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Category: Womens History


Mar
2021

Canada’s WW2 Home Front Effort: The Small Arms Inspection Building

categories: 1940s, vintage images, Womens History, WW2

Last weekend the hubby and I along with our friend went for a walk in Mississauga, Ontario (just outside of Toronto) to stretch our legs. We headed towards the waterfront for a change of scenary and ended up at a location called the “Sawmills”. We parked in the parking lot and got ready to follow the trails. Just a normal day. Then I happened to look to my right to the building that was on the other side of the parking lot and I saw this…..

Mississauga Small Arms Building with women on the building who worked in this space during WW2 doing their part for the War Effort for Canada.

My instant reaction was, “OMG why is there women from the 1940s in factory uniforms on the side of that building?”! “How exciting!!”.

I needed to know more, so off I ran to see if there was a plaque. No plaque but there is the internet! So we Googled where we were and this is what I found….

Canada’s WW2 Home Front Effort: The Small Arms Inspection Building

HISTORY of the Small Arms Inspection Building

The Small Arms Inspection Building is located on the 15.7 hectare parcel of land known as the Arsenal Lands on the eastern border of Mississauga’s waterfront. In 1940, the site became a large munitions plant manufacturing rifles and small arms for the Canadian Army through the Second World War until 1974. Small Arms Limited recruited and supported a significant number of women, who made up about two-thirds of the factory’s workforce. This was critical to changing the role of women and recognizing their significance to the workforce in Canada.

In 1992, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) acquired the Arsenal Lands and the Small Arms Inspection Building. In 2008, the City of Mississauga intervened as the building was scheduled for demolition and designated the building under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2009. The City of Mississauga acquired the building in 2017 with the intention of repurposing it as an arts and culture hub (which it is today). (SOURCE).

The images on the side of the building if you had not already figured it out, were women who worked at the factory and helped with the war effort. Love this!!

Mississauga Small Arms Building with women on the building who worked in this space during WW2 doing their part for the War Effort for Canada.

Vintage Photos of the Women of The Small Arms Building

There is not much info beyond what I stated above, but we do have some lovely photos of some of the women working at this building. Let’s take a look.

Vintage Photo: 1940s Photo of women working on the homefront in a factory in mississauga at the small arms building making small guns.

Source: Look Local Magazine

Notice the unforms. The hats kept the hair back and away from the machines, and the overalls while practical had a little style with the puffed sleeve. Cute for working in a factory.

Vintage Photo: 1940s Photo of women working on the homefront in a factory in mississauga at the small arms building making small guns.

Source: Small Arms Building

Vintage Photo: 1940s Photo of women working on the homefront in a factory in mississauga at the small arms building making small guns.

Source: Look Local Magazine

Vintage Photo: 1940s Photo of women on the Canadian homefront who worked in a factory making small arms at the Small Arms Building Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

Source: Toronto.com

Vintage Photo: 1940s photo of a woman in factory uniform in Mississauga, Canada who worked at the Sam Arms Building during WW2

Source: Look Local Magazine

 A narrator in a Canadian Army Newsreel about women workers said…

“When victory is won, a great share of the credit will be due to our fair Amazons in overalls.”

In this short video, you’ll meet five people who worked at the Small Arms during the Second World War making ammunition and firearms for our troops overseas. The story is told from the perspective of a woman and man looking back on their time working at the Small Arms in the 1940s.

I hoped you enjoyed learning a bit about one of the roles of women on the homefront in Canada during WW2. I know I enjoyed it immensly seeing their photos and watching the video above.

For other posts I have done on women on the homefront during the 1940s check them out below (It is Women’s History Month):

Thanks for stopping by!

Liz


Mar
2020

Blanche Calloway-1930s Jazz singer, bandleader, and Composer

categories: Women of the Big Band Era, Womens History

To kick off Women’s History Month, I want to introduce you to an artist you might not be super aware of…Blanche Calloway. Jazz singer, bandleader, and composer.

1930s Vintage Photo of Blanche Calloway 1930s Female Band leader

Blanche is recognized as the first black woman to successfully lead an all-male Jazz orchestra under her own name!

She also just happened to be the older sister of Cab Calloway, yes that Cab Calloway the famous big band leader (seen below). Cab Calloway often credited her with being the reason he got into show business (Source).

In fact… Cab Calloway borrowed key elements from his elder sister’s act — her bravura vocal style and Hi-de-Ho call and response routines.  His 1976 memoir acknowledges her influence, declaring Blanche….

Vivacious, lovely, personality plus and a hell of a singer and dancer,” an all-around entertainer who was “fabulous, happy and extroverted.”

(Source).
Vintage Photo of Cab Calloway

Blanche Calloway-1930s Jazz singer, bandleader, and Composer

About Blanche Calloway

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 9th, 1904. She was the oldest of what would be 4 siblings in total (Cab, Elmer & Bernice).

Music was a tradition in the Calloway home with Blanche in her early days studying piano and voice and even singing in her church choir.

After a brief stay at Morgan State College, Blanche Calloway began her professional career in Baltimore as a singer in local revues, stage shows, and nightclubs. She was very successful in Chicago during the early 1920s at the prestigious Sunset Café and even made a blues record accompanied by cornet player Louis Armstrong (Source).  

Blanche Calloway, late 1920s or early 1930s -Jazz Singer

Blanche Calloway, late 1920s or early ’30s. Source: Old Times Blues.net

Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, and later Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra

1930s vintage photo of Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys

Source: Discogs.com

In 1931, while performing at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia, Blanche was heard by bandleader Andy Kirk. Kirk asked her to sing with his outfit, the Clouds of Joy. While touring with the orchestra she quickly found herself the featured attraction. Watching her popularity soar she made an attempt to steal leadership of the group from Kirk. When Kirk figured out the plot he quickly dumped her (Source).

Still determined to have her own orchestra, Blanche found an ally in Kirk trumpet player Edgar ”Puddin Head” Battle, who helped her put together a group. Between 1931 and 1938, Calloway headed her own all-male band—Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, and later Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra—which included some of the top musicians of the day. Appearing at New York’s exclusive black theaters, the band played the Lafayette, the Harlem Opera House, and the Apollo. With their theme song “Growlin’ Dan,” they performed across the United States and recorded frequently for Victor. They disbanded in 1938 due to financial difficulties.

Blanche Calloway and her orchestra performs at the Apollo

In a survey conducted by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1931, Calloway’s band ranked 9th of 38, only 5 slots behind Louis Armstrong. A reviewer for the Courier called her “one of the most progressive performers in the profession.” (Source).

1920s Vintage Photo: early photo of Cab’s sister, Blanche Calloway, the jazz singer and bandleader, taken between 1925-29,

Source: Lelands.com

Check out Growlin Dan below and if you know Cab Calloway’s music then you can 100% hear where he got his signature sound from.

The Later Years

Though her last official orchestra disbanded in 1938, Calloway ran an all-woman band briefly during World War II.  By 1944, she had tired of life on the road and settled in Philadelphia, where she became active in community and political affairs. After moving to Florida in 1953, she became a disc jockey on radio station WMEM out of Miami. She later founded and served as president of Afram House, a company specializing in cosmetics and hair preparations for blacks. Continuing her activity in politics, in 1958 Calloway was the first black woman in Miami to vote (Source).

She died in 1973.

Blanche Calloway‘s Music

For a complete list of all of Blanche’s music, please visit HERE.

Here are some samples….

“Lazy Woman’s Blues”, 1925 with Louis Armstrong on Cornet (or maybe Trumpet, not sure). (Video Source)

“Catch On” Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys Recorded 27th August 1934. Video Source

“I Gotta Swing”, Recorded 6th November 1935. (Video Source)

My final Thoughts:

Blanche while successful never achieved the same fame that her brother Cab achieved and this was most likely due to the time period she was alive. Who can say what would of happened to her music if she was born in our time? I like to think that she would of been as popular as her brother, maybe even more. Imagine the collaborations we would of seen?! Sadly we will never know, but I am very happy to have brought her name to all of you to read about today.

I know that before putting this blog post together that I have ZERO clue about her story and her music. Now that is not the case. Blanche Calloway lives on here at the Vintage Inn and I’m so glad she is here.

Thanks for reading friends!

FURTHER READING:


Liz