Clarification

Sophie commented: I had to chase down that photo to find out WHAT she was sewing . . . harnesses for parachutes (in case anyone else is curious). The photos are fantastic. Thank you for telling us about them.

I apologize -- I previewed the post, and the flickr info appeared. I forgot that it would disappear in the final version! There were other parachute-related photos, but this one (so far, at least) is the only one that accurately returned a sewing machine when I searched the LOC collections for "Singer."

So, thanks to Sophie for the clarification, and to the rest for your patience!

1940s...

Making harnesses, Mary Saverick stitching, Pioneer Parachute Company Mills, Manchester, Conn. (LOC)
Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

Isn't this amazing? The Library of Congress has made more than 3,000 images available on Flickr, with virtually no usage restrictions. They're color photos (and slides) from the 1930s and 40s, and black and white images from a news service in the 1910s. Many of the color shots have particularly rich color, thanks to Kodachrome.

Definitely a place one could spend hours browsing... mental_floss has a well-edited selection here.

I can imagine creating some need art based on these photos...