Vintage work crew photos

[Toolmaker51]

Worker holds a 193-pound bolt and nut. This was one of 16 fasteners used to join sections of the 75,000 kW generator shaft for the Grand Coulee Dam. 1942.
Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

re that 7th of December poster:
I dropped it from this particular writing to not appear warmonger or jingo-istic, but older US readers may recall the immense volume of advertising [more accurately polite propaganda] of WWII.
Chevrolet, Cambell's Soup, Chris-Craft Boats, Shell Oil, Diebold Safe, PhilCo, ALCOA, Heil Truck Bodies, Timken Bearings, War Bonds, Remington (&) Colt (&) Winchester Firearms and countless other domestic manufacturers ran very distinct, usually full colorful full page advertisements on their particular contribution to the war effort. I don't recall any photographic entries, all were hand drawn and colored artwork. Many were by well known illustrators, including Walt Disney, and some by artistic employees of said company.
IMNSHO the finest appeared in 'Life" and "Fortune" magazines. Premier selections and those publications ideal placement for such a campaign; large size format, very wide distribution to households and offices alike. "Life" was a weekly centered on photo-journalisim, "Fortune" portrayed vivid interpretation and reporting of "Industrial Civilization". I commented earlier how [this thread] historically fortunate the golden ages of work and photography happened to coincide, with these magazines often near the center of preserving such images. While advertisements mentioned were drawings, mainly due to security issues, artwork depicted mood and implied motion differently than possible with film. Others were fully impressionistic, such as Disney's concept of the Axis, a giant black octopus spanning entire Pacific.

But largest percentage of ads paid less mention of adversaries or goons; the focus/ intent was to lift spirits that American Labor will persevere, then regain composure after hostilities. There I recall one of Chris-Craft; landing craft today - these for tomorrow. meaning they were not absorbed by the war either. "Look ahead with Chris-Craft" - ad of 1945 encourages order now, deliveries...will commence after relaxed wartime restrictions.
And a toast for what bolsters and builds an economy, Manufacturing above all.
Wikipedia has good articles for "Life" and "Fortune"

[wizard69]

...

Do we still make enormous nuts and bolts like this? Or were these beauties completely replaced by multi-jackbolt tensioners, like these?

Large nuts like that are still common on industrial machinery. Think injection molding presses as one example. Having changed more than a few tie bars in my early years I really have little desire to work with such large nuts any more. It is amazing how old age impacts your desires and work interests.

[marksbug]

in the old days they would be no issue carrying them for me. nowdays I would drop my nuts.and probably more.

[Frank S]

There is one thing for sure if the wives girlfriends mothers sisters aunts and grandmothers filling the hundreds of thousands of jobs that otherwise would not have had anyone to fill the slots the Allied forces could not have won.
We have a tendency to always think of the American women their sacrifices and hardships during that war, but the ladies of GB had a far more dangerous task. Many of whom ran underground railway networks to spirit folks out of danger zones. Many went deep behind the enemy lines on intelligence gathering missions. Knowing that if outed or caught it was certain death through torture.
I hate to turn this into something negative but every time I see a young female "(you can't hardly call them ladies anymore and they barely even fit the description of a woman)" whose complaining or protesting about some frivolous otherwise made up issue in many cases I can't help but think yeah if your grandmother or great aunt were here today she would set you straight in a heartbeat. this is not only limited to the female gender either a huge percentage of males are as bad if not worse.
I have the greatest admiration and respect for the women who serve behind the seances during times of war enduring the hardships of their men being gone having to take care of the home life by themselves and at the same time working in factories producing anything and everything required to hopefully allow their men to come home alive.

[marksbug]

electrick crane?

[hemmjo]

I am wondering how many guys it took to carry the wrench for the bolt and nut. Also what is torque spec?

[Jon]

The propaganda from all over the world (and I mean "propaganda" neutrally) in WWII was fascinating, but, yes, agreed, the pro-manufacturing propaganda was especially prevalent in the US. This holds true to the old saying about how WWII was won (with British intelligence, Soviet lives, and American manufacturing), and of course the strong GDP data we have. You can find many graphs about this on the net; they look mostly like this:



IMO, this is what cemented the reputation of America's "Greatest Generation" - when faced with tough times (Great Depression==>WWII), Americans won by working, inventing, building, and manufacturing.

[Jon]

Grant Porter Shipyard. Building hull. Oregon. 1918.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

[Jon]

Cleaning the noses of A-20 bombers. Douglas Aircraft production plant. Long Beach, California. 1942.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...s_fullsize.jpg

[PJs]

Cleaning the noses of A-20 bombers. Douglas Aircraft production plant. Long Beach, California. 1942.

Wonder what those women were thinking about while cleaning the nose modules? Maybe about the guy or maybe a relative sitting in that precarious seat, seeing what they saw? Perhaps just; "I got to get this the best I can for the war effort?"