The photographs alone are beautiful. http://pavel-kosenko.livejournal.com/303194.html?thread=22669914
That's the third time I've seen those in the last year and a half or so. Every time, I've looked at each one... fantastic. Wondering if the women actually came to work every day dressed and made up that way, or if it was for the photo-shoot. Nail polish, lipstick, nice tops, etc.. I've been in the AT&SF building where that rod was being hammered, when I was a kid. Interesting that the soldier kneeling by the half-track with his Garand rifle is wearing a WWI helmet, not WWII.
When I started work at Boeing in 1950 there were still many women working in the shops and that is exactly what they looked like. They didn't wear full coveralls but dressed like women with blouses, slacks, and lipstick. They did a damn good job, too!
I hope that I'm not appearing as a know-it-all and some kind of Pollyanna. As I told my son, Spasso, I'm just an old guy with a long wake. I was 13 when Hitler started his thing in Poland and I could see and hear what was going on then. I followed the war and watched as we slowly woke up. I intensely followed the Battle of Britain as it unfolded and then quickly grew up when December 7th, 1941 occurred. In a matter of months I witnessed this country turn into a massive war machine and I observed everything that I could. Military operations of all kind sprung up from everywhere and we were all involved in the war in one way or another. Most of my family entered the service and even my mother , along with many other mothers, pitched in to do what she could and she did a lot. My turn came in 1943 when I joined the USAAC and then went active in 1944. I contributed little to nothing but as I said , I observed a spectacle that will never be repeated and I pass my recall down to those who may be interested. It is with me every day.
It's sad that Kodachrome is a thing of the past - even in the lowly 110 (anyone remember those?) format. The warmth, detail, and color of those pics are still just amazing, after so many decades.
Incredible photos, such great lighting and composition. Here's more where those came from: http://www.shorpy.com/image/tid/179 hey at least one of them is wearing a breather, of sorts! And painted nails, and a nice watch. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I was more of an Ektachrome man myself, mainly because I usually needed the extra speed, but I enjoyed my experiences with Kodachrome. With apologies to Paul Simon: "Mama done took my Kodachrome away!"
