Twenty-Two Press Photographs of a Women's Fitness Program in Cleveland during World War Two

Cleveland, 1942. Silver prints, most 6 ½ by 9, with various editorial marks and identifiers to versos. A collection of women's fitness press photographs taken around Cleveland in 1942, from the archives of the Cleveland News. Excellent. A collection of twenty-two photographs documenting women's fitness programs in Cleveland in 1942. The programs, and corresponding articles in the Cleveland News, appear to be the work of Eleanor Dearnley, physical education teacher at Flora Stone Mather College. Other photographs show women's fitness activities at the Lakewood Community Center, also in Cleveland. There are several examples of similar local efforts in support of the national "Keep Fit for Victory" Campaign.

The photographs show women in a range of activities - basketball, stretching, calisthenics, volleyball, etc. Some of the photographs are graphically hand-painted by the editorial staff. Most pictures have corresponding articles pasted onto versos. The images are generally quite playful in nature - perhaps because it was early in the war or because the pictures were intended as morale boosters. A generally quite well-preserved group, in excellent condition except for the above-mentioned editorial marks.