gloves

The former Southern Guardhouse was constructed between 1941 and 1942. It was an important part of the most northerly munitions works constructed in Australia during the Second World War. At its peak the factory employed around 3000 workers and traffic in and out of the factory was immense. As the factory was an important and highly vulnerable establishment guardhouses were established as checkpoints through which all pedestrian and vehicular traffic flowed thus ensuring the security of the site. Since the war the building has been converted to serve other purposes. It is presently accommodates a picture framing business. At its peak the Rocklea Munitions Works employed approximately 3,000 people. The larger Footscray factory in Melbourne, by comparison, employed over 9,000. The peak for Rocklea was reached in May 1943 when 926 men and 1,573 women were recorded as engaged in factory work. An additional 500 men and women worked in the associated areas of Army inspection, food services, medical and welfare. Absenteeism was a problem. The reasons blamed for this included the introduction of night shifts, the regimentation of the work, industrial fatigue and lack of proper meals. Source: heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/1406

During World War II (WWII), Australia faced a dilemma: Many women were eager to do their bit and contribute their skills to the “war effort”, but there was still widespread resistance to the notion of a woman doing a “man’s job” – surely they could not handle the physical or mental exertion and maintain their “femininity”? Meanwhile, many able-bodied men were refused enlistment to the armed forces because their occupations were considered essential to civil defence or other critical services and industries. As the war progressed and came closer to Australia’s shores, this need for more “manpower” grew even more pressing. Eventually it was conceded that women’s services would be required, though one question was still perplexing some: what exactly could women do? Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/australian-women-work-wwii-keep-c...

Grace wearing shiny tight bodice

The sleeve detail is very interesting. A very elegant young woman holding gloves in her left hand.

Jordan L Mott III and Eleanor Sparks Mott. note "L", not "P". Jordan was a recent Yale grad, great grandson of Jordan L. Mott 1st who founded the Mott Iron Works, manufacturers of the finest coal stoves and urinals. Eleanor was the daughter of Sir Ashley Sparks, director of the Cunard Line's operations in NY. She was ~18 in this photo. She made her society debut in New York in November 1924, engaged in January 1925, married in Oyster Harbor in June 1925, gave birth to a daughter July 1926, divorced in Reno in 1934.

Thanks Seuss., we'll correct and update this catalog record.

Jordan Lawrence Mott (1903-1979) www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q122169985 His marriage license uses the 3rd but his birth certificate uses the 5th. Looking at his Familysearch entry, he is the 5th of his name. The discrepancy may have to do with the first two generations using Sr. and Jr.