selling

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? One woman who took up the challenge of a “man’s job” was Mary Emma Martin (nee Jackson). Before the war, Emma’s husband Bob was an ice vendor, delivering blocks of ice to Brisbane’s inner-northern suburbs, in the days before refrigerators when everyone relied on an icebox in their home to keep foodstuffs from perishing. Ice delivery was such an essential service that at first ice vendors were excused from military service; it was still quite a novel idea to think a woman could handle the job. However, when Bob Martin and other men enlisted for service, Emma took on the role, along with an estimated 50 other women ice vendors in Brisbane alone . Amid wartime crisis, these women literally kept cool and carried on! Source: www.anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/stories/australian-women-work-...

I'm suspecting this is a propaganda photograph?

It definitely shows a scene from a peaceful and friendly occupation. I think almost all of the Bain war photos are propaganda, depending on which side the audience for the photo was rooting.

I wonder if the guy on the bike is making some sort of rude gesture (early photo bomb). The only thing I can think of is the "biting the thumb" gesture that means screw you. He looks too intently at the camera not to be in some way making his own comment on the scene.

looking at the hi-res version, it seems he has a pipe in his mouth.

Can't tell if the dog is sitting in the remnants of some old rolltop desk by the name of "PHENIX"

You can have a closer look if you go to a higher resolution version that is available at the persistent URL listed in the description. Click on the thumbnail photo and then open the TIFF file.

That made a difference. In the TIFF the dog looks like he is missing an eye, the upright pencils on the front of the desk, and that there is a wooden-handled umbrella leaning on the fence behind them. It may also be shoelaces hanging in front of the dog.

i wish the entire LOC liberary was designed in web 2.0, like getty images or flickr. but altogether - thanks very much for your donations and sharing.

I don't believe the dog is missing an eye, at least I don't see evidence of that.