From collection Kosti Ruohomaa Collection
ARMA Workers 25
This image shows two men consulting over a table strewn with drafting tools and instruments. One of them wears a dark protective wrap around his arms. Beyond them a number of other workers can be seen busy at equipment stations, conveying a dense and productive scene.
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.