Naomi Parker Fraley obituary: The woman who was Rosie the Riveter
Until two years ago, the woman who was the inspiration for Rosie the Riveter – depicted with sleeves rolled up and fist clenched – was thought to be a Michigan woman named Geraldine Hoff Doyle.
But the real identity of the young woman who inspired artist J Howard Miller to produce an image that went on to become an icon of the feminist movement kept people guessing for years.
Naomi Parker Fraley would have died in relative obscurity were it not for the efforts of James Kimble, an American professor, who spent six years tracking down the real Rosie.
Eventually he found an original copy of the photograph the artist had used. Glued to the back was a caption in the photographer’s own words.