Every generation has its icons. My generation had the talented Norman Rockwell of Saturday Evening Post fame. Not one week went by without the Post being delivered in the mail to my mother through the late twenties, thirties, and forties of the last century. Those were the days of family togetherness— no radio, no TV, no cell phones, no Ipods--simply my seven brothers and sisters, still at home, around the table with me in the high chair. Yes, my mother would take out the Post and read Scattergood Baines stories to us from its oversized pages. As she held up the Post, we could usually see a Rockwell cover with a typical scene from the era—a little boy getting a haircut, a teen sitting at the drug store soda fountain or mother offering up a Thanksgiving turkey at the large family gathering.

During the WWII years there were stern portraits of generals with menacing stares. But the one that has meant more to me than any other is the Rosie the Riveter cover that showed a large, muscular woman sitting with a rivet gun perched menacingly on her lap looking as if she could take on the world. You may have heard about how this cover came about. It seems that Rockwell had paid a slim young model $30 to pose for the cover and it wasn’t until she saw herself pictured in this manner that she complained and he apologized to her. After all, in those days no woman had ever dared to take up riveting before the war and Rockwell was attuned to public sentiment at the time. He knew the men wouldn’t appreciate a thin, young woman daring to take up the trade of riveter in a man’s world. But the fact is that many thousands of women did dare. Young women from all over the country traveled farther away from their homes in Iowa and Tennessee than they had ever been before to work at Boeing and the shipyard.

Not only did they learn to use construction tools but they danced at the Trianon Ballroom like I did and many found husbands there like I did. As many of you already know I prepared a long collage made from Saturday Evening Post covers, illustrations and ads from the WWII years. Rosie the Riveter is front and center in this collage with generals and famous wartime flyers gracing the other covers.

The ads were filled with fighting equipment, young women mooning over a sweetheart overseas or a mother holding a telegram announcing the death of her loved one. At last every Post cover is here in the northwest area for viewing along with original art work by Rockwell. The display will remain at the Tacoma Art Museum through the month of May.

Rockwell painted portraits of presidents, scenes during the black civil rights movement showing the little girl who was being escorted to school after desegregation was mandated. I am sorry that Rockwell stopped painting Post covers before women began demonstrating for their civil rights but in my mind’s eye I can see an imaginary Rockwell cover depicting a pregnant teacher signing a contract so she can continue her teaching career.

What a perception into the human consciousness was maintained by Norman Rockwell, the artist for the people. His legacy will continue.

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer and speaker who is willing to bring her collage of WWII Post covers anywhere she is asked to speak about her life including WWII and her Rosie experiences. She also speaks about the Holocaust.