It’s a common story – lots of women enter the workforce during World War II, doing all the jobs normally restricted only to men, before millions had to go off to fight Fascism. Then the war was won, the soldiers came back, the women were forced back out.

But, at least, it was acknowledged, and, at least, some credit was given.

But not at Gibson Guitar. They officially say that they shipped no instruments during World War II at all – not a one. But that’s simply not true. They did – they made and shipped thousands of instruments, with a wartime workforce of women. Some even went with GIs overseas.

Women instrument makers, Gibson Guitars, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Apparently, management decided that people wouldn’t want instruments made by women, so they erased the Kalamazoo Gals from history. When law professor and music journalist John Thomas got a hint there had actually been wartime production, and found out the story, the acoustic department was initially very interested – and then corporate found out he had been digging, and started threatening him for revealing it. It’s fascinating:

Women guitar makers scratched from Gibson history
By Ryan Grimes

Women are constantly being erased from history, including music history. Sometimes more aggressively – and pointlessly – than others. Never forget that.