Women at Work: Uniforms & Work Wear, 1910 to 2010

White River Valley Museum exhibit tells the history of the not so everyday working woman

By Mark Klaas • January 13, 2017 11:30 am
Col. Vera Jones, the highest-ranking female Marine stationed in the jungles of Vietnam, is part of the White River Valley Museum’s latest exhibit. COURTESY, WRVM

Professional women of the early and mid-1900s followed dreams and necessity to pursue careers and work that was often outside the norm —and that came with a price.

Held to different standards, which are especially easy to see in dress, women usually obliged and persevered. The newest exhibit at Auburn’s White River Valley Museum is Women at Work: Uniforms & Work Wear, 1910 to 2010.

Women at Work – supported by 4Culture – will be on display from Jan. 18 to June 18.

The unique challenges faced by pioneering professional women is apparent as one tours the exhibit, Women at Work. Consider that Col.l Vera Jones, the highest-ranking female Marine stationed in the jungles of Vietnam, was required to wear a girdle, hose and heals while her male counterparts wore fatigues. Or teachers at Auburn’s Central School who were dismissed from their positions once they married. Or the many layers in the traditional habits required of a Catholic nun. Each uniform on display brings with it the story of that profession and of the times.

The foundation of this exhibit is the collection of Alice and Steve Miller who have assembled hundreds of women’s historic military and nursing uniforms –complete from shoes to hats. Eight of the sixteen ensembles on display are on loan from their collection. Alice Miller has served as the guest curator.

The display includes a wide range of work wear including:

• The 1906 dress of Kent’s Miss Jeanne Waite, hand sewn for her by her mother when she became a teacher

• The simple blue uniform purchased by Auburn’s Dolphi Jorgenson (later Tamburello) to train in as a nurse at Virginia Mason Hospital

• The blessed habit of Sister Mary Philothea of the Sisters of Providence, a nun and Federal Way school teacher

• The 1958 uniform of TWA Air Hostess Mary Bowdle who exemplified youth and beauty serving business travelers in high heels

• Maternity fatigues of an Army Captain, serving as a medic for a paratroop unit during Desert Storm

Museum board member and Green River College professor of history Michelle Marshman contributed the stage-setting labels on everything from leaving the home to earn a wage, to women in the military, and what happened to a 1935 pregnant school teacher.

Upcoming exhibit programs:

Guest curator-led tours: 1 and 2 p.m., Feb. 11 and June 10. Tours included with regular museum admission or membership. No registration required but space is limited.

Women’s Suffrage Cookbook Program: 1 -2 p.m., May 6. $10 per person; pre-registration required.

About the museum

The White River Valley Museum creates an exciting and educational experience for visitors through a series of award-winning exhibits and programs on regional cultures, arts and history. The museum’s artifact collections focus on Puget Sound history, Northwest Native culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railway.

The museum, at 918 H St. SE in Auburn, is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. On the first Thursday of each month the hours are extended from 6 to 8 p.m.

Regular admission is $5 adults, $2 seniors and children, children 2 years of age or younger are always free. Admission is free for everyone all day on the first Thursday and the third Sunday of every month.

Call 253-288-7433 or visit wrvmuseum.org for event information.