VISUAL ACTIVITY

Riveting Rosies Dora Miles (left) and Dorothy Johnson (right) were among the millions of women (nicknamed “Rosie the Riveter”) who flocked to work in war industries at jobs formerly held by men. Like many other women war workers, Miles and Johnson helped build airplanes. Here they are depicted riveting the frame of an aircraft at a plant in Long Beach, California.

READING THE IMAGE: How does the work Miles and Johnson are doing compare to the conventional work routines of women before the war? What does the photo suggest about the relationship between Miles (driving the rivet into a hole) and Johnson (smashing the end of the rivet snug against the airframe)?

CONNECTIONS: What contributions did American women make to the war effort?

Library of Congress, 8e01288.