Kaufmann's

Despite the experience, Mrs. Sanford still wouldn't let Jeanne go to New York, so Jeanne went hunting for a job in Pittsburgh, but there weren't any design jobs in the city. With a bit of dread, she took a job in the display section at one of the big downtown department stores in the city, Kaufmann's Department Store.

She was hired as the window dresser, to design and construct counter and window displays. It turned out that she had a flair for eye-catching appeal. She studied the newest fashion line that needed to go in the window, determining what would draw the buyers in, and honed her talents in design and color. Her clever use of unique materials (like brown paper, fabric, metal and hundreds of ingeniously utilized odds and ends) turned the heads of passers by.

Image provided courtesy of Linda Barnicott

Jeanne's artistic abilities made this experience a great creative outlet for her. She had a lot of fun with it, but after awhile she was ready to move on. This time, however, she wasn't sure what she should do. The U.S. had just gotten involved in World War II.