From collection Kosti Ruohomaa Collection
ARMA Plant Workers 12
In this image two men wearing aprons over their civilian clothes sand and finish the surfaces of heavy-gauge molded steel cases. They stand at a table in a utilitarian factory setting.
In 1945 Ruohomaa took on a Time/Life assignment to capture life inside one of the home front factories: this one an ARMA Plant which produced electrical appliances for the U. S. military. Scenes include higher and lower skilled workers performing hand as well as machine tasks. The images reflect the modern machinery of the retooled plants as well as the new demographic of the wartime labor force: women, African Americans, and older people.
As he often did, Ruohomaa shoots from a low angle, which has the effect of heroicizing his subjects.
