Ann S. Epstein Writer

Triangle Waist Company, site of the 1911 fire that killed 146 people, employed 500 workers, mostly young Jewish and Italian immigrant women, who worked 11-14 hours a day on weekdays and 7-10 hours on Saturday. Women earned $6 to $7 per week and men up to $10. During the slow season, although employees worked the same number of hours, the owners deducted $2 a week from their pay. The busy season meant a seven-day week, and workers were told, “If you don’t come in Sunday, don’t come in Monday.” Read more about inhumane labor conditions 100 years ago in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).

The appearance of the Munchkins in the 1939 Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz has little to do with L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel on which the movie is based. In the book, Munchkins are described only as shorter than usual in stature and clad from top to toe in blue. The hairdos (for example, the bald heads and spit curls) and elaborate costumes (for example, the flowing blue robe and high hat of the Coroner, the Mayor’s green frock coat and plaid vest, the Lullaby League’s pink tutus, and the Lollipop Guild’s Tartan shirts and striped tights) are the invention of costume designer Adrian Greenberg and makeup artist Jack Dawn. Read more about the Munchkins and the movie in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).

Women joining the labor force at the turn of the 19th century played a major role in turning the public tide in favor of women’s suffrage. Among them were women who worked for the circus where, unlike other fields, their pay was commensurate with that of male performers. In 1912, at the same time women staged a massive march in New York City to promote the 19th Amendment, the Barnum & Bailey’s Circus Women’s Equal Rights Society was founded. The circus was then the most popular form of entertainment in America which magnified the volume and reach of their voices. Read more about the fight for women’s suffrage in On the Shore (see NOVELS).

The job description of a Navy janitor or cleaning woman circa WWII listed over 100 chores with sub-tasks. For example: Clean windows, glass partitions, and mirrors with soapy water or other cleaners, sponges, and squeegees. Mix water and detergents or acids according to specifications to prepare cleaning solutions. Clean chimneys, flues, and connecting pipes. Requisition supplies. Set up, arrange, and remove decorations, furniture, ladders, and scaffolding to prepare for events such as banquets and meetings. Spray insecticides and fumigants to prevent insect and rodent infestation. Read more about the work performed by a Navy cleaning woman before, during, and after WWII in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).

Hollywood played a prominent role during World War Two, producing movies to promote propaganda and boost morale. Among those released by the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry were Women in Defense (1941) with Katherine Hepburn and written by Eleanor Roosevelt and The Battle of Midway (1942), directed by John Ford and academy award winner for best documentary. There were also cartoons featuring the seven dwarfs and Popeye, as well as films warning soldiers of the dangers of venereal disease films. Read more about Hollywood and WWII in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).

An Italian tradition (superstition) used a threaded needle test to determine the sex of an unborn child. (1) Thread an ordinary sewing needle with a foot-long thread. (2) Hold the end of the thread. (3) Dangle the needle six inches above the expecting mother’s stomach. (4) Observe the needle’s motion. If it moves in a circle, the baby is a girl. If it moves back and forth, it’s a boy. Sometimes a ring was substituted for the needle. Read more about pregnancy and childbirth 100 years ago in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).