All Photos

Salinas Valley, California. A settling tank, one of the stages of the rubber production from guayule

Kansas City, Kansas. A B-25 bomber built by North American Aviation, Inc.

Kansas City, United States

Partial view of North American Aviation's B-25 final assembly line

Inglewood, United States

North American Aviation's P-51 fuselage overhead conveyor line

Inglewood, United States

Castings for the landing gear of a North American P-51 are machined on this huge mill

Inglewood, United States

In the material preparation department, this woman employee uses a router to drill holes in a dozen sheets of metal at once with a master template

Inglewood, United States

In the sub-assembly department, this woman employee assembles parts for North American B-25 bombers and P-51 Mustang fighters. Engine control rods

Inglewood, United States

A woman employee in North American's sheet metal department counter-sinks holes prior to riveting

Inglewood, United States

A woman punch-press operator turns out thousands of parts a day for North American B-25 bombers and P-51 fighters

Inglewood, United States

In North American's plastic department, a woman employee drills a part while it is held firmly on a jig

Inglewood, United States

A Negro woman at North American Aviation uses an electric hand drill to drill holes in a sheet metal assembly prior to riveting

Inglewood, United States

This Negro employee counter-sinks holes prior to riveting this wing panel for B-25

Inglewood, United States

Men and women working together on the production front. Two North American employees assemble the engine cowling for a B-25 bomber

Inglewood, United States

In the heat treat department, a girl stamps numbers on parts that have been passed by the inspector

Inglewood, United States

A clerk in the material preparation department receives orders over the phone for a number of parts. Every major part in plant has an index number and card which follows its progress to completion

Inglewood, United States

A clerk in the hydropress department checks parts as they come into the department

Inglewood, United States

When sheet metal parts are cut on the router, they go to the hydropress department where they are placed on masonite dies and pressed to the proper shape under 3000 tons pressure

Inglewood, United States

This roller in the hydropress department removes bumps and depressions from the metal as it comes from the drop hammer. Engine cowling

Inglewood, United States

Finished parts from the drop hammer department are placed on trucks and delivered to the sheet metal sub-assembly department

Inglewood, United States

Two North American guards, part of a large force who are constantly on the alert at North American

Inglewood, United States

Girls eat lunch together at their work benches. Lunch carts (Travelunch) go through the factory and enable employees of North American Aviation to buy their lunches without leaving the plant

Inglewood, United States

Two women "swing shift" employees at North American "talk over" the day's events as they eat lunch at their benches. The company broadcasts news and music throughout the plant during lunch periods

Inglewood, United States

A woman welder at North American Aviation works on a sub-assembly for one of the huge tanks that go into the B-25 bombers

Inglewood, United States

A painter on the flight ramp marks off the transparent enclosure on a North American B-25 bomber before adding the camouflage paint of the United States Army Air Force. Windows covered with brown paper

Inglewood, United States