Rosie the Riveter History
First things first: What is a "riveter," anyway? A riveter is someone who operates a riveting gun, a necessary tool in the manufacturing industry. Many of the women who were inspired to join the work force by Rosie the Riveter actually did very little (if any) riveting, simply because their jobs didn't require it. In fact, the number of women who filled manufacturing roles never exceeded 10 percent of the overall women's working class, which numbered some 19 million [source: PBS].
The Rosie phenomenon came about following the beginning of United States involvement in World War II in 1941. A song titled "Rosie the Riveter," written by John Jacob Loeb and Redd Evans, was released in the early months of 1943. The lyrics described exactly the type of role the government was hoping women would fill during wartime: "She's a part of the assembly line, she's making history, working for victory, Rosie the Riveter."
On May 29, 1943, Rockwell's depiction of Rosie appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. At the time, Rockwell had a reputation as the most popular illustrator in the country, so his cover reached a massive audience, bringing Rosie's unique and groundbreaking image to the forefront of attention [source: Library of Congress]. Rockwell sought 19-year-old Mary Doyle to serve as a model for Rosie, although he made some drastic changes to her natural appearance by adding a muscular physique [source: Rosie the Riveter].
