J. Howard Miller
Encyclopedia
J. Howard Miller was an American
graphic artist. He painted posters during World War II
in support of the war effort, among them the famous We Can Do It! poster, frequently misidentified as Rosie the Riveter
.
He based the "We Can Do It!" poster on a United Press International
(UPI) picture taken of Geraldine Doyle
working at a factory. At the time of the poster’s release the name "Rosie" wasn't associated with the picture; that came later when a popular patriotic song called “Rosie the Riveter” was released and Norman Rockwell
painted his Rosie the Riveter.
Although the "We Can Do It!" image is famous today, during the war it was just one of many in Miller's series. The poster itself was not widely known on the home front because it was shown only at Westinghouse, and because it was posted for only two weeks (followed by the next poster in the series).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
graphic artist. He painted posters during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in support of the war effort, among them the famous We Can Do It! poster, frequently misidentified as Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military...
.
Painting the poster
Miller was based in Pittsburgh during the war. His work came to the attention of the Westinghouse Company (later, the Westinghouse War Production Co-Ordinating Committee), and he was hired to create a series of posters. The posters were sponsored by the company's War Production Co-Ordinating Committee, one of the hundreds of labor-management committees organized under the supervision of the national War Production Board.He based the "We Can Do It!" poster on a United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
(UPI) picture taken of Geraldine Doyle
Geraldine Doyle
Geraldine Hoff Doyle was the real-life model for the World War II era "We Can Do It" posters, an embodiment of the iconic World War II character Rosie the Riveter....
working at a factory. At the time of the poster’s release the name "Rosie" wasn't associated with the picture; that came later when a popular patriotic song called “Rosie the Riveter” was released and Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
painted his Rosie the Riveter.
Although the "We Can Do It!" image is famous today, during the war it was just one of many in Miller's series. The poster itself was not widely known on the home front because it was shown only at Westinghouse, and because it was posted for only two weeks (followed by the next poster in the series).