Biographical / Historical
Scope and Contents
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Preferred Citation
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles
Creator:
Gibson, Wynne, 1898-1987
Creator:
Walt Disney Productions
Identifier/Call Number: 7138
Physical Description:
0.21 Linear Feet
1 box
Date: 1942
Date: 1944
Date: undated
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.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: 1
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."
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.
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from the Book Shop, LLC - Johnson Rare Books & Archives, August 5, 2022.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Wynne Gibson collection on the Minute Women of Los Angeles, Collection no. 7138, Regional History
Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Emergency management -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Voluntarism -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Volunteers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Women volunteers -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Women volunteers in social service -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archival resources
World War, 1939-1945 -- War work -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
World War, 1939-1945 -- Women -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Correspondence
Gouaches (paintings)
Logos
Insignias (devices)
Paintings
Pamphlets
Photographs
Press releases
Gibson, Wynne, 1898-1987 -- Archives