American Women Artists In Wartime 1776 2010

For generations, men have left their homes and families to defend their country while their wives, mothers and daughters remained safely at home, outwardly unaffected. A closer examination reveals that women have always been directly impacted by war. In the last few years, they have actively participated on the front lines. This book tells the story of the women who documented the impact of war on their lives through their art. It includes works by professional artists and photographers, combat artists, ordinary women who documented their military experiences, and women who worked in a variety of types of needlework. Taken together, these images explore the female consciousness in wartime.

Through the centuries, women have used textiles to express their ideas and political opinions, creating items of utility that also function as works of art. Beginning with medieval European embroideries and tapestries such as the Bayeux Tapestry, this book examines the ways in which women around the world have recorded the impact of war on their lives using traditional fabric art forms of knitting, sewing, quilting, embroidery, weaving, basketry and rug making. Works from the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, the Middle and Near East, and Oceania are analyzed in terms of content and utility, and cultural and economic implications for the women who created them are discussed. Traditional women's work served to document the upheaval in their lives and supplemented their family income. By creating textiles that responded to the chaos of war, women developed new textile traditions, modified old traditions and created a vehicle to express their feelings.

-World War I and American Art provides an unprecedented look at the ways in which American artists reacted to the war. Artists took a leading role in chronicling the war, crafting images that influenced public opinion, supported mobilization efforts, and helped to shape how the war's appalling human toll was memorialized. The book brings together paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, posters, and ephemera, spanning the diverse visual culture of the period to tell the story of a crucial turning point in the history of American art---

For military cartoonists the absurdity of war inspires a laugh-or-cry response and provides an endless source of un-funny amusement. Cartoons by hundreds of artists-at-arms from more than a dozen countries and spanning two centuries are included in this study--the first to consider such a broad range of military comics. War and military life are examined through the inside jokes of the men and women who served. The author analyzes themes of culture, hierarchy, enemies and allies, geography, sexuality, combat, and civilian relations and describes how comics function within a community. A number of artists included were known for their work with Disney, Marvel Comics, the New Yorker and Madison Avenue but many lesser known artists are recognized.

 From silents of the early American motion picture era through 21st century films, this book offers a decade-by-decade examination of portrayals of women in the military. The full range of genres is explored, along with films created by today's military women about their experiences. Laws regarding women in the service are analyzed, along with discussion of the challenges they have faced in the push for full participation and of the changing societal attitudes through the years.

Winifred Black worked in journalism from 1888 to 1936, often writing under the pseudonym Annie Laurie. Her work appeared in the Hearst papers—especially the San Francisco Examiner—and in fifty additional newspapers weekly through syndication. Black wrote 10,000 short pieces, as well as three books, a nonfiction oeuvre that combined quasi-autobiographical details with characters and scenes to provide cultural analysis for a nationwide audience. She wrote about the realities facing modern women—their work, their marriages and divorces, the violence they endured, their need for independence. Contemporary praise for Black named her “the world’s most famous feature writer” and “one of the world’s most successful reporters,” while her critics affixed the pejorative labels “stunt girl” and “sob sister.” This study covers her influential career and gives the first serious attention to her journalism and nonfiction.

From British soldier Flora Sandes to the famed World War II Night Witches of the Soviet Air Force, women across the globe have stepped up to defend their countries during every major and minor conflict of the twentieth century, and filmmakers have long attempted to capture their stories. This book analyzes these military women's portrayals in world cinema, examining movies from Israel, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, Japan and others. It includes theatrical releases, direct-to-video productions, and made-for-television films. Chapters organize films by decade produced, and topics covered include the women's sexuality, maternal and marital status; leadership skills; actual jobs performed; and the accuracy of depiction. The book also discusses how each film reflects the contemporary social issues of the nation in which it was produced.