There will be a special meeting of ACT III, a drop-in group for women of retirement age, April 5, 4-5:30 p.m., in Thwing Center’s Spartan Room.
During the Act III meeting, attendees will view and discuss the classic documentary The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, produced and directed by Connie Field.
Rosie the Riveter, the symbol of working women, was born during World War II, when there was an unprecedented demand for new workers. After whirlwind training, women found themselves doing “men’s work,” and they did it so well that production levels rose.
When the war was over, Rosie wanted to stay. But neither the structure of the American economy nor the dominant view of women’s place in society sustained such hopes.
The story is told by the women themselves—five former “Rosies” who recall their histories working in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco during the war. Their testimonies are interwoven with rare archival recruitment films, stills, posters, ads and music from the period that contrast their experiences with the popular legend and mythology of Rosie the Riveter.
Refreshments will be provided, courtesy of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.