Labor Day and the Real Rosie

 

Today’s your day to sit back and take pride in what you do for a living, moldmakers. Happy Labor Day.

Since 1884, the United States has celebrated Labor Day, the “working man’s holiday,” on the first Monday of every September. While it is said to have been founded by union labor leaders, today it seems to represent every working man and woman, especially those who earn their living as proud American manufacturers.

A strong symbol of U.S. manufacturing since the 1940’s has been Rosie. You know her – Rosie the Riveter. But did you know that the iconic poster most folks associate with Rosie is not the original gal flexing her feminine manufacturing might? (That poster was created by J. Howard Miller, who was commissioned by Westinghouse to help promote the war effort.) The real Rosie the Riveter was painted by Norman Rockwell for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. You can read all about it on the U.S. Department of Labor website.

Speaking of Rosie, MoldMaking Technology highlighted the accomplishments of some of the women who are making their mark in our industry. We like to think of them as “Modern Rosies,” and in case you missed these features, here is where you can find them:

Women Impacting Moldmaking, Part 1

Women Impacting Moldmaking, Part 2

Again, from all of us at MoldMaking Technology, we wish everyone a very happy and safe Labor Day holiday.