Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Mary Keefe - Rockwell Model

Mary Keefe was the model for Norman Rockwell's iconic "Rosie the Riveter" painting in 1943. It symbolized the millions of American women who went to work in factories during World War II.

She died on April 21, 2015 in Simsbury, CT after a brief illness at the age of 92.

Ms Keefe met Rockwell when they both lived in Vermont. She was a 19 year old telephone operator when the painting appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 23, 1943. Rockwell exaggerated some of her physical features, giving her large arms, hands and shoulders. He later apologized to her. She was paid $5 for the two morning sessions needed to photograph her for the painting.

The magazine cover was used extensively in ads to sell war bonds to the general public. She spent her career as a dental hygienist in Vermont and later in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

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