As part of their American History series, the Milford Museum will present a program on Glamour Girls: The Portrayal of Women in World War II Propaganda, Posters, Films and Vogue Magazine. The program is planned for Saturday, March 14 at 1 PM at the Milford Public Library.
“This program will be presented by Dr. Marguerite Hoyt, a history consultant with a long career in academia,” Executive Director Tom Summers said. “It will talk about propaganda as a tool used by governments to act in a certain way or to emulate certain behaviors. Although propaganda is not always bad, it is always biased.”
The program is based on Hoyt’s research into World War II propaganda posters that depicted women. Hollywood has long influenced the way women want to dress, style their hair and put on makeup. Using imagery from posters, magazines and film, Hoyt provides insight into the impact Hollywood had on government hired graphic artists. What Hoyt found in her research is that Hollywood glamour appeared in governmental posters in sometimes surprising ways.
After earning a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 2003, Hoyt worked as an adjunct or assistant professor at Catholic University of America, UMBC, and Goucher College where she taught courses in. Women’s Studies and American History. At Goucher College, she was instrumental in organizing faculty and student efforts to establish assault and sexual harassment programs.
After retiring from academia, Hoyt worked as a history consultant and occasionally tries her hand at writing historical fiction. She has been published in Readings in a Gendered Communication and the Encyclopedia of War and American Society. She has presented her research on images of women during World War II at many national and international conferences and seminars. She appeared in the documentary film Scrappers: How the Heartland Won World War II.
The American History Series is held the second Saturday of each month and focuses on a wide range of historical topics. They are held at the Milford Public Library, 11 SE Front Street in Milford. For more information, contact the Milford Museum at 302-424-1080 or send an email. The programs are offered through a generous grant from the Delaware Heritage Commission.
