Yes, she has a name! Although many may confuse her as "Rosie the Riveter", her real name is Geraldine Doyle. The name "Rosie" was defined by Kay Kyser's national hit as an American women who worked in the factories during WWII. In 1942, Geraldine Doyle was working at a Montana factory when she posed for graphic artist J. Howard Miller. The 17-year-old was unaware that she was a model for Rosie, until 1984 when she spotted herself in Modern Maternity Magazine.
When men were forced to leave their jobs to enlist in WWII, companies were in need of employees. As usual, when things get tough men come crawling to us, women, for help. Propaganda was passed through radio, film, television, and print- like Rosie's infamous "We Can Do It" poster! Women ditched their pink collar (secretarial and domestic jobs), for a white one. They were getting down and dirty driving taxis all over town, operating heavy machinery, and working in steel mills. Unfortunately, the slogan "Do the job he left behind" meant women had to have the white collar ironed and ready for their hubby when he returned from war. But, we did it!
