Swell factory crew photo.

[VisforVictory]

Found this panoramic image in a frame with absolutely ZERO information associated with it in an antique store in Maryland the other weekend. I can only assume it's the staff of a factory somewhere. Any ideas on a date range?

Posting it in two parts, plus detail enlargements, because the variety of people and outfits make it several photos within a photo.

Ohh, the girls.

And the fellas.

Saddle shoes!


Pinstripes.

The gals on the end.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Saddle shoes looks pissed.

 

[Snookie]

That really is a swell photo! Here's my guess: it's a clothing or textile factory, taken in 1938 (39?). I'm basing my guess on the fact there's a large number of women, but they're all dressed fairly nicely - not in "hard labor" clothes, and the year based primarily on the hairstyles - most of the women are wearing 30's do's, with a couple of the younger girls in longer hairstyles. The shoes, too, look more late 30's to me than anything. I won't go earlier than 1937.

What other kind of plant/company/establishment would hire that many women? Canned goods? Candlemaking? Toothpaste? I would think they'd want to wear aprons for any of those jobs, but I guess not for a posed photo.

Thanks again for sharing!

 

[Snookie]

Saddle shoes looks pissed.

The girl next to her stole her boyfriend - see that around her neck? It's his class ring. Saddle Shoes just noticed it.

 

[miss_elise]

that's a fabulous photo!

 

[AmateisGal]

What a great find! Love it.

 

[CherryRed]

What a fascinating photo. I love it!

 

[Rockapin-up]

The girl next to her stole her boyfriend - see that around her neck? It's his class ring. Saddle Shoes just noticed it.

lol lol lol That's a good onelol lol lol

 

[VisforVictory]

The girl next to her stole her boyfriend - see that around her neck? It's his class ring. Saddle Shoes just noticed it.

Oh, good, so she's single, then??

 

[Twitch]

That's just lovely!

 

[MrNewportCustom]

The guy in the vest, tie and eyeglases, above Saddle Shoes in the third row. Isn't that John Hillerman (Higgins on Magnum P.I.)? lol


Lee

 

[jeep44]

My guess is this was taken during WW2. Just a few men, and those are mostly older. Women did all sorts of industrial jobs then.

 

[MadelienneBlack]

What an awesome photo! Thanks for posting.

 

[Ripper]

Great vintage photo !:eusa_clap

 

[carter]

Great old photo!

The guy in the vest, tie and eyeglases, above Saddle Shoes in the third row. Isn't that John Hillerman (Higgins on Magnum P.I.)? lol Lee

Then the fellow to his right on the same row (white shirt, tall hair) must be Lyle Lovett or his cousin?

 

[MadelienneBlack]

Oh, and as for your question of dating, I'd have to agree and say probably WWII. As has been said before, it's mostly women workers, and the few men there appear to be older. I can't quite reason out the younger fellas though. Maybe they couldn't pass the physical exam for the service? These women look like real-life Rosie the Riveters, though. It's great!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Not super clear but I might have a better copy of it somewhere..

and while I cannot tell you -which- one she is...somewhere in here is my grandmother, who packaged marshmallows for them. (back then, marshmallows were individually wrapped and put in boxes like chocolates).

This is right around 1930. In Boyle Heights East Los Angeles.

 

[Lady Day]

The girl next to her stole her boyfriend - see that around her neck? It's his class ring. Saddle Shoes just noticed it.

That is TOTALLY what happened! lol

Id date it to early 40s (40-43) just on the sharpness of the photo alone.

LD

 

[LizzieMaine]

Oh, and as for your question of dating, I'd have to agree and say probably WWII. As has been said before, it's mostly women workers, and the few men there appear to be older. I can't quite reason out the younger fellas though. Maybe they couldn't pass the physical exam for the service? These women look like real-life Rosie the Riveters, though. It's great!

I'm going to guess a bit earlier than WW2, myself -- as Neecerie's photo demonstrates there were a lot of women in factory jobs during the thirties, mostly in food processing, textiles, and small-parts assembly type work. Around here the fish packing plants were staffed almost entirely with women long before WW2 -- it was felt that delicate female hands were much more suited to the precision task of snipping the heads off sardines. This could very well be that sort of factory.

 

[Bill Taylor]

I'm going to guess a bit earlier than WW2, myself -- as Neecerie's photo demonstrates there were a lot of women in factory jobs during the thirties, mostly in food processing, textiles, and small-parts assembly type work. Around here the fish packing plants were staffed almost entirely with women long before WW2 -- it was felt that delicate female hands were much more suited to the precision task of snipping the heads off sardines. This could very well be that sort of factory.

Appears to me to be WWII era. Couple of dead give-a-ways, I think. Lady on the right end in the second photo in light colored dress is wearing 40's style high heeled sandals. Also, in the first photo, lady 3rd from right end is also wearing high heeled sandals. My wife is standing behind guiding me on this. High heeled sandals weren't yet in style in the 30s, and we both remember the high heeled sandals in the 40s. My Mother and Sisters wore that style often through out the WWII period. My wife was between the ages of 11 to 14 at that time and would have noticed stuff like that. Also, dresses seem too short to be even 1939 when hem lines went up a little, but not as much as in these photos. The shoes in some of the other women look like 30's style lace up high heels, but it would be common to see them worn during WWII due to the difficulty in getting shoes. Also, styles some times hang on after their period of fashion. Saddle Oxfords were worn during both periods. During the war, my mother kept dragging out her old 30's shoes and gussieing them up a little to wear on not real special occasions, so we five kids could have a better shot at getting shoes. My Mother never threw ANYTHING away! There were only so many shoe ration stamps to go around and we outgrew shoes fast. I don't think my second sister ever got any new shoes during the war, she just got my oldest sisters hand me downs which was probably hard as they were in high school (one graduating in 1942 and one in 1944). My older brothers shoes were so worn out by the time he outgrew them that I mostly got new shoes. Ops, I got off topic here, which is not unusual for me. Must of had a senior moment (or hour).

Bill Taylor