Now here's one for the History Books!
There was a time. Men and Boys were considered to clumsy and lacking in finess to build display models for Companies like Revell and others!! Yup, it was considered to be somewhat disturbing if Men or Boys wanted to build display models for such companies. Many folks didn't even realize that manufacturers had such policies.
I found out by chance. When I was in San Diego I realized that I would be discharged from the service in Long Beach. Not far from Venice is where I would be living. I had put out resumes' to varying companies because the Wife and I had decided to bring up the Girls in the sunny climes of California.
The place we were going to buy was just outside Venice and it was a nice suburban neighborhood with good schools nearby. So I started to get replies to those aforementioned resumes'. Next I went on a job interview to one of these companies related to the plastics industry. This turned out to be the job I got.
I did get a written reply to one resume' that sat me back on my heels. It was from the assistant director of personnel at a place we are all familiar with. Revell Inc. in Venice, California. I was informed that although I had the educational qualities for the job, there was a policy of only hiring Females for the position because of the delicate nature of the work.
The work? Building display models that would used for Photo and Static displays for Hobby Shops of the Models they manufactured! This after I had shown photos of my Work and photos of my Fisher Body Craftsmans Guild Winning Car!( Not fiirst Place, but a scholarship winner all the same) At the time I had already, even while in the Service, built display models for Matson Navigation, Including a 1/72 scale model of the Hawaiian Pilot in wood! Remember the "Pilot" was one of Revell's early models of a Commercial Civilian ship!
I was shocked! to say, and the least kind of puzzled by that. Most modelers I had met over the years were Men and some did some pretty finicky models, especially fully rigged sailing ships and other esoteric types of Sail powered craft. The Show models and Production models for intended new Builds at Shipyards and Aircraft factories were being built by men! Most ships in Bottles were "Man" made
I guess You could say, I was experiencing a bit of corporate bigotry! During the "Big War" we had "Rosie the Riveter" but you mean to say men couldn't do fine work? In those days, men designed the things, and women built them! Now remember, here we a few years after Viet Nam! and a company still had that kind of policy!
When I contacted the department by Phone I was informed that because the department was fully staffed by women, a man would be a disruptive influence to the ladies and therefore men were NOT considered for positions in that department! I could work on the Molding, Packing and Line Jobs. and there, she assured me I would be happy! I was aghast. Who ever heard of such a thing?
I took a long time getting over that! Meanwhile I had secured great employment at Avecor Plastics in L.A. They manufactured the colored pellets used in the industry for molding and we had contracts with Both, Revell and Cox industries and smaller orders for Monogram, et al. I wound up in the laboratory at the company making and assuring the quality of the pigments were up to the color standards for these firms.
I had developed contacts through the industry and discovered that Prior to and After W.W.2 that many companies Kept those departments specifically staffed with the ladies because of their attention to detail and finess in handling the finished product! This included the painting departments that did the waterline colors for the larger sailing ship Models as well.
I knew my wife was a considerately talented model builder/painter in her own right, But, even she was surprised by that. That's The way it was in the world in the Sixties(Early). Something to think about, right?