Meet the Babcocks: A Typical American War Worker's Family

This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published January 27, 2013 and can be found here.

   Yesterday, the archival photo blog,     Shorpy

, shared a great photo of the Babcock family from Rochester NY. The image is one of     a collection of 38 photographs

by Ralph Amdursky for the U.S. Office of War Information. The series shows how the Babcocks, a "typical American war worker's family," lived in 1943 during the height of WWII...

   A quick online search shows that Rochester is loaded with people named Babcock. Even a few local companies and a     street in Brighton

share the name. But I haven't been able to figure out if the family in this photo series is 100% genuine. They sure are doing all they can to help the war effort. Mr. Babcock, is a plant supervisor and also serves as an air raid warden. He fishes with his sons and makes sure the family attends church every Sunday. Mom cooks, cleans, mends clothes, and grows all the vegetables the family eats. Shirley, the daughter, is studying to become a nurse and helps with household chores. And the boys, at least one of whom is a boy scout, make airplane models and learn how to tie knots. They are, at a glance, your typical American family, from your All-American City; Rochester, NY.

   Mrs. Babcock doing the family washing with an electric washing machine and a wringer.

   Shirley Babcock at right in the front listening to a lecture with other student nurses.

   Earl Babcock watching while Howard, his brother, in his Boy Scout uniform, practices tying knots.

   As a war worker, Mr. Babcock is allowed enough gasoline to drive to work daily.

   Mr. Babcock explaining an operation to one of the men whom he supervises at the plant.

   The Babcocks attend church every Sunday morning.

   Mrs. Babcock, Shirley, and Earl greeting Mr. Babcock in front of the house.

   Mr. Babcock and his two sons, Earl and Howard, fishing on Sunday afternoon.

   Mr. and Mrs. Babcock enjoy their garden and grow most of their own vegetables.

   The two Babcock boys having a little fun before going to sleep.

   Howard and Earl Babcock playing in front of their house with their cycles.

   Shirley helps Mrs. Babcock with the shopping.

   Shirley Babcock is very handy at the sewing machine and she helps her mother with the family sewing.

   Earl Babcock's school day begins with the salute to the flag.