# We Can Do It > We Can Do It! is a 1943 propaganda poster by J. Howard Miller showing a woman in a polka-dot bandana flexing her bicep, rediscovered in the 1980s as a feminist icon and motivational meme. The "We Can Do It!" poster is a World War II-era propaganda image created by artist J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric, showing a woman in a polka-dot bandana flexing her bicep beneath the bold slogan. Though it was originally an obscure internal factory poster seen by only a few thousand workers for two weeks, it was rediscovered in the early 1980s and became one of the most recognized images in American culture[5]. Widely (and incorrectly) called "Rosie the Riveter," the poster became a feminist icon, a political campaign tool, and eventually a heavily remixed internet meme used for motivation, parody, and empowerment[7]. ## Origin In 1942, Westinghouse Electric's internal War Production Coordinating Committee hired Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller through an advertising agency to create a series of morale-boosting posters[4]. Miller, who had studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1939, was largely unknown outside this commission[5]. Professor James J. Kimble later uncovered that Miller was born in 1898 and died in 1985, married to Mabel Adair McCauley[7]. The poster project aimed to raise worker morale, reduce absenteeism, direct workers' questions to management, and lower the chance of labor unrest or strikes[5]. The "We Can Do It!" poster was scheduled for display starting Monday, February 15, 1943, for two five-day work weeks, ending February 28[7]. After those two weeks, it was taken down and replaced by the next poster in the rotation. The poster had zero public visibility during the war. It was strictly internal to Westinghouse and was not used for recruitment[10]. As scholars James Kimble and Lester Olson later argued in their 2006 article in *Rhetoric & Public Affairs*, the image functioned more as corporate labor management than feminist empowerment, with "patriotism invoked to circumvent strikes and characterize workers' unrest as un-American"[10]. - **Platform:** Westinghouse Electric factory posters (original), National Archives postcards / Washington Post Magazine (rediscovery), internet forums and social media (meme spread) - **Creator:** J. Howard Miller (artist), Westinghouse Electric War Production Coordinating Committee (commissioner) - **Date:** 1943 (original poster), 1982 (rediscovery), 2000s (internet meme era) ## Overview The image shows a determined-looking woman wearing a red polka-dot bandana and blue work coveralls, rolling up her sleeve to flex her right bicep. Above her, bold white text on a dark blue speech bubble reads "We Can Do It!" The woman has painted fingernails, visible eyelashes, and wears a Westinghouse employee badge on her collar[10]. The poster measures 17 by 22 inches, and no more than 1,800 copies were originally printed[5]. Despite its massive modern recognition, this was never meant to be a public recruitment poster. It was one of over 42 internal morale posters Miller designed for Westinghouse, each displayed for just two weeks before being swapped out[7]. The specific factories targeted were in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Midwest, where mostly women were making plasticized helmet liners from Micarta, a phenolic resin invented by Westinghouse[5]. Those workers produced roughly 13 million helmet liners during the war[11]. The collective "we" in the slogan almost certainly referred to Westinghouse employees as a whole, not women specifically[10]. Most of Miller's other posters in the series featured men and promoted management authority and company unity[7]. ## How It Spread The poster sat in obscurity for nearly four decades. The first known postwar reproduction appeared on May 23, 1982, when the *Washington Post Magazine* published "Poster Art for Patriotism's Sake," featuring the image as reproduced by the National Archives[4]. Around the same time, the National Archives began selling postcards of the image, and it quickly ranked among their top ten most requested items[11]. The key figure in tying the "We Can Do It!" image to the name "Rosie the Riveter" was Helaine Victoria Press, a feminist/labor publishing organization co-founded by Jocelyn Helaine Cohen and Nancy Taylor Victoria Poore[11]. They began distributing National Archives postcards in their 1982-1983 catalog. In 1985, they produced their own version of the postcard and, critically, added "Rosie the Riveter" to the caption on the back, linking the two for the first time[11]. They also made a T-shirt. By 1987-1988, the image had spread through catalogs from the Northland Poster Collective, Syracuse Cultural Workers, and the National Women's History Resources catalog[11]. The image's copyright had expired (unlike Norman Rockwell's actual "Rosie the Riveter" painting from 1943, which was strictly copyrighted), making it freely reproducible[9]. This legal quirk was a major factor in its explosion. By the 1990s, the poster was everywhere. It made the cover of *Smithsonian* magazine in 1994 and became a U.S. first-class mail stamp in February 1999[7]. ### The Mistaken Identity In 1994, after seeing the *Smithsonian* cover, Geraldine Hoff Doyle claimed she was the model for the poster[5]. She believed a wartime photograph of a woman operating a lathe was of her, and that the photo had inspired Miller. She was widely honored, including by the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame[7]. But in 2015 and then more definitively in 2017, Dr. James J. Kimble identified the woman in that photograph as Naomi Parker Fraley, who was 20 years old and working in early 1942, before Doyle had even graduated high school[1]. The original photo caption read "Pretty Naomi Parker looks like she might catch her nose in the turret lathe she is operating," dated March 24, 1942[4]. Parker Fraley died in January 2018 at age 96[1]. Whether the photograph actually inspired Miller's poster at all remains unproven[5]. ### Political Adoption and Internet Meme Era During the 2008 presidential campaign, supporters of Hillary Clinton adapted the imagery for campaign materials[4]. Supporters of Sarah Palin did the same in 2012[4]. In 2010, the poster was reworked by an Australian artist to celebrate Julia Gillard becoming Australia's first female prime minister[7]. Online, the poster became a go-to template for parody and empowerment. The image's simple composition (woman, flexed arm, bold text) made it ideal for remixing[3]. Users swap out the woman for various characters, change the slogan, or redraw the pose in different art styles. The format works for everything from feminist rallying cries to ironic workplace humor to political commentary. ## How to Use The "We Can Do It!" format is one of the most straightforward meme templates: 1. Start with the basic composition: a figure (usually a woman) flexing or striking a confident pose 2. Add bold text above or around the figure with a motivational, ironic, or parodic slogan 3. Common variations include replacing the woman with pop culture characters, animals, or public figures while keeping the pose and layout 4. The bandana and work coveralls are often retained as visual shorthand, even when the face changes 5. Text swaps typically play on the original "We Can Do It!" phrasing, either sincerely or sarcastically ## Cultural Impact The poster is one of the ten most-requested images at the National Archives and Records Administration[5]. It appeared on a U.S. first-class mail stamp in 1999 and has been featured at the National Museum of American History[9]. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have adopted the imagery. Hillary Clinton supporters used it in 2008, Sarah Palin supporters in 2012[4], and it was reworked for Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2010[7]. The Geraldine Doyle / Naomi Parker Fraley identity mystery generated significant media coverage. The *New York Times* published Parker Fraley's obituary in January 2018, identifying her as the most likely inspiration for the broader "Rosie" archetype[1]. Dr. Kimble's six-year investigation into the poster's origins became a story in itself about myth-making in American culture[1]. Norman Rockwell's original "Rosie the Riveter" painting, often confused with Miller's poster, sold for $5 million in 2002 and is now in the permanent collection at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art[2]. The academic study of the poster, particularly Kimble and Olson's 2006 paper, shifted scholarly understanding of how wartime propaganda gets reinterpreted. Their key insight was that the "We Can Do It!" poster was not a feminist statement in its original context but a labor management tool, and its modern meaning was entirely constructed decades later[10]. ## Fun Facts - The poster was only displayed for two weeks in February 1943 and was seen by, at most, a few thousand Westinghouse factory workers before being replaced by the next poster in the rotation[5]. - Miller designed over 42 posters for Westinghouse. Most featured men and promoted traditional gender roles. One showed a male manager with the text "Any Questions About Your Work?... Ask your Supervisor"[7]. - The Westinghouse factories where the poster hung were producing helmet liners from Micarta, a phenolic resin. They made about 13 million liners during the war[11]. - Miller himself remained almost entirely unknown. His birth year (1898) and death year (1985) weren't confirmed until Professor Kimble's research in 2022[7]. - The poster's copyright expired, making it freely reproducible, while Norman Rockwell's more famous wartime "Rosie" painting was copyrighted and couldn't be widely copied. This legal accident is a major reason Miller's version became the iconic one[9]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the "We Can Do It!" meme? It's a widely remixed image based on a 1943 Westinghouse Electric propaganda poster by J. Howard Miller, showing a woman flexing her arm under the slogan "We Can Do It!" Now used for motivation, parody, and empowerment content online[5]. ### Where did the "We Can Do It!" meme come from? The original poster was created in 1942-1943 as an internal Westinghouse factory morale poster. It was rediscovered in 1982 when the *Washington Post Magazine* featured it, and feminist organizations spread it through catalogs and postcards in the mid-1980s[4]. ### What does the "We Can Do It!" poster mean? Originally, it meant "Westinghouse employees can do it!" and was aimed at reducing absenteeism and preventing labor strikes. Its modern meaning as a feminist empowerment symbol was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s[10]. ### How do you use the "We Can Do It!" meme? Replace the woman with any character or public figure in the flexing pose, and change the text to fit your message. It works for sincere motivation, political statements, or ironic humor[3]. ### Is the "We Can Do It!" poster still popular? Yes. It is one of the ten most-requested images at the National Archives, has been a U.S. postage stamp, and is regularly adapted online and in political campaigns[5]. ### Is the "We Can Do It!" woman actually Rosie the Riveter? No. Miller's poster has no official connection to "Rosie the Riveter," which originated as a 1942 song and was more famously depicted in Norman Rockwell's 1943 *Saturday Evening Post* painting. The conflation happened in the 1980s when feminist distributors labeled the poster "Rosie"[9]. ### Who was the model for the "We Can Do It!" poster? It's unknown. Geraldine Hoff Doyle claimed to be the model in 1994, but a 1942 factory photograph she believed was of her was later identified as Naomi Parker Fraley. Whether that photo actually inspired Miller's poster is unproven[1]. ### Who was Naomi Parker Fraley? A California woman who was working in a factory in 1942 when a wartime photograph was taken of her at a lathe. She was identified in 2015-2017 by Dr. James Kimble as the woman in the photo long attributed to Doyle. She died in January 2018 at age 96[1]. ### How many copies of the original poster were made? No more than 1,800 copies of the 17-by-22-inch poster were printed. It was displayed in a handful of Westinghouse factories for just two weeks in February 1943[7]. ### Who was J. Howard Miller? A Pittsburgh graphic artist born in 1898 who studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He was hired by Westinghouse to create over 42 internal propaganda posters during WWII. He died in 1985 and remained largely unknown until scholars researched the poster's origins[5]. ### Why did the poster become famous decades after the war? Its copyright had expired, making it freely reproducible, unlike Rockwell's copyrighted Rosie painting. Feminist and labor organizations in the 1980s adopted it as a symbol, and its simple, bold design made it ideal for mass reproduction on postcards, T-shirts, and posters[9]. ### How did the poster get connected to feminism? In 1985, Helaine Victoria Press produced a postcard of the image and labeled it "Rosie the Riveter" on the back, linking it for the first time to the broader women-in-wartime narrative. From there it spread through feminist catalogs and organizations[11]. ### Has the poster been used in political campaigns? Yes. Hillary Clinton supporters adapted it in 2008, Sarah Palin supporters in 2012, and it was reworked for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2010. Bernie Sanders supporters and various activist causes have also used it[4][7]. ### What was the poster's original purpose? To raise worker morale, reduce absenteeism, and prevent labor unrest at Westinghouse factories during WWII. It was part of a corporate labor management campaign, not a government recruitment effort[10]. ## References 1. [Naomi Parker Fraley, the Real Rosie the Riveter, Dies at 96 - The New York Times]() 2. [Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter Joins Crystal Bridges’ Collection - Park West Gallery]() 3. [From Propaganda to Parody: The 'We Can Do It!' Meme Story - Educationmagz.blog]() 4. [We Can Do It! - Know Your Meme]() 5. [We Can Do It!]() 6. [We Can Do It! - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Rosie the Riveter]() 8. [We Can Do It! - Wikipedia]() 9. [We Can Do It! The Story Of Rosie the Riveter | War History Online]() 10. [What is the "We Can Do It!" meme and its significance? - Ask and Answer - Glarity]() 11. ["We Can Do It!" The Herculean Effort of War Mobilization During WW II. - Our Great American Heritage]() 12. [“We Can Do It!” Rhetorical Analysis – Emily's RCL Blog]() 13. [Rosie the Riveter–symbol of the “We Can Do It” spirit - Warhawk Air Museum]() 14. [Myth-Making and the “We Can Do It!” Poster - Sociological Images]() 15. [When “Rosie the Riveter” Went Viral | The Stansbury Forum]() 16. [Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter Joins Crystal Bridges’ Collection - Park West Gallery]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/we-can-do-it Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library