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Cartoon, French munitions factory workers, WW1
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Cartoon, French munitions factory workers, WW1
Cartoon, French munitions factory workers, one male, one female. The man asks the woman: What does your husband do at the moment? She replies: He stays at home and mends my silk stockings. Date: 1917
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Media ID 14352618
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Ammunition Break Munitions Overalls Weapons
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This evocative cartoon from 1917, published during the height of World War I, captures the unexpected roles that women took on in the French munitions industry. The image depicts a male and female worker, both dressed in blue overalls, standing in a munitions factory. The man, with a curious expression, asks the woman, "What does your husband do at the moment?" The woman, with a confident smile, replies, "He stays at home and mends my silk stockings." During the First World War, the demand for weapons and ammunition was immense, and traditional gender roles were disrupted as men went off to fight and women stepped in to fill the labor gap. This cartoon playfully highlights the irony of the situation, as the woman, who is actively contributing to the war effort by working in a munitions factory, has a husband who remains at home performing a typically feminine task. The cartoon also speaks to the resilience and adaptability of the French people during this time. Despite the challenges and hardships of the war, they found creative ways to carry on and maintain a sense of normalcy in their daily lives. The image is a poignant reminder of the unique and often unexpected ways that people coped with the upheaval of war, and the important role that women played in the industrial effort on the home front.
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