name, began operation on Nov. 6, 1928, election night, as a band of 14,800 light bulbs that extended 380 feet long and 5 feet high around the fourth floor of what was then the Times Tower. It was installed for The New York Times by Frank C. Reilly, according to an article in The Times, which identified Mr. Reilly as the inventor of electric signs with moving letters.
Inside the control room, three cables poured energy into transformers. The hookup to all the bulbs totaled 88,000 soldered connections. Messages from a ticker came to a desk beside a cabinet like the case that contained type used by old-time compositors. The cabinet contained thin slabs called letter elements. An operator composed the message, letter by letter, in a frame.
The frame, when filled with the letters and spaces that spelled out a news item, was inserted in a magazine at one end of a track. A chain conveyor moved the track, and each letter in the frame brushed a number of electrical contacts. Each contact set a light flashing on Broadway.
There were more than 39,000 brushes, which had to undergo maintenance each month. The frame with the letter elements passed up and overhead, forming an endless circuit. Mr. Reilly calculated that there were 261,925,664 flashes an hour.
D-DayJune 6, 1944, I was 16 years old and in Basic Training with the the US Maritime Service at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Many of us teenagers had close relatives in the military and wished we were there with them to fight the Axis. A month later, I was in a North Atlantic convoy assigned to a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun hoping that a Nazi plane would dare to fly over. "I'd show 'em." Of course I didn't tell this to my shipmates.
skyview cabI believe this is the light-up sign on top of the Sky-View Cab Company. It looks like neon. I was watching an old movie from the forties (?) on TCM and I noticed these cabs. They had a sunroof cut into the roof of the cab so the passengers in the back seat could look up and see the buildings. I can't remember the movie, but the plot involved the passenger looking up and seeing something relevant to the story line. It must have been a gimmick for the cab company. It also must have been one of the early sunroofs in a car!
More SkyviewThe Skyview NYC Taxicab that the tipster may have seen on TCM was in the musical "Anchors Aweigh". The scene where Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are Standing up and looking out at the city in Betty Garrett's Skyview cab. Those DeSoto Skyview Cabs were sold exclusively through James Waters Chrysler Agency in Long Island City, Queens.
The price for a new one was about $1100. I once heard a story that he was Walter Chrysler's Son-in-Law but I can't confirm it.
The Skyview cabs were all over the placewhen I lived in NYC from 1941 - 44. They were stretched DeSotos with a couple of fold-up seats and the roof had glass so that one could see the tall buildings. There was also a radio built into the armrest on the right. The driver turned it on and the passenger controlled the rest. I had many rides in those cabs.
Hovercraft at D-Day@sjack: I don't mean to rain on your parade, and I certainly don't wish to denigrate the memory of your father and his courageous service to our nation in World War II, but I'm quite sure he didn't lower tanks onto hovercraft for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The US Army did not make use of hovercraft until Viet Nam, and then it was only on an experimental basis. As your comment is titled, memories are funny sometimes.
Perhaps your dad talked about loading tanks onto landing craft, not hovercraft, like the LST (landing ship tank) or smaller versions like the LCU (landing craft utility), which were flat-hulled vessels that could approach fairly close to the beach and lower a ramp on the bow, allowing troops and vehicles to exit.
The Bronx is up but the Battery's down"New York, New York, A Helluva Town" was sung in the Broadway "On the Town" but for the film changed to "New York, New York, A Wonderful Town" because of those archaic Hollywood codes at that time. Los Angeles may have our Dodgers but they don't have our songs or our Skyview Cabs.
RememberingDuring my early teen's in the 1950's I was invited along on several fishing trips with 3 WWII veterans. One had been an Army Ranger, one a sailor who had been on the Murmansk Run, and the third a paratrooper. You can imagine the banter among those guys. The Ranger was in the D-Day invasion and had been wounded in the buttocks. The Navy vet always asked him how he could have sustained that injury advancing from the beach. Curiously, the paratrooper never spoke any particulars of his service. They're gone now, but I remember them being nice to this kid. Thanks guys.
UnawareJune 6, 1944 - I was happily gestating in my mother's womb and would be born during the Battle of the Bulge (no relation to mom's condition). My dad, drafted in 1940 into the 7th Cavalry (yes, Custer's old outfit) had been converted into armor and was preparing to sail overseas to a place called Leyte Gulf in the Philippines where he would be wounded and spend the rest of the war, plus another year, in Letterman Hospital in S.F. Until his death in 1996 he could remember most of his company's buddies names and the names of their horses.
More on radio coverageThe NBC and CBS D-Day broadcasts are available at the Internet Archive.
NBC:
http://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay
CBS:
http://archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day
That woundHow your Ranger probably caught that one: We were taught in training that buttocks wounds were very common; moving forward under fire without decent cover, one crawls. It is most difficult to accomplish this without making your buttocks the highest point of your body!
Let us never forget the men of D-Day.An awful lot of them gave up their tomorrows so we could enjoy our todays.
'On The Town'Is the movie 'Mr. Mel' is thinking of; 'Anchors Aweigh' is set in Hollywood. Right Stars, wrong movie.
'Lest We Forget'A line from Ford's 'She wore a Yellow Ribbon' that fits this day so well.
Odd TriviaThere are a couple of boats trading on the Great Lakes today that were at the Normandy invasion. One still carries the battle ribbons with stars on her bridge wings.
One other point is that the Times building was of very attractive design before it was covered up with billboards.
Communiqué No. 1I followed the NBC link provided by hlupak604 and listened to some of the radio coverage and heard, more than once, the short text of Communiqué No. 1 from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, which appears to form the basis for the scrolling text on the news zipper. It runs as follows: "Under the command of General Eisenhower, allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France."
Thanks! Uncle SamMy uncle Sam (no pun intended) landed at Omaha Beach, and immediately sustained an injury to his head. He was fitted with a metal plate to replace the part of his skull that he lost. Needless to say, his fighting days were over.
However, he went on to be become an accomplished auto mechanic. Family, friends, and neighbors all asked him for automotive advice.
He passed away last year at the age of 90.
Thanks, Uncle Sam! - because of your sacrifices, I am free today to write this.
Yeah, I remember.Although we didn't know it at the time, my brother was in the sand of Utah Beach just then. He survived the war. I remember vividly the headlines in The Detroit Times that afternoon, "WE WIN BEACHES". Due to the time difference, of course, there was plenty of fresh news of the invasion in the afternoon paper. I've been a news junkie since.
May we never forgethow brave these men were. My uncle fought in Okinawa in 1945, unfortunately he never made it out alive. I still have the last letter he wrote to his "beloved mama", what a sweet soul he was. Bless them one and all.
Memories are funny sometimesMy father was on a supply ship in the English Channel on D Day, lowering tanks into hovercraft that were being sent to French beach heads. Many, many, times I tried to discuss his experiences that day but he never really had much to say. He said that on D Day he was "on the water" (in the Channel) and they were pretty much working constantly getting the tanks loaded and shipped. They slept whenever they could he said. He landed at Utah beach (but didn't say when) and moved up the coast doing whatever was asked (he was in a supply unit) until he got to Belgium. And that was pretty much all I got out of him. His shared memories of the battle of the Bulge were even more meager ("it was very cold"). I'm jealous of people whose fathers discussed their war experiences; mine just didn't seem to want to share.
Cold for JuneI realize most people dressed up in public back then, but most of the women in the photo are wearing overcoats. It must have been cold in New York that June day in 1944.
Hovercraft tanks, sort ofOne of many unique innovations for the D Day invasion was the "Duplex Drive" tank, essentially a standard Sherman tank which was fitted with an inflatable, collapsible canvas screen and twin screw props which would enable the tank to float like a boat and wade ashore.
Unfortunately, the contraption worked best in calm water, something that was in short supply off the Normandy coast that day. I remember a buddy of mine whose dad had served with the US Navy at the invasion re-telling his dad's stories of the DD tanks being dropped off in deeper, rough water due to enemy fire and sinking like rocks.
Fortunately enough of the tanks were able to make it on shore to provide badly needed armor support for the ground troops, and the tanks were deemed successful enough to serve in the invasion of Southern France two months later, as well as during numerous river crossing operations during the remainder of 1944 and 1945.
Good article with photos of the tanks:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank
Full messageI believe the full message read: "ALLIES LAND ON NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE UNDER STRONG AIR COVER"
(The Gallery, Howard Hollem, NYC, WW2)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/8d36243u.thumbnail.jpg "D-Day: New York")
- Mother's Little Helper: 1942
- ... for their apartment." Medium format nitrate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Yeah, I ... Posted by Dave - 07/14/2012 - 5:50am -
- Avenging Angels: 1943
- ... Africa, Europe and the Aleutians." 4x5 acetate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Rosie the ... Posted by Dave - 12/07/2021 - 1:11pm -
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