Panoramic photo of women yeomen at the Norfolk, Virginia Navy Yard

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

Access is restricted due to physical fragility. A digital surrogate was created by Kelsey Kim in June 2023 and is available to view upon request.

Terms of access:

No known copyright. The Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries believes that this collection is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. (See https://rightsstatements.org/page/NKC/1.0/?language=en)

Preferred citation:

Panoramic photo of women yeomen at the Norfolk, Virginia Navy Yard, C0339, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
2 Linear Feet
Abstract:
Sepia panoramic photo of women yeomen at the Norfolk, Virginia Navy Yard, January 30, 1919.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Panoramic photo of women yeomen at the Norfolk, Virginia Navy Yard, C0339, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

Sepia panoramic photo of women yeomen at the Norfolk, Virginia Navy Yard, January 30, 1919. Image shows three rows of women posed in uniform for the camera. An inscription reads: "Yeoman [illegible] Industrial Department of Norfolk Navy Yard[,] Norfolk VA[?,] Jan. 30, 1919[.]" According to a label on the glass, the photo was taken by G. L. Hall Optical Co from Norfolk, VA.

Biographical / historical:

Yeomen (Female), also as written as "Yeomen (F)", was an enlisted rank in the United States military during World War I. Thanks to a language loophole in the Naval Act of 1916, women were allowed to officially enlist in the military for the first time. As a result, over 600 women enlisted from March - April 1917, reaching nearly 4000 by July 1919. The Yeomen, also called "Yeomenettes" mostly worked in clerical positions at Naval Yards across the United States, including the Norfolk, Virginia Naval Base.

Acquisition information:
Purchased by Lynn Eaton from Caroliniana Rare Books in July 2019.
Processing information:

Processing and finding aid completed by Amanda Menjivar in August 2023.

Arrangement:

This is a single item collection.

Physical location:
Map Case 34.2
Physical description:
The emulsion of this photograph is adhered to glass which has split into two pieces. The photograph measures 8" wide and 43" long.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard