Geraldine Doyle was famous as 'Rosie the Riveter'

Poster symbolized the vital role that women played in World War II industries.

Ottawa (7 Jan. 2011) - The 17-year-old  Michigan factory worker who inspired the iconic World War II poster of 'Rosie the Riveter' beneath the famous We Can Do It slogan, has died at age 86.

Geraldine Doyle passed away on Dec. 26 in Lansing, Mich.

A Washington Post obituary says Doyle happened to be on the job in a metal factory just a few weeks after graduating from high school in 1942 when a United Press International (UPI) photographer shot a picture of  her leaning over a piece of machinery. She was wearing a red and white polka-dot bandanna over her hair.

At the time, Westinghouse Corp. had commissioned artist J. Howard Miller to produce several morale-boosting posters for display inside its buildings, a project funded by the U.S. government to motivate and recruit workers to meet industrial demands spurred by the Second World War.

Taken with the photo, Miller decided to base one of his posters on the anonymous, young metal worker whose image had been captured.

The poster and the name “Rosie the Riveter” came to symbolize the millions of women who entered the World War II workforce and who worked in war industries such as shipyards, munitions plants and airplane factories.

With millions of males away fighting the war, women performed these vital jobs in droves, forever changing the nature of the workforce in North America and around the world.

"'Rosie the Riveter' is the image of an independent woman who is control of her own destiny," said Gladys Beckwith, former director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame. "She was a gracious, beautiful woman. Her death is the end of an era, and we need to take note of that. We need to respect what she stood for."

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

More information:
• Rosie the Riveter website