Although thousands of miles from the battlefields of World War II, Pittsburgh still played an important role in the United States’ effort to help defeat the Axis. Here are 10 very rare photos taken in Pittsburgh during World War II.
1) An artist for the Office of War Information designs a mock-up of a war poster, in November 1941, featuring a sailor, a solider, and a welder, the latter of whom worked for Allegheny-Ludlum Steel in Pittsburgh.
2) A September 1942 photo of freight cars in Pittsburgh. During World War II, the country's ocean liners were diverted for other purposes, leaving a hefty burden on the railroad industry to transport goods quickly and efficiently.
3) Most Americans contributed to the efforts in defeating the Axis. In this February 1943 shot, Pittsburgh Pirate Vince DiMaggio works at the California Ship Building Corporation, a company that constructed equipment for those fighting the war.
4) A grainy photograph, photographer unknown, shows Westinghouse employees in Pittsburgh attending a war rally that featured, among others, the testimony of a war correspondent who had just returned from the combat zone.
5) The Westinghouse Lamp Division holds a war production drive, selling bonds and stamps, and providing information to Pittsburghers about their mission. Photo was taken in 1942.
6) The Assistant Superintendent of the Pittsburgh Coal Company's number four mine is shown with his wife at home in this photograph, by John Collier, from November 1942.
