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Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: 7138

Scope and Contents

The Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles consists of material collected by stage and screen actress Wynne Gibson (1898-1987) on the World War II volunteer organization, the Minute Women of Los Angeles. According to a press release included in the collection, "The Minute Women - Los Angeles is an organization formed for the purpose of providing trained women to serve our communities, without pay, in times of emergency and to do everything possible to help the successful outcome of the war." Included in the collection is an original insignia painting for the Minute Women of Los Angeles by the Walt Disney Studios. The insignia painting, which features a woman in uniform patching an inflatable tube, is rendered in gouache on illustration board and housed in a Walt Disney Productions mailing envelope dated May 12, 1942 and addressed to Gibson. The collection also includes another insignia painting for the organization by Los Angeles artist Claude G. Putnam. Aside from the insignia paintings, the collection holds press releases, an informational pamphlet which notes that the Minute Women met twice a week for classes and drills at Virgil Junior High School in Los Angeles, correspondence addressed to Gibson, two patches, an armband, Gibson's Modern Rescue & Transportation certification card, and seven original photographs (most 8 x 10"), including a shot of Gibson and her fellow officers at Camp San Luis Obispo and three images of Gibson and other Minute Women at a war savings stamp drive. The only dated material in the collection is the 1942 mailing envelope from Walt Disney Studios and a letter to Wynn Gibson dated April 27, 1944.

Dates

  • Creation: 1942
  • Creation: 1944
  • Creation: undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Collections at specol@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Biographical / Historical

The Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles includes a press release with a description of the organization (copied below).

The Minute Women - Los Angeles is an organization formed for the purpose of providing trained women to serve our communities, without pay, in times of emergency and to do everything possible to help the successful outcome of the war. It is sponsored by the War Savings Committee of the Treasury Department and has headquarters at 416-417 Security Title Insurance Building, 530 West 6th Street. Should there be a major disaster, either bombing, earthquake, fire or flood, there are Minute Women, trained in the following types of work, who are ready and willing to give immediate assistance wherever it is needed: First Aid – Red Cross – Standard and Advanced, Home Hygiene – Red Cross, Army First Aid, Rescue Work - California Forestry Medical Corps – Bureau of Mines, Nurses Aides, Motor Mechanics, Drivers (Ambulance) Los Angeles Police Officer Requirements, Commissary and Canteen, Saleswomen – War Bonds and Stamps, Photography, Map Reading, Doctors' Aides - Civilian Defense Casualty Stations.

The Walt Disney insignia painting, which features a woman in uniform patching an inflatable tube, is rendered in gouache on illustration board (8.5 x 10.5") and is housed in a Walt Disney Productions mailing envelope addressed to Wynne Gibson. In his article "When Disney Went to War" for Smithsonian Magazine, John Baxter observes, "One of the purest expressions of Walt Disney's genuine patriotism during the war years was his decision to establish a unit devoted to producing customized military unit insignia free of charge for U.S. armed forces and their allies. Headed by the talented draftsman Hank Porter, whom Walt referred to as a 'one-man art department,' the unit worked steadily throughout the war, turning out nearly 1,300 insignia upon request."

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles consists of material collected by stage and screen actress Wynne Gibson (1898-1987) on the World War II volunteer organization, the Minute Women of Los Angeles. According to a press release included in the collection, "The Minute Women - Los Angeles is an organization formed for the purpose of providing trained women to serve our communities, without pay, in times of emergency and to do everything possible to help the successful outcome of the war." Included in the collection is an original insignia painting for the Minute Women of Los Angeles by the Walt Disney Studios. The insignia painting, which features a woman in uniform patching an inflatable tube, is rendered in gouache on illustration board and housed in a Walt Disney Productions mailing envelope dated May 12, 1942 and addressed to Gibson. The collection also includes another insignia painting for the organization by Los Angeles artist Claude G. Putnam. Aside from the insignia paintings, the collection holds press releases, an informational pamphlet which notes that the Minute Women met twice a week for classes and drills at Virgil Junior High School in Los Angeles, correspondence addressed to Gibson, two patches, an armband, Gibson's Modern Rescue & Transportation certification card, and seven original photographs (most 8 x 10"), including a shot of Gibson and her fellow officers at Camp San Luis Obispo and three images of Gibson and other Minute Women at a war savings stamp drive. The only dated material in the collection is the 1942 mailing envelope from Walt Disney Studios and a letter to Wynn Gibson dated April 27, 1944.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from the Book Shop, LLC - Johnson Rare Books & Archives, August 5, 2022.

Title
Finding aid for the Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles
Status
Completed
Author
Bo Doub -- with collection-level notes adapted from the seller, Johnson Rare Books & Archives.
Date
2022 August
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States