 |
Naomi Parker FraleyThe American woman who allegedly inspired the "We Can Do It!" poster that became one of the main symbols of feminism
Date of Birth: 19.08.2026
Country:  USA |
Content:
- The Alleged Inspiration for the "We Can Do It!" Poster
- The "Rosie the Riveter" Mystery
- Naomi Parker Fraley
- Working in World War II
- The Connection to "We Can Do It!"
- The Truth Emerges
- Dr. James J. Kimble's Research
- The Original Photo
- The Connection to J. Howard Miller
- Personal Life and Legacy
The Alleged Inspiration for the "We Can Do It!" Poster
Naomi Parker Fraley, an American woman, is believed to be the inspiration behind the famous "We Can Do It!" poster, which became a pivotal symbol of feminism.
The "Rosie the Riveter" Mystery
For over seven decades, Fraley was unaware of her potential connection to the iconic poster. It was previously assumed that Geraldine Doyle, a Michigan factory worker, served as the model for "Rosie the Riveter" depicted on the poster. The confusion stems from the existence of multiple cultural artifacts featuring the name "Rosie the Riveter."
Naomi Parker Fraley
Born on August 26, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Naomi Parker was the third of eight children born to Joseph Parker, a mining engineer, and Esther Lease, a homemaker. The family moved frequently, following Joseph's work to New York, Missouri, Texas, Washington, Utah, and California. They eventually settled in Alameda, California, near San Francisco.
Working in World War II
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, 20-year-old Naomi and her 18-year-old sister, Ada, joined the workforce at the Alameda Naval Air Station. The sisters were assigned to the machine shop, where their duties included milling, repairing airplane wings, and occasionally doing riveting jobs. It was there that Naomi was photographed by an 'Acme' photographer wearing a scarf over her hair and working on a lathe. Fraley kept the newspaper clipping of the photo for decades.
The Connection to "We Can Do It!"
After the war, Naomi worked as a waitress at the celebrity-studded 'Doll House' restaurant in Palm Springs, California. She married and became a mother. Years later, Fraley came across J. Howard Miller's propaganda poster "We Can Do It!" Naomi remarked to 'People' magazine, "I always thought that girl looked like me." However, she didn't make the connection to her own newspaper photo at the time.
The Truth Emerges
In 2011, Fraley and her sister visited the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond, California, where they met their former colleagues, women who had worked hard during World War II. Prominently displayed in the park was a photo of a woman at a lathe. Geraldine Doyle was the name listed below the photo. "I couldn't believe it," Fraley told 'The Oakland Tribune' in 2016. "Because I absolutely knew that was me in the picture." Naomi wrote to the National Park Service, which operates the Rosie the Riveter park. She received a letter in response, asking her to help the Park Service determine the 'true identity of the woman in the photograph.'"
Dr. James J. Kimble's Research
"Understandably, Mrs. Fraley had been rather distressed to find her persona embroiled in controversy," wrote Dr. James J. Kimble, an associate professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, in his 2016 article "'Rosie's Secret Identity" in the journal 'Rhetoric & Public Affairs.' When Dr. Kimble set out to find the 'woman at the lathe,' he scoured books, old newspapers, photo archives, and online resources to locate a copy of the famous photograph.
The Original Photo
Eventually, a copy was found through a vintage photo dealer. The photo bore an original photographer's caption with the date March 24, 1942, and the location identified as Alameda. Of particular interest was a line in the caption that read: "Looks like pretty Naomi Parker is about to dive into the lathe on which she works."
Dr. Kimble tracked down Fraley and her sister, Ada Win Parker Loy, who were living together in Cottonwood, California. He visited them in 2015, after which Naomi gave permission for the publication of the long-treasured newspaper snapshot. "There is no doubt that the 'woman at the lathe' in this photograph is Naomi Fraley," Kimble concluded.
The Connection to J. Howard Miller
The only question remaining was whether J. Howard Miller had indeed used this photo as inspiration when he created the "We Can Do It!" poster for the Westinghouse Electric company to boost employee morale. Unfortunately, Miller passed away without heirs, and his personal papers are 'silent' on the subject. However, Dr. Kimble argued that there was "suggestive circumstantial evidence."
"The timing works pretty well," he explained. "The posters started appearing in Westinghouse plants in February 1943. Presumably, they would have been produced some weeks or even months in advance. Thus, I would place Miller's work on the poster in the summer and fall of 1942."
As Dr. Kimble discovered, Fraley's photo at the lathe was published in 'The Pittsburgh Press' in Pittsburgh, Miller's hometown, on July 5, 1942. "Miller could have seen it," Kimble concluded. The similarities in the dotted red bandanna and Fraley's facial features to those of Rosie the Riveter further support the connection. "We may reasonably entertain Naomi as a likely candidate for Miller's poster inspiration," Kimble asserted.
Personal Life and Legacy
Naomi Parker Fraley married and divorced Joseph Blankenship. Her second marriage, to John Muly, ended with his death in 1971. She married her third husband, Charles Fraley, in 1979. She became a widow again in 1998.
Naomi is survived by a son, Joseph Blankenship Jr.; four stepsons, Ernest, Daniel, John, and Michael Fraley; two stepdaughters, Patricia Good and Ann Fraley; two sisters; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
Another "Rosie the Riveter" (Rosie identified by her lunch box), muscular, wearing overalls, holding a rivet gun, and with a copy of 'Mein Kampf' crushed under her foot, appeared on the cover of 'Saturday Evening Post' on May 29, 1943.
