"Rosie the Riveter" presentation offered October 9

Nearly everyone has seen the poster: the stern-faced woman, hair tied up in a red kerchief, flexing the muscles in her right arm and proclaiming, “We can do it!”

Even if it’s not the right image – that honor goes to a Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell – Howard Miller’s motivational poster for Westinghouse has become popularly identified with the working woman icon from World War II, Rosie the Riveter.

Two-thirds of a century after her creation, “Rosie” is enjoying a nostalgic resurgence in popularity, and her place in American culture – past and present – will be the topic of a free, public presentation on Thursday, Oct. 9.

Janeal Jaroh, education curator for the Cumberland County Historical Society, will speak on “Rosie the Riveter: Memory, Wartime Imperatives, and an American Icon” at 7 p.m. in Nicarry Meetinghouse.

“Created through a federal commission,” Jaroh explains, “Rosie was constructed to inspire patriotism and to supplement the workforce. Time has dramatically transformed her into a symbol of the contemporary woman.

“This presentation will explore the conflicting representations of women before, during and after the war, while comparing images of Rosie used in modern advertising. We will examine the ways these images have been interpreted over the years.”

Nicarry Meetinghouse is best accessed from off campus via the Route 30 entrance, which is at the northwest corner of the campus. Directional signage is available at other entrances. Ample free parking is available.

For more information about this or other events at Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community, call 717-624-5203.