Meet the real Rosie the Riveter, who was unknown until a years-long investigation revealed her identity

Erin McDowellMar 7, 2024, 21:14 IST

Rosie the Riveter was believed to be based on one woman for 30 years until an investigation revealed Naomi Parker Fraley as the true inspiration.National Archives/Getty Images

Rosie the Riveter is one of the most iconic images in pop-culture history.
For 30 years, Geraldine Hoff Doyle was believed to be the inspiration for Rosie the Riveter.

Rosie the Riveter is one of the most famous symbols of the feminist movement, but who actually inspired the iconic image of a woman flexing her bicep and wearing a polka-dot bandana?

For three decades, Geraldine Hoff Doyle was widely acknowledged as the inspiration behind Rosie the Riveter.

However, an investigation conducted in the 2000s revealed that Naomi Parker Fraley, who worked at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, had served as the true inspiration behind the image.

Here's the story of the real-life Rosie the Riveter and how her identity was eventually uncovered.

During World War II, women assisted in manufacturing wartime products like gas masks.

Workers assembling control units for tanks and aircraft in a US factory, circa 1943.FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Many women working in military factories were photographed wearing bandanas to tie back their hair.

American female workers drive rivets into an aircraft circa 1943.Harold M. Lambert/Lambert/Getty Images

The woman in Miller's poster soon came to be known as Rosie the Riveter.

A World War II color poster depicting "Rosie the Riveter"National Archives/Getty Images

The inspiration for the iconic Rosie the Riveter image was initially believed to be Geraldine Hoff Doyle, a Michigan factory worker.

Naomi Parker, Ada Parker, and Frances Johnson arrive to work at the US Naval Air Station.Bettmann/Getty Images

The true inspiration for Rosie the Riveter was later identified as Naomi Parker Fraley, a waitress from California who worked at the Naval Air Station in Alameda.

Naomi Parker, the inspiration behind "Rosie the Riveter," and Frances Johnson.Bettmann/Getty Images

After learning that she had been the inspiration for Miller's poster and that another woman had been misidentified as her for more than 30 years, Naomi Parker Fraley got to work trying to set the record straight.

Naomi Parker, the inspiration behind "Rosie the Riveter."Bettmann/Getty Images

After learning that she had been the inspiration for Miller's poster and that another woman had been misidentified as her for more than 30 years, Naomi Parker Fraley got to work trying to set the record straight.

Rosie the Riveter is now considered an icon of the feminist movement.

A group of marchers with signs that say "Nevertheless. She Persisted" with Rosie the Riveter during the Women's March in New York City on January 19, 2019.Ira L. Black/Corbis/Getty Images

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Meet the real Rosie the Riveter, who was unknown until a years-long investigation revealed her identity

During World War II, women assisted in manufacturing wartime products like gas masks.

Many women working in military factories were photographed wearing bandanas to tie back their hair.

The woman in Miller's poster soon came to be known as Rosie the Riveter.

The inspiration for the iconic Rosie the Riveter image was initially believed to be Geraldine Hoff Doyle, a Michigan factory worker.

The true inspiration for Rosie the Riveter was later identified as Naomi Parker Fraley, a waitress from California who worked at the Naval Air Station in Alameda.

After learning that she had been the inspiration for Miller's poster and that another woman had been misidentified as her for more than 30 years, Naomi Parker Fraley got to work trying to set the record straight.

Rosie the Riveter is now considered an icon of the feminist movement.