I recently hosted a fundraising party for a political candidate with a Rosie the Riveter theme. It was a hit! The invitation garnered a lot of buzz in the community and the guests had fun. It was not your typical political fundraiser! Women were encouraged to dress like Rosie.

I posted pictures and posters around my circa 1900 house of real Rosies in action from the 1940s and propaganda material from the era that I found on Pinterest. I placed a drill and other tools as part of the decor on the food table. Colors were Rosie the Riveter inspired. I added to the ambiance with plenty of American flags. A Rosie backdropped became a “photo booth” where the women posed and snapped cell phone photos for posting on social media.

Rosie the Riveter is the iconic image of a woman with her arm raised to show her power to work a “man’s job.” During World War II, the men went overseas to fight and the women took over their jobs in factories and offices to work for the effort on the home front. The term “Rosie” was used to refer to all women who worked in the defense industry. When the war was over, the women immediately lost their jobs and were told to go back home and tend to the house and family.

In 1942, a song titled “Rosie the Riveter” was written by Red Evans and John Jacob Loeb. Have a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55NCElsbjeQ#action=share

By the way, my mother’s name was Rosemary and my middle name is Rose. It seems the party theme was a natural.