Ann Rosener

Ann Rosener was one of the photographers taking pictures of home-front factory work in World War II. Most of her photos focused on women manufacturing war materiel. Here's her obituary.

 Both men and women man the machines which are turning out parts for America's bomber planes at Willow Run, Michigan, 1942

 Negro women with no previous industrial experience are reconditioning used spark plugs in a large Midwest airplane plant, Buick plant, Melrose Park, 1942

 Pioneers of the production line, these two young workers are among the first women ever to operate a centerless grinder, Republic Drill and Tool Company, Chicago, 1942

 Reconditioning used spark plugs for reuse in testing airplane motors, Mighnon Gunn operates this small testing machine with speed and precision although she was new to the job two months ago, 1942

 Spot welding parts for the nacelle of an aircraft engine. These women work in the largest one-story building in the works, the giant bomber plant at Willow Run, Michigan, 1942

 Steady of eye and hand, women workers at the great Willow Run bomber plant are among those throughout the country who are relieving serious shortages of skilled workers by doing such semi-skilled jobs as the one shown here, 1942

Women at work for victory. These young employees of a Midwest drill and tool plant are operating cylindrical grinders which taper drills to specified size, Republic Drill and Tool Company, Chicago, 1942

Russell Lee - Pie Town, black and white

Here are some more black-and-white photos from Pie Town, New Mexico.

 Eating dinner at the all day community sing, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Farm boy playing guitar in front of the filling station and garage, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Farm folks eating dinner at the all-day community sing. 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Farm folks, mostly homesteaders, at dinner during the all day community sing, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Heaping the plates at dinner on the grounds, all day community sing. 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Homesteader's wife and daughter at all day Sunday visiting, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Louis Stagg who runs the cafe and her mother looking at greeting cards which the salesman has. 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Mrs. Leatherman, homesteader from West Texas taking up chicken and dressing at dinner during the all day community sing. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Mrs. Whinery searches the sky for rain clouds. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Putting out the food for dinner at community sing. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 The Caudill family eating dinner in the open the day thew were moving their dugout. 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

The Whinery children playing. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

[playing with fire, it looks like]

Russell Lee - Pie Town in color

As promised, here are Russell Lee's color photos of Pie Town, New Mexico. I'll post another black-and-white set from Pie Town tomorrow.

 Crowd eating free barbeque dinner at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair, 1940

 Friends meeting at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair, 1940

 Fruit wagon at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair, 1940

 Mrs. Bill Stagg with State Quilt, Pie Town, 1940

People at the Fair, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Serving Pies, Town Fair, New Mexico, 1940

 Serving pinto beans at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair barbeque, 1940

 Serving up the barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico, Fair, 1940

Team pulling a car out of the mud; the roads near Pie Town, New Mexico are not improved, 1940

 Jack Whinery and his family, homesteaders, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 School children singing, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Pie Town, New Mexico, at the fair, 1940

Russell Lee - Pie Town

Russell Lee stopped in Pie Town, New Mexico in 1940 and did a series of photos of community events there. Among these were some color slides. Some of these photos have appeared in previous sets here but I wanted to post all the Pie Town photos I have (there are more) in one place.

The black-and-white photos are posted today. Come back tomorrow for the color photos!

 An all-day community sing in Pie Town, New Mexico, June 1940

 At the community sing. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Farm women and children laughing at some antics of the menfolks, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Farmer and his brother making music, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 George Hutton, farmer from Maud, Oklahoma, playing his violin which he made, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Musicians at the square dance, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Ice cream party at Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

 Two farm women at the dinner of the all day community sing, 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Wife of a homesteader with her WPA music class. These children walk eight miles for their music lessons. Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Lewis Hine - Tenement Workers

Lewis Hine's crusading photography covered many aspects of life of the poorer classes of America in the early 1900s. So far I've covered the oyster shuckers and newsies. Now I'll post some of his pictures of tenement home workers.

Mostly recent immigrants, tenement dwellers in late 18th-early 19th century America often lived in wretched conditions. Naturally they were a population ripe for exploitation. For many, this exploitation came in the form of "home work": people were given items on consignment to process in some way (as the photos will show), usually for pittance wages and the work consisting of mind-numbing repetitive tasks often requiring work until late in the night to complete. Of course, it wasn't just the adults doing the work: children of all ages had to participate to get the job done.

Many of these images are not of high quality - most were taken indoors and photography at that time was not sophisticated enough to create very good images indoors.

 A common scene in the tenements. Father sits around. "Sometime I make $9, $10 a week on the railroad; sometime nottin'." Helen, 5 years old, and Adeline, 10 years old, help pick nuts. New York, New York, 1911

 Crocheting caps. Upper East Side, New York, 1912

 Doing tags on steps of house near Dennison factory on Vale Street, 

Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1912

 Family of Mrs. Donovan tying tags for Dennison Co. This family has worked on tags for 7 years and makes an average of $30 a month. They often have to work late at night to get done. Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1912

Family of Mrs. Mette making flowers in a very dirty tenement. 

New York, New York, 1911

 Family of Onofrio Cottone, 7 Extra Place, New York, finishing garments in a terribly run down tenement, 1913

 Father hanging around the home while family works on feathers. Said, "I not work. Got some sickness. Dunno what." New York, New York, 1911

 Heavy loads of garments for home-work. 

Near Bleeker St., New York, New York, 1912

 High up on the top floor of a rickety tenement, this mother and her two children were living in a tiny one room, and were finishing garments, New York, 1912

Home of Mrs. Rosina Schiaffo. She is a Contractor, getting lace from the home-workers in the neighborhood. New York, New York, 1911