Original oversize photograph of four women employees at a Buick plant, circa 1940s

[Automobiles]

N.p. N.p., Circa early 1940s. Vintage jumbo oversize borderless photograph of four women workers at a Buick plant, posing on an in-process Buick on the assembly line, circa 1940s.

As with many manufacturers, General Motors would convert a large percentage of their production lines to manufacture munitions for the military as a result of Franklin D. Roosevelt's establishment of the War Production Board in 1942, with the Buick division overseeing ammunition and bomber engine production. Although they were typically paid less than half of what their male counterparts earned, women played a vital role in the company's transition to producing military goods during the war, shifting from secretarial and service-related positions to the production line itself, or entering the workforce for the first time altogether. Women factory laborers in particular were commonly known as "Rosies," in reference to the popular "Rosie the Riveter" propaganda poster. The photograph grants an uncommon glimpse into an unprecedented period in the history of both GM and women laborers, a turning point regarding women's place in industrial manufacturing.

34 x 28 inches, mounted on thick card stock. Generally Very Good plus overall.

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[Book #151326]