NHD SCRIPT 2020

 

The setting is a table set for tea. There is flowered wallpaper and a 

blue star flag hung over the window. A picture of a WELL-DRESSED MAN 

hangs on the wall.(See Fig.1, below) It is day. A woman, MRS.JONES, is 

wearing a frilled blue dress, and apron.(See Fig.2)She is sitting and 

reading a newspaper. 

 

MRS.JONES 

(Stands up, startled.) 

Why hello there! How rude of me not to invite you in.  

(Starts pouring tea, sips intermittently) 

Here, have a cup of tea. I know that you must take a poor view of me 

for my chipped teacup, but you know, we must all do our part in this 

horrid war. I wouldn’t dream of buying another set, apparently it 

causes inflation and we mustn’t do that. It causes prices to 

skyrocket. I heard all about it just a couple weeks ago on NBC’s 

National Farm and Home Hour. It is just my favorite radio show. Here, 

let’s listen. 

(Fusses with radio knobs, turns on recording. Sits down, sipping tea 

and listens to the radio{See Fig.3}) 

RADIO(See Note.1): 

WALLACE KADDERLY 

(Deep voice, slight continental accent) 

And here we are in Washington . . . and not losing any time getting 

down to business today. For Ruth Van Demans’s here ready to take over 

as mistress of ceremonies on a show of the new work-clothes for women, 

designed by the Bureau of Home Economics. 

Ruth, I don’t know about you, but this is going to be a brand-new 

experience for me. I’ve never been even on the outer fringes of a 

style show before. 

RUTH VAN DEMAN 

(High, breathy voice, slight continental accent) 

 

I know I’ve never been a mistress of ceremonies for one before. But 

these new work clothes Clarice Scott and Margaret Smith have designed 

make history in several directions . . . But wait till you see them, 

Wallace. 

 

MRS.JONES 

(Stands up. Turns off recordings and fusses with radio knobs) 

New work clothes! Why, just wait until the girls in the factories hear 

about this. Just today I read in the New York Times that industry 

deaths on the home front are 7,500 more than deaths in the military. 

It’s awful, but it’s less than in the last because of all the steps 

the government has taken. But I sure am scared for them. They insist 

on wearing dresses while doing all that dangerous work. My niece Besty 

works at the Dodge Chicago plant, which makes B-29’s, and she told me 

that just yesterday a woman’s dress got caught when she was welding. 

She almost died. They really ought to wear trousers, but they feel 

like they need to stay feminine even in a factory. 

(Glances at watch) 

Well, would you look at the time. I suppose I must bid you 

goodbye. 

(Turns on recording and spins turnable to the “Radio” set(See Fig.4). 

Radio plays while actor takes off apron and puts on glasses) 

RADIO: 

ANNOUNCER 

Miss Margaret Smith wearing a one-piece mechanic suit with matching 

cap . . . And it’s a honey. 

 

WALLACE KADDERLY 

Right you are Stewart Finley. That’s a neat outfit and practical. A 

woman dressed like that could drive a tractor. 

 

RUTH VAN DEMAN 

 

Not only could but has, Wallace. All these outfits have been tried out 

on the job. Miss Scott grew up on a farm. She knows what it is to ride 

the hay rake and run the tractor. She knows the kind of clothes it 

takes. 

 

WALLACE KADDERLY 

This summer with the farm labor situation what it is more women than 

usual are out on the fields. . . 

 

RUTH VAN DEMAN 

And lots of them wearing men’s overalls and jumper suits . . . This 

denim slack suit Margaret Smith is showing us here is a lot more 

comfortable. 

 

(Turns off recording. RUTH VAN DEMAN stands at the opposite end of the 

turntable.) 

 

The setting is a recording studio for NBC. There is a sign advertising 

NBC’s Farm and Home hour to the side. The walls are a dark blue. There 

are colored fashion plates from sewing patterns. They show a work 

apron and jumpsuit. There is a NBC microphone(See Fig.5) on the table 

as well as a sewing pattern(See Fig.6). 

 

RUTH VAN DEMAN 

Hello there! I’m Ruth Van Deman - you might know me from NBC’s farm 

and home hour, but that’s just a part of the Bureau of Home Economics. 

I’m just wondering if I could throw a few ideas for new shows at you- 

just to make sure that they’re good. Anyway, we do a lot of important 

things over there that really break barriers in helping people with 

everyday things. Even on our radio show, we cover a lot of topics, 

from cannery to coats. Many people have written in to say that we have 

been very helpful. But with the war going on, there are so many new 

problems to pursue, especially regarding women’s work clothes. Many 

 

women who work in factories really dislike the clothing that they have 

to wear for their own safety- and no wonder. If they wear their work 

clothes onto the street, they’re often laughed at and treated 

differently, like second class citizens. Besides that, proper work 

clothes can be hard to find and many are forced to wear hand-me-downs. 

And so, they doubt that they really need them. They say: Really? 

Pants? They wear dresses,like these, 

(Picks at her skirt) 

because pants, while practical, are not in fashion. And look at this 

one 

(She holds up a sewing pattern depicting a 1940’s dress with ruffles.) 

-the skirt is loose, the sleeves too tight, and it has frills. It’s 

dangerous, sacrificing safety for style. 

For some time now, women have been writing to us about getting 

better work clothes.  

Here, I have some examples: 

(She stands up straight and takes a step forward.) 

From Gertrude Williams, To the Bureau of Home Economics 

To whom it may concern: 

My clothes often seem to tear at the shoulder whenever I am bending 

over or reaching for something. 

(She pantomimes said motion.) 

It is a bit of an issue, and my friends Linda and Margerie have the 

same problem too. I know that over there you people specialize in this 

sort of thing, so I’ve sketched out a pattern if it is useful. Best, 

Mrs.Williams. 

 

(She steps backwards) 

 

These are just ordinary housewives searching for a way to make their 

work more comfortable and practical. And now, during the war, we 

figured that the time was right to finally solve this problem. Why, 7 

million women joined the workforce for the war- that’s almost doubled 

 

the amount of working women. Our very own clothing designers, Ms. 

Clarise Scott and Ms.Margaret Smith researched and designed clothing 

and had it sent out to pattern and clothing manufacturers so that it 

would be readily available to women all across the country. 

(Gestures to fashion plates hung on wall.) 

We just want to make sure that people are being safe.You know, nobody 

seems to think that women working is an honorable position, especially 

those in the factories or army. It’s really a shame, but we have the 

War Manpower Commision that recognizes the use of women working during 

the war. They’re doing all they can to make it socially acceptable 

using advertising. I know that some may say that the government is 

overstepping its boundaries in citizens' lives, but if we don’t do it, 

then no one will. Here’s some examples of the new styles that I hope 

you’ll encourage those who need them to wear. This one I quite like- 

you probably heard about it on the radio, but this coverall is quite 

practical and stylish. And not to mention this apron - waterproof, 

comfortable, and easy to get into. I truly hope that these will 

satisfy women working both in the house and out. We can only hope that 

these will help break the barrier of women’s work clothes.  

Oh dear! It appears I lost track of time. If you’ll excuse me, I 

must get back to work. 

 

(She sits down next to a microphone.) 

 

But now I want to tell you about a new leaflet, called “Make-Overs from Men’s suits. The author is Clarice Scott, of the Bureau of Home Economics. Scotty, we all call her, explains in her leaflet, uniforms are fast taking the place of civilian suits.  (She turns on the radio while talking. It continues as the actor turns the set and puts on apron and glasses, becoming MRS.JONES.)   

 This means that much good wool may lie idle, be stored away in moth balls, or even be wasted. 

 

If folks at home can’t use these suits as they are, then the patriotic and wise thing is to make them over into clothes that are needed, now. By using this wool, we help reduce the demand for new wool. And as we pointed out some weeks ago, wool is one of the most important of all materials in war time. 

  

MRS.JONES  (washing teacup) Why, that broadcast certainly is enlightening. Perhaps I’ll make myself a made over suit. But, you know, I was just thinking, these jumper suits could be just the thing. Besty takes the bus to work, and one day she wore her work clothes because she was in a hurry. She said it was horrible. All the men laughed, women looked away, and all because of a stupid pair of pants. But really? I can’t blame them. She wears her dad’s old pants, and she looks rather silly, I’m sorry to say. But I do so want her to be safe- I’ll see about getting a pattern for that jumper suit.  

END                        

 

Fig.1:The Tea Scene 

This is the scene that accompanies Mrs.Jones. It is on a turntable, so that it may be turned to reveal the radio scene. The picture of the well dressed man is a black and white picture of me in a nice shirt 

and jacket. This and the blue star flag suggests that the well dressed man is her husband off at war. The wallpaper is floral contact paper. The tablecloth is a sheet of lace. The basket of flowers disguise my phone, which is for the “radio”. This set shows that Mrs.Jones is an 

affluent,patriotic woman.  

Fig.2: Dress of Mrs. Jones and Ruth Van Deman 

 This is the dress that I sewed for Mrs.Jones and Ruth Van Deman. It is not pictured with an apron. It is actually a dress and shirt that are meant to be worn together. It is from the pattern in Fig.6. It is made 

from old curtains from a thrift store, a thin polyester woven.   

 

Fig.3: The Radio 

 This was based off of the Zenith 5-R-216 "Cube”, a radio made in 1938. (This shows that Mrs.Jones, like the advertisement she is based off 

of, is patriotic and thrifty.)It is an old quaker oats box covered in contact paper. I cut the holes with a razor blade. The knobs are from 

an old toy set. The face I printed out from a picture, covered in plastic, put gold needles on (for the hands) and put a stained sewing hoop over. Inside, there is a bluetooth speaker that is connected to 

my phone so I can play the radio recordings.  

Fig.4: The Radio Set 

 This set is used by Ruth Van Deman. The pictures are those I printed out from government patterns and then colored in. This is on the back 

of the kitchen set.  

 

Fig.5:NBC Microphone 

 This is based off of many pictures of the NBC recording studios at the time. I do not know the model that they used. It is made out of an old 

container of tea(metal), popsicle sticks, a jenga block, tape, cardboard, string, and fabric, which makes up the microphone head. I printed out the NBC’s 1940’s logo and taped/glued it to the box of 

tea. (the top of the tea box is the base.) I then painted it all with silver spraypaint and covered the black tape with mod podge(to reduce 

glare.) The popsicle sticks formed a frame for the head and an attachment to the base. 

      

  

 

 

Fig.6:Sewing Pattern 

I use this sewing pattern as a prop for Ruth Van Deman. I also used it to sew the dress. It is an original from the early 40s, exact date 

unknown.  

  

Note.1: The radio recordings were recording of myself reading select 

broadcasts from the National Farm and Home hour. They are all from the early 1940s, though are not from the same date. I used different voice filters (from garageband) for the different people, as well as making my voice higher for Ruth Van Deman and lower for Wallace Kadderly. 

Really? Pants? The Complex Story of Women, Work and Clothing

During World War II.

Eve Lazarski Junior Division

Individual Presentation Process Paper: (483 words)

How did I choose my topic?

Women working in World War II has long been a subject and symbol in the media of

female empowerment. I was curious about why this was so influential that it had

become a rallying point for feminism rather than something like women’s suffrage.

When I began to research, I realized that the story was not as simple as it seemed.

Women did not merely put on trousers and march off to the factories happily, gaining

the respect of all and enjoying the feeling of liberation from their mundane, housewife

lives. Instead, I learned women going into work met cultural resistance. They were seen

as masculine and too domineering for their gender. The government played a big role in

changing these ideas. They needed to increase production and hire more workers so

they promoted this new idea and tried to normalize the idea of women working and

wearing masculine clothing using different propaganda. I realized that the government

served an important role in helping women break barriers. Once I learned that this was

different than what is commonly portrayed, I chose this topic to set the story straight.

How did I conduct my research?

I began by collecting and learning as much about this topic as possible. I started with a

skeleton of the idea, reading articles and books to increase my background knowledge

so that I would know what specifics to research. I started by searching on Google. I

found a few key books and used the works cited from those books to find additional

books and articles. I found lots of information regarding clothing, and knowing that this

was the basis of prejudice against factory workers, I decided to base my presentation

about this. I researched the Bureau of Home Economics because it was mentioned in

“Making War, Making Women” a book that was central to my research. I found that the

Bureau had a radio show and it proved to be a very fruitful and interesting source. I

found and read transcripts on the National Archives and incorporated these into my

project.

How did I select my category and create my project?

At first, I was debating between exhibit and performance. Each one had their own

benefits- an exhibit would be able to show more specific information with visuals, while

a performance would show the emotional side of things. I ended up choosing

performance as it would allow me to show the dresses I made using patterns from the

1940s and to use the radio show. I created my project by first writing a script and then

figuring out and making what set and props I would need.

How does my project relate to the NHD theme?

Although what first comes to mind with “breaking barriers” in the 1940s is women

breaking the barrier of the workforce and fashion through employment, my project

shows a more complicated story. The Federal government used many different

techniques to remove the social stigma of women working and wearing masculine

clothing. Their efforts were key in changing social norms.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

PRIMARY

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

Scott, Clarice L. Work Clothes for Women. No. 1905 Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, book,

1942. Print.

This was useful in understanding what the clothing mentioned in the broadcast looked like. I printed out

and colored pictures from it. It also gave me a better idea of what characteristics made work clothes

desirable.

Smith, Margaret. Coat Making At Home. No 1894 Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, book,

1943. Print (https://archive.org/details/CAT87203733/page/n31/mode/2up) This was mentioned in my script. It helped me understand the duties of the Bureau of Home Economics.I

think that it is interesting how long and detailed it is compared to other patterns of it’s time.

SCOTT, CLARICE L. "Clothing That Works." Science in Farming-The Yearbook of Agriculture 1943-1947, pp. 807-810. Washington, D.C., 1947. Internet Resource. This helped me understand the exact needs of work clothes for women. It mentioned common problems and their solutions. It talked about women writing letters to the Bureau of Home Economics. In my script I used this information to include some excerpts of letters.

Frank H. Jeter talks with Home Demonstration agent Ruth Current and other women on the NBC radio

program "The National Farm and Home Hour" National Farm and Home Hour (UA023.006.052),

Special Collections Research Center at NC State University Libraries

https://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/0007483#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-5386%2C-1%2C22359%

2C8981

This image was used in reference to the type of microphone as well as to the NBC flag. I thought that it

was interesting how there were four people in the picture, all with scripts, as most of the radio

broadcasts I read have only two people.

RADIO TRANSCRIPTIONS

Van, Deman R. It's Smart to Wear Made-Overs: Ruth Van Deman, Bureau of Home Economics, U.s.d.a.

Broadcast in the Department of Agriculture's Portion of the National Farm and Home Hour, Monday,

December 7, 1942, Over Stations Associated with the Blue Network [of the National Broadcasting

Company]. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 1942. Internet resource.

https://archive.org/details/CAT31312180/page/n1/mode/2up

Portions of this broadcast were used in my script. It also helped me understand the scarcity of materials

in WWII and the need to make “made-overs”. I thought it was interesting how they encouraged women

to rip up men’s suits without gaining their permission first.

Van, Deman R, and Wallace L. Kadderly. New Work Clothes for Women (for Broadcast Use Only): A

Broadcast by Miss Ruth Van Deman, Bureau of Home Economics, and Mr. Wallace Kadderly, Office of

Information, Broadcast Thursday, July 24,1941, in the Department of Agriculture Period of the

National Farm and Home Hour, Over Stations Associated with the Nbc Blue Network. Washington,

D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 1941. Internet resource.

(https://archive.org/details/CAT31310428/page/n1/mode/2up)

I used portions of this broadcast in my script. It directly correlates with the leaflet “Work Clothes for

Women”, also cited here. This broadcast helped me understand how the radio helped advertise the

pamphlets the Bureau of Home Economics made.

Van, Deman R, and Clarice L. Scott. Clothing Economies: An Interview between Miss Ruth Van Deman

and Miss Clarice L. Scott, Bureau of Home Economics, Delivered in the Department of Agriculture

Period of the National Farm and Home Hour, Broadcast by a Network of 48 Associate Nbc Stations,

Tuesday, March 21, 1933. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 1933. Internet

resource. (https://archive.org/details/CAT31305177/page/n1/mode/2up)

This broadcast helped me understand the role that the National Farm and Home Hour played before

WWII. I learned that in the Depression, they helped people learn how to make the most of their limited

materials, like they did in WWII. But it differed in that it also helped people learn how they could

collectively help others. In this broadcast, it mentions ways to improve a community workroom so that it

is easier to make lots of clothes at once for less money.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE THE NATIONAL

ARCHIVES Preliminary Inventory Of the Records of the Office of War Information (Record Group 208)

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/foreign-policy/related-records/rg-208-owi-preliminary-invento

ry.pdf

This helped me understand how the USDA, the Radio Bureau, and the Bureau of Home Economics all

worked together.

Marsh, Emily. “Apron Strings and Kitchen Sinks: The USDA Bureau of Home Economics, A National

Agricultural Library Exhibit”

https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/apronsandkitchens/exhibits/show/the-bureau-of-home-econ

omics/textiles-scott

This exhibit showed me the extent of the clothing that the Bureau of Home Economics designed for women and children. I learned that the Bureau was mainly focused on convenience for homemakers, designing clothing that had as little parts as possible while still being becoming.

“Industry Deaths Since Pearl Harbor 37,600, Exceeding by 7,500 Number Killed in War,” New York

Times, January 21, 1944.

This article is mentioned in my script. It helped me understand how dangerous working in industry was

and how those who choose to work in factories during the wartime were taking a higher risk than those

who enlisted. It made me rethink the narrative that working in industry to help with the war effort was

all patriotic fun and games.

O'Brien, Ruth, and William Chastain Shelton. Women's measurements for garment and pattern

construction. No. 454. US Department of Agriculture, 1941.

This study helped me understand the extent to which the Bureau of Home Economics played a role in

everyday citizen’s lives. 14,698 women were measured in order to better understand what the most

common proportions were so that they could better tailor patterns and clothes. They found that there

was no common proportion as all women are different. This also helped me understand just how

common racism was in the 1930s-40s as all the women surveyed were white.

“The Chipped Teacup of the Patriotic Mrs.Jones.” Digital Repositories at Duke, Magazine Publishers of

America, 1944, repository.duke.edu/dc/adaccess/W0004.

In my script, one of my characters is Mrs.Jones. I reference the storyline in this advertisement but I also

build upon it. This advertisement showed me how propaganda came in all shapes and sizes-not just in

the posters we recognize today, but also in short stories with some facts sprinkled in, shaming the

american public into stopping inflation.

PHYSICAL ARTIFACTS

“Phil’s Old Radios. Site Map”, Antique Radio, 9 February 2020, https://antiqueradio.org/sitemap.html

This site helped me a lot in finding old radios that I could base my radio off of. It was also useful in

directing me to new sites.

“Zenith 5-R-216 "Cube" (1938)”, Radio Attic, 9 February 2020,

https://radioattic.com/item.htm?radio=1340181

This is the radio that I tried to make my “radio” look like. This site was helpful in providing dimensions and a

clear picture in which to print out the dial. This is a primary source because I am referencing a picture of a

radio made in that time.

Radio Corporation of America (RCA), “RCA 44A,” UGA Special Collections Library Online Exhibitions,

accessed February 9, 2020, https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/items/show/719.

This is the microphone that I tried to make my “microphone” look like. This site provided a sharp

picture, dimensions, and a brief history of the microphone.This is a primary source because I am

referencing a picture of a microphone made at that time.

“Gallery of Wood Table Radios.” Radio Attic's Gallery of Wood Table Radios, Radio Attic, 2020,

radioattic.com/gallery.htm?style=Wood_Table_Radios.

This site was helpful in determining what type of radio I wanted to make, as it had many different types

of radios from the 1940s to reference.

“American Microphones of the 1940s”, Preservation of Sound, 9 February 2020,

http://www.preservationsound.com/2011/05/american-microphones-of-the-1940s/

This site showed me many different advertisements of microphones from the 1940s. It was helpful for

choosing the exact model.

SECONDARY

“About the Service Flag.” Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc, Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc,

www.bluestarmothers.org/service-flag.

This site helped me understand the purpose of the Service Flag, what it looks like, and it’s history.

“Antique Radios - The Collector's Resource.” Antique Radios - The Collector's Resource, Antique

Radios - The Collector's Resource, antiqueradios.com/.

This site helped direct me to other sites that were helpful in making my “radio”.

Baker, John Chester. Farm broadcasting. Ames, IA: The Iowa State University Press, 1981.

This book helped give me context for the National Farm and Home Hour before and after the 1940s. It

explains in depth the people who helped with it and was useful for showing the personality of Ruth Van

Deman.

McEuen, Melissa A. Making war, making women: Femininity and duty on the American home front,

1941-1945. University of Georgia Press, 2011.

This book was extremely helpful in understanding the social constructs of the 1940s, why they existed,

and what effect working women had on them. It helped direct me to other sources and included

examples of many posters and what they meant. It also helped me build context for homemakers and

showed what average people thought about working women.

Moskowitz, Daniel B. “HEMMED IN: With Wartime Clothing Restrictions, Giving an Inch Could Go a

Mile for the War Effort.” World War II, no. 6, 2018, p. 62. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&scope=site&db=edsgij&AN=edsgcl.52726

0836.

This article helped me build context for clothing restrictions, such as why they existed and what people

did about them. It was useful in understanding what the Bureau of Home Economics did and why they

did it.