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© Getty Images
0 / 46 Fotos
'For Your Country's Sake Today—For Your Own Sake Tomorrow' - A mid-1940's US armed service recruiting poster features four women in different uniforms (from left, Marines, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), Women's Army Corps (WAC), and Coast Guard (SPARS)).
© Getty Images
1 / 46 Fotos
Naval Air Station, 1942 - Assembly and Repairs Department senior supervisor Eloise J. Ellis stands near the tail of a US Navy plane at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX.
© Getty Images
2 / 46 Fotos
'Are You A Girl With A Star-Spangled Heart?' - A 1940's Women's Army Corps (WAC) recruitment poster depicts a uniformed woman against an American flag background.
© Getty Images
3 / 46 Fotos
Uniform appearance, 1943 - Three official uniforms of the US Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), from left to right: the officer's winter uniform, the officer's summer uniform and the uniform of an auxiliary.
© Getty Images
4 / 46 Fotos
'Good Soldier' - A 1944 recruitment poster from the Women's Army Corps (WAC) features a uniformed and smiling woman.
© Getty Images
5 / 46 Fotos
'Don't Miss Your Great Opportunity...' - A mid-1940's US Navy recruitment poster for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program.
© Getty Images
6 / 46 Fotos
'He Volunteered for Submarine Service' - This poster depicts a woman with her arms around a sailor as she admires his service medals. It dates back to the early 1940s.
© Getty Images
7 / 46 Fotos
Volunteer line, 1941 - Members of the Women's Voluntary Service lining up in a New York street.
© Getty Images
8 / 46 Fotos
'Save His Life... And Find Your Own' - A poster from 1943 depicts a female nurse as she stands over a man, who lies on a bed with his head bandaged.
© Getty Images
9 / 46 Fotos
'Women Needed' - A mid-1940's poster depicts a kitchen scene where an elderly man in an apron washes dishes while a woman in a suit walks towards the door, swinging a lunch box in her hand and smiling.
© Getty Images
10 / 46 Fotos
Painting aircraft insignia, 1942 - Civil Service employee Irma Lee McElroy paints insignia on airplane wings at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX.
© Getty Images
11 / 46 Fotos
'There's a Man-Size Job For You In Your Navy' - A US Navy recruitment poster from 1943 for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program, depicts a uniformed woman looking on while anti-aircraft fire explodes above a ship behind her.
© Getty Images
12 / 46 Fotos
Steam cleaning, 1943 - Mrs. Viola Sievers sprays an H-class locomotive with steam at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
13 / 46 Fotos
'Do The Job He Left Behind' - A 1943 US Employment Service poster depicts a woman using an electric drill on a girder.
© Getty Images
14 / 46 Fotos
Riveter at work, 1942 - A female riveter at work on a bomber at Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, Fort Worth, TX.
© Getty Images
15 / 46 Fotos
Making blackout lights, 1943 - Heil and Co. employee Lucile Mazurek works on black-out lamps to be used on US Air Force gasoline trailers in Milwaukee, WI.
© Getty Images
16 / 46 Fotos
Cleaning sand, 1943 - Thelma Cuvage sifts and cleans sand for use in locomotives at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
17 / 46 Fotos
Armaments factory, 1943 - A woman working in an armaments factory.
© Getty Images
18 / 46 Fotos
'Service On The Home Front' - A poster from the mid-1940s depicts a determined-looking man, woman, and child, accompanied by a list of various jobs.
© Getty Images
19 / 46 Fotos
"Woman's Place In War" - A Women's Army Corps (WAC) recruitment poster states that "the Army of the United States has 239 kinds of jobs for women."
© Getty Images
20 / 46 Fotos
Inventory, 1942 - A stock clerk takes inventory in a storeroom at North American Aviation, Inc. in Inglewood, CA.
© Getty Images
21 / 46 Fotos
"Enlist In A Proud Profession" - A 1943 recruitment poster features a profile portrait of a woman in a dress grey military uniform and cap.
© Getty Images
22 / 46 Fotos
'Don't Just Kiss 'Em Goodbye' - This poster from 1943 features a woman as she kisses an American airman.
© Getty Images
23 / 46 Fotos
Checking electrical assemblies, 1942 - A Vega Aircraft Corporation employee checks electrical assemblies in Burbank, CA.
© Getty Images
24 / 46 Fotos
'Secretaries Of War' - Four smiling women in business attire pose against an American flag in this mid-1940's poster.
© Getty Images
25 / 46 Fotos
Lunch break, 1943 - Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse workers pause for lunch in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
26 / 46 Fotos
'SPARS' - A 1942 recruitment poster for the US Coast Guard SPARS program features uniformed women as they march in line on a dock under an American and US Coast Guard flag.
© Getty Images
27 / 46 Fotos
'We're All In The Army Now; Let's All Work To Win!' - A group of men and women saluting the massive, spectral head of Uncle Sam, which hovers above a landscape of industrial factories, is the scene on this early 1940's poster.
© Getty Images
28 / 46 Fotos
Fundamentals of flying, 1942 - Three members of Women Fliers of America Inc. look on while their female instructor explains the fundamentals of aircraft engineering.
© Getty Images
29 / 46 Fotos
Checking tanker parts, 1943 - Heil and Co. employees Helen Ryan (with cap) and Agnes Cliemka unmask and perform checks on gasoline trailers to be used by the US Air Force, Milwaukee, WI.
© Getty Images
30 / 46 Fotos
A Woman and her engine, 1942 - An employee of the Douglas Aircraft Company works on an aircraft engine at Long Beach, CA.
© Getty Images
31 / 46 Fotos
'Be A Marine... Free A Marine To Fight' - A US Marine Corps Women's Reserve recruitment poster, dating back to the early 1940s, features a portrait of a uniformed woman.
© Getty Images
32 / 46 Fotos
Wing assembly, 1942 - Two North American Aviation, Inc. employees assemble a section of a wing for a P-51 fighter plane.
© Getty Images
33 / 46 Fotos
Checking 1,000 lb. bomb cases, 1943 - A Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. employee checks 1,000 lb bomb cases loaded with explosives in Omaha, NE.
© Shutterstock
34 / 46 Fotos
'This Is My War Too!' - A 1943 recruiting poster for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
© Shutterstock
35 / 46 Fotos
Folding Blankets, 1945 - A female factory worker folding US Army blankets.
© Getty Images
36 / 46 Fotos
Aircraft assembly, 1942 - A man of diminutive stature installs control wires inside the fuselage of a Valiant basic trainer while a woman works standing outside. Taken at the Vultee Aircraft Downey Plant California.
© Shutterstock
37 / 46 Fotos
'Join The WAVES' - A poster from 1943 encouraging women to join WAVES, a division of the US Navy that enlisted women to help the wartime effort.
© Getty Images
38 / 46 Fotos
'Proud – I'll Say' - A recruitment poster for the US Navy WAVES features a father seated at a desk, a framed picture of his uniformed daughter sitting beside him.
© Getty Images
39 / 46 Fotos
Turntable operator, 1943 - Cloe Weaver, mother of four, working as a roundhouse helper training to operate the turntable at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
40 / 46 Fotos
Artillery worker, 1940 - An African-American war worker in a munitions factory.
© Getty Images
41 / 46 Fotos
Wiper, 1943 - Mrs. Marcella Hart, mother of three, works as a wiper at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
42 / 46 Fotos
'Calling WAAC...' - Mentioned in this recruiting poster for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the WAAC was formed in 1942 at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
© Shutterstock
43 / 46 Fotos
'Her America Must Stay Free!' - This 1943 war bonds poster shows a daydreaming teenage girl thinking about what to write in her diary.
© Shutterstock
44 / 46 Fotos
American contingent, 1945
- An African-American contingent of the Women's Army Corps, the first to be assigned to overseas service. See also: Everyday items originally developed for the military
© Getty Images
45 / 46 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 46 Fotos
'For Your Country's Sake Today—For Your Own Sake Tomorrow' - A mid-1940's US armed service recruiting poster features four women in different uniforms (from left, Marines, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), Women's Army Corps (WAC), and Coast Guard (SPARS)).
© Getty Images
1 / 46 Fotos
Naval Air Station, 1942 - Assembly and Repairs Department senior supervisor Eloise J. Ellis stands near the tail of a US Navy plane at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX.
© Getty Images
2 / 46 Fotos
'Are You A Girl With A Star-Spangled Heart?' - A 1940's Women's Army Corps (WAC) recruitment poster depicts a uniformed woman against an American flag background.
© Getty Images
3 / 46 Fotos
Uniform appearance, 1943 - Three official uniforms of the US Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), from left to right: the officer's winter uniform, the officer's summer uniform and the uniform of an auxiliary.
© Getty Images
4 / 46 Fotos
'Good Soldier' - A 1944 recruitment poster from the Women's Army Corps (WAC) features a uniformed and smiling woman.
© Getty Images
5 / 46 Fotos
'Don't Miss Your Great Opportunity...' - A mid-1940's US Navy recruitment poster for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program.
© Getty Images
6 / 46 Fotos
'He Volunteered for Submarine Service' - This poster depicts a woman with her arms around a sailor as she admires his service medals. It dates back to the early 1940s.
© Getty Images
7 / 46 Fotos
Volunteer line, 1941 - Members of the Women's Voluntary Service lining up in a New York street.
© Getty Images
8 / 46 Fotos
'Save His Life... And Find Your Own' - A poster from 1943 depicts a female nurse as she stands over a man, who lies on a bed with his head bandaged.
© Getty Images
9 / 46 Fotos
'Women Needed' - A mid-1940's poster depicts a kitchen scene where an elderly man in an apron washes dishes while a woman in a suit walks towards the door, swinging a lunch box in her hand and smiling.
© Getty Images
10 / 46 Fotos
Painting aircraft insignia, 1942 - Civil Service employee Irma Lee McElroy paints insignia on airplane wings at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX.
© Getty Images
11 / 46 Fotos
'There's a Man-Size Job For You In Your Navy' - A US Navy recruitment poster from 1943 for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program, depicts a uniformed woman looking on while anti-aircraft fire explodes above a ship behind her.
© Getty Images
12 / 46 Fotos
Steam cleaning, 1943 - Mrs. Viola Sievers sprays an H-class locomotive with steam at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
13 / 46 Fotos
'Do The Job He Left Behind' - A 1943 US Employment Service poster depicts a woman using an electric drill on a girder.
© Getty Images
14 / 46 Fotos
Riveter at work, 1942 - A female riveter at work on a bomber at Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, Fort Worth, TX.
© Getty Images
15 / 46 Fotos
Making blackout lights, 1943 - Heil and Co. employee Lucile Mazurek works on black-out lamps to be used on US Air Force gasoline trailers in Milwaukee, WI.
© Getty Images
16 / 46 Fotos
Cleaning sand, 1943 - Thelma Cuvage sifts and cleans sand for use in locomotives at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
17 / 46 Fotos
Armaments factory, 1943 - A woman working in an armaments factory.
© Getty Images
18 / 46 Fotos
'Service On The Home Front' - A poster from the mid-1940s depicts a determined-looking man, woman, and child, accompanied by a list of various jobs.
© Getty Images
19 / 46 Fotos
"Woman's Place In War" - A Women's Army Corps (WAC) recruitment poster states that "the Army of the United States has 239 kinds of jobs for women."
© Getty Images
20 / 46 Fotos
Inventory, 1942 - A stock clerk takes inventory in a storeroom at North American Aviation, Inc. in Inglewood, CA.
© Getty Images
21 / 46 Fotos
"Enlist In A Proud Profession" - A 1943 recruitment poster features a profile portrait of a woman in a dress grey military uniform and cap.
© Getty Images
22 / 46 Fotos
'Don't Just Kiss 'Em Goodbye' - This poster from 1943 features a woman as she kisses an American airman.
© Getty Images
23 / 46 Fotos
Checking electrical assemblies, 1942 - A Vega Aircraft Corporation employee checks electrical assemblies in Burbank, CA.
© Getty Images
24 / 46 Fotos
'Secretaries Of War' - Four smiling women in business attire pose against an American flag in this mid-1940's poster.
© Getty Images
25 / 46 Fotos
Lunch break, 1943 - Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse workers pause for lunch in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
26 / 46 Fotos
'SPARS' - A 1942 recruitment poster for the US Coast Guard SPARS program features uniformed women as they march in line on a dock under an American and US Coast Guard flag.
© Getty Images
27 / 46 Fotos
'We're All In The Army Now; Let's All Work To Win!' - A group of men and women saluting the massive, spectral head of Uncle Sam, which hovers above a landscape of industrial factories, is the scene on this early 1940's poster.
© Getty Images
28 / 46 Fotos
Fundamentals of flying, 1942 - Three members of Women Fliers of America Inc. look on while their female instructor explains the fundamentals of aircraft engineering.
© Getty Images
29 / 46 Fotos
Checking tanker parts, 1943 - Heil and Co. employees Helen Ryan (with cap) and Agnes Cliemka unmask and perform checks on gasoline trailers to be used by the US Air Force, Milwaukee, WI.
© Getty Images
30 / 46 Fotos
A Woman and her engine, 1942 - An employee of the Douglas Aircraft Company works on an aircraft engine at Long Beach, CA.
© Getty Images
31 / 46 Fotos
'Be A Marine... Free A Marine To Fight' - A US Marine Corps Women's Reserve recruitment poster, dating back to the early 1940s, features a portrait of a uniformed woman.
© Getty Images
32 / 46 Fotos
Wing assembly, 1942 - Two North American Aviation, Inc. employees assemble a section of a wing for a P-51 fighter plane.
© Getty Images
33 / 46 Fotos
Checking 1,000 lb. bomb cases, 1943 - A Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. employee checks 1,000 lb bomb cases loaded with explosives in Omaha, NE.
© Shutterstock
34 / 46 Fotos
'This Is My War Too!' - A 1943 recruiting poster for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
© Shutterstock
35 / 46 Fotos
Folding Blankets, 1945 - A female factory worker folding US Army blankets.
© Getty Images
36 / 46 Fotos
Aircraft assembly, 1942 - A man of diminutive stature installs control wires inside the fuselage of a Valiant basic trainer while a woman works standing outside. Taken at the Vultee Aircraft Downey Plant California.
© Shutterstock
37 / 46 Fotos
'Join The WAVES' - A poster from 1943 encouraging women to join WAVES, a division of the US Navy that enlisted women to help the wartime effort.
© Getty Images
38 / 46 Fotos
'Proud – I'll Say' - A recruitment poster for the US Navy WAVES features a father seated at a desk, a framed picture of his uniformed daughter sitting beside him.
© Getty Images
39 / 46 Fotos
Turntable operator, 1943 - Cloe Weaver, mother of four, working as a roundhouse helper training to operate the turntable at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
40 / 46 Fotos
Artillery worker, 1940 - An African-American war worker in a munitions factory.
© Getty Images
41 / 46 Fotos
Wiper, 1943 - Mrs. Marcella Hart, mother of three, works as a wiper at the Chicago & North Western Railroad roundhouse in Clinton, IA.
© BrunoPress
42 / 46 Fotos
'Calling WAAC...' - Mentioned in this recruiting poster for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the WAAC was formed in 1942 at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
© Shutterstock
43 / 46 Fotos
'Her America Must Stay Free!' - This 1943 war bonds poster shows a daydreaming teenage girl thinking about what to write in her diary.
© Shutterstock
44 / 46 Fotos
American contingent, 1945
- An African-American contingent of the Women's Army Corps, the first to be assigned to overseas service. See also: Everyday items originally developed for the military
© Getty Images
45 / 46 Fotos
How American women were depicted on military and employment recruiting posters during World War II
Propaganda played a vital role in calling assistance from women during the Second World War
© Getty Images
Patriotic posters appealing to American women for assistance during World War II led to thousands volunteering for the military or opting to work in positions traditionally held by men.
Browse this gallery for a historic and nostalgic look at this fascinating, morale-boosting artwork, and for a series of vintage photographs depicting enlisted women and those employed in factories, rail depots, and military installations.
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