Women’s work, men’s work. At various times and places in history, the line between the two has been strong and clear. At other times and in other places, the line is less strong or even non-existent. Many of the women pictured in this section were doing work that—at the time—might have been seen to be crossing over the line between gender roles. But were they really? And did they see themselves as defying societal expectations regarding their behavior? No doubt they were just doing what had to be done at the time, whether to support themselves or their families or simply because they enjoyed it.
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Palmer, 1936. The nurse on the right end of the log-trimming task is a Matanuska colonist.
[C. Earl Albrecht papers, HMC-0375]
Anchorage, 1952. Helen Gillette, a reporter, works at her desk in the newsroom
of the Anchorage Daily News.
[Robert and Wilma Knox papers, HMC-0461]
All photographs taken from the holdings of the
UAA/APU Consortium
Library’s Archives and Special Collections Department.
© 2005
Consortium Library
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508.