Sewing - Flag - Made in the USA 1917 - Side by Side
by Mike Savad
Title
Sewing - Flag - Made in the USA 1917 - Side by Side
Artist
Mike Savad
Medium
Photograph - Hand Colored Photo
Description
Hand colored photo from 1917
Original title: Flag shop, Navy Yard
Photographer: Bain News
Location: Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY
We are in the flag shop of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where rows of women sit at heavy-duty sewing machines, their hands guiding fabric beneath rhythmic needles. Sunlight streams through tall windows, casting a warm glow over the vast workshop, where dedication and precision shape each stitch.
Dressed in simple yet practical attire, these women are part of a vital industrial effort, sewing the very symbols of American identity and resilience. The flags they create will soon wave from ships, government buildings, and battlefields, testaments to both patriotism and the skilled labor that sustains it. Their focused expressions hint at the quiet camaraderie of shared purpose.
This scene captures a transformative era, when women played an increasingly crucial role in industrial production, particularly during times of war and national mobilization. The Brooklyn Navy Yard, long a cornerstone of American naval strength, was not just a place of shipbuilding but a center of craftsmanship, where the stars and stripes were meticulously assembled by diligent hands.
The hum of treadle-operated sewing machines, the soft rustle of fabric, and the quiet determination of these workers weave together a story of labor, history, and national pride.
Color notes:
There are a few images from this location, each with different years, the last one I did was from around 10 years ago, the room was only half full and had all treadle machines. They had low hanging lights. I think they shot this image to show off the new electric machines they have, and the new giant steampunk like fuse box they are installing.
I like the manager as he doesn't know how to pose. Whereas the workman in the back, is behind a sewing machine, the only male to be doing so. I'm not quite sure what the guy in overalls is holding, looks like a gauge on a pipe, but for what I don't know. I chose similar colors to the last one making the windows darker, I figure they must have repainted by then.
Uploaded
March 9th, 2025
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