Homeland Homes and Gardens Pays Tribute to "Headlamp Hannah"

March is Women's History month, and the DHHG proudly pays tribute to Hannah Hartsdale, a long forgotten pioneer in domestic arts. Headlamp Hannah, as she was known, caused quite a stir when she first wore her signature headlamp to do housework. But she had a dream. And she turned that dream into reality.

It was 1943. A time of war. A time of great sacrifice. A time when women left their ironing and cleaning and went to work in America's factories. These hardworking women were helping win the war, but after a long day at the factory they still came home to face all that housework. So like true patriots, they did what had to be done, until it got too dark and they could stop. After all, there was a war on, and even electricity had to be conserved. It was the perfect excuse!

But not for Hannah. Frustrated by the lack of light, she knew there had to be a way to do more. To give more. To be more. Then, one night it hit her. Literally. As she reached up in the dark to dust a high shelf, her father's old coalminer's headlamp tumbled down. It was the answer to her prayers. Strapping it on she worked long into the darkness that first night, her way illuminated by a personal beacon of hope.

Unfortunately, Hannah's idea did not catch on with any other women. They were, in fact, quite angry with her. She was mostly ignored, and then the war ended. And so it is that while everyone remembers Rosie the Riveter, who made it possible for gals to wear slacks and get their hands dirty, few have even heard of Headlamp Hannah, who made it possible for those same gals to work twice as hard as men with no additional compensation. Still, no one could deny that Headlamp Hannah had a very clean house at a time of national crisis. And that should count for something.

Headlamp Hannah – the DHHG salutes you!

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