Rosie the Riveter from the iconic poster “We Can Do It!” became a timeless symbol of the determination and resilience of women in the face of adversity. Her image remains one of the most significant symbols of modern feminism, but does it actually represent a real person?
The “We Can Do It!” poster was created by J. Howard Miller in 1943, in an effort to boost the morale of female workers in factories and shipyards during World War II. They entered the workforce to support the war effort while men were fighting overseas, taking over jobs traditionally held by men in the United States.
The iconic poster showed a woman in a blue work shirt and red polka-dotted bandana, and its popularity didn’t fade away even decades later. The woman in the poster is known as “Rosie the Riveter”, and her name doesn’t refer to a specific person but rather a composite figure representing countless women who joined the war effort during the ’40s.
“Rosie the Riveter” may not be a real person, but her image was most likely modeled after Naomi Parker, the 20-year-old woman working at Alameda Naval Air Station in California in 1942. Before Parker came forward claiming it was her in the iconic picture, it was believed that the metal presser Geraldine Hoff Doyle was the model of the poster.
As for the name “Rosie the Riveter”, it was first used in the song of the same name by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb in 1942, which was recorded by numerous other artists over the years. The identity of the “real” Rosie is debated, but Rose Will Monroe from the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan emerged as one of the most likely candidates.