Elizabeth and James Nolan
SubjectPortrait of
Elizabeth Ann Nolan
(American, 1924 - 2017)
PhotographerPhotographed by
Unknown
Date1944-1952
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions: 3 7/16 × 5 3/8in. (8.7 × 13.7cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Elizabeth Nolan Barnicle
Object number2017.55.6
DescriptionThree-quarter view, black and white photographic postcard of Elizabeth and James Nolan in military uniform. The siblings are posed seated, Elizabeth Nolan is holding a pocketbook on her lap and James Nolan is resting a hand on his knee. Elizabeth is wearing a United States Naval Reserve WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) uniform overcoat and garrison cap. Her hair is styled in an ear length permanent wave. James Nolan is wearing United States military service coat and tie, slacks, and a garrison cap.
NotesSubject Note: During WWII, women were eager to get involved in the war effort. Despite political resistance from those who believed women had no place in the Navy, President Roosevelt passed the Navy Women’s Reserve Act into law on July 30, 1942, creating the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). This opened up new opportunities for women, allowing them to work as aviation mechanics, photographers, control tower operators, and parachute riggers. Although WAVES were not allowed to serve aboard combat ships or aircraft, these women were stationed at 900 shore stations in the continental U.S., later expanding to Alaska and Hawaii. By the end of WWII, more than 84,000 women had served in the WAVES. After the war, Congress passed a law allowing women to gain permanent status in all branches of the U.S. military, effectively disbanding the WAVES organization.On March 15, 1944, twenty-one-year-old Hartford native Elizabeth “Betty” Nolan, joined the WAVES, where she was assigned to the Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA. To prepare, she attended the U.S. Naval Training School at Hunter College, NY, and Yeoman School at the Iowa Teachers College, Cedar Falls, IA. After the war, Betty worked in the Patent Department of the Underwood Research Laboratories until she and her husband, John P. Barnicle, started their family.
Status
Not on view
1944
