Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
We often picture World War II in black and white—but behind the grainy footage and faded headlines was a vibrant, real world full of color and courage. As millions of men went to war, women stepped into roles they’d never held before—working in factories, shipyards, and labs with grit and determination. These rare color photographs capture that historic shift in vivid detail, showing not just what these women did, but who they were. From riveting steel to building airplanes, their efforts helped power a global victory—and changed the workforce forever. These aren’t just photos; they’re a bold, beautiful window into a moment when women proved they could do anything.
This post may include affiliate links.
RELATED:
#2
October 1942. "Testing Electric Wiring At Douglas Aircraft Company. Long Beach, California."
#3
October 1942. "Metal Parts Are Placed On Masonite By This Employee Before They Slide Under The Multi-Ton Hydropress At North American Aviation In Inglewood, California."
#4
February 1943. "Readying A "Vengeance" Dive Bomber For Landing Gear Installation At Consolidated-Vultee, Nashville."
#5
May 1942. "Marine Lieutenant By The Power Towing Plane For The Gliders At Parris Island, South Carolina."
#6
October 1942. "Girl Worker At Lunch Also Absorbing California Sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach."
#7
June 1942. "Inspecting A Cyclone Airplane Motor At North American Aviation In Long Beach, Calif."
#8
October 1942. "The Careful Hands Of Women Are Trained In Precise Aircraft Engine Installation Duties At Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif."
#9
December 1941. Akron, Ohio. "Manufacture Of Self-Sealing Gas Tanks, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co."
#10
October 1942. "Douglas Aircraft Plant At Long Beach, California. An A-20 Bomber Being Riveted By A Woman Worker."
#12
October 1942. Douglas Aircraft Co. At Long Beach, California. "Carefully Trained Women Inspectors Check Cargo Transport Innerwings Before They Are Assembled On The Fuselage."
#13
June 1942. Inglewood, California. "Punching Rivet Holes In A Frame Member For A B-25 Bomber At North American Aviation."
#14
October 1942. "Noontime Rest For An Assembly Worker At The Long Beach, Calif., Plant Of Douglas Aircraft Company. Nacelle Parts For A Heavy Bomber Form The Background."
#15
October 1942. Long Beach, California. "Girl Riveting Machine Operator At The Douglas Aircraft Company."
#17
October 1942. "Clerk In North American Aviation Stockroom, Checking To See If The Proper Numbers Of Parts Were Received And Placed In The Proper Bin. Inglewood, California."
#18
October 1942. "Assembling Switchboxes On The Firewalls Of B-25 Bombers At North American Aviation's Inglewood, California, Factory."
#19
"Touching Up The U.S. Army Air Forces Insignia On A "Vengeance" Dive Bomber Manufactured At Consolidated-Vultee's Nashville Division." February 1943
#21
February 1943. "Operating A Hand Drill At Vultee-Nashville, This Woman Is Working On A 'Vengeance' Dive Bomber."
#22
February 1943. "Working On A 'Vengeance' Dive Bomber At Vultee Aircraft In Nashville, Tennessee."
#24
October 1942. "Women Become Skilled Shop Technicians After Careful Training In The School At The Douglas Aircraft Company Plant In Long Beach, California."
#25
October 1942. Inglewood, Calif. "Parts Are Marked With This Pneumatic Numbering Machine In North American Aviation's Sheet Metal Department."
#26
October 1942. Long Beach, California. "Women Are Trained To Do Precise And Vital Engine Installation Detail In Douglas Aircraft Co. Plants."
#28
February 1942. B.f. Goodrich Plant
"Not only as nurses behind the battle lines, but as workers in the factories producing important war goods, women are doing much to win this war and to spare the lives of the men doing the actual fighting. These girls are preparing a metal fuel tank to receive a bullet-sealing cover, an important new safety development to military aviation."
#30
October 1942. "Office Employee Annette Del Sur Publicizing Salvage Campaign In Yard Of Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California."
The Earrings And Hair Ornaments Are Fashioned From Aluminum Turnings.
#31
October 1942. "Workers Installing Fixtures And Assemblies In The Tail Section Of A B-17f Bomber At The Douglas Aircraft Company Plant In Long Beach, California."
#32
October 1942. "North American Aviation Workers Assembling Wing Component For A P-51 Fighter."
#33
February 1943. "Capping And Inspecting Tubing That Goes Into The Manufacture Of The 'Vengeance' A-31 Dive Bomber Made At Consolidated-Vultee's Nashville Division."
Add New Image
