Powerful and Fearless: 15 Stunning Vintage Photos of Women Posing with Guns
Travel with us and marvel at the captivating vintage photographs of women posing with guns from a bygone era. These stunning images showcase the unwavering strength and fearlessness of women who defied social norms and stood their ground in a world dominated by men.
Each photo captures a decisive moment in history, where women boldly took on roles typically reserved for men, and emerged victorious. From sharpshooting to hunting, these women proved they were not to be underestimated and could be just as skilled with a firearm as any man. Join us as we explore the inspiring stories behind these powerful images, and gain a glimpse into the past where women broke barriers and shattered stereotypes.
#1 Japanese girls receiving shooting training during school in the 1930s
During the 1930s, Japan introduced mandatory military training for both boys and girls in schools as part of its militaristic efforts. While some girls received shooting training as part of this training, it was not a widespread practice, and most girls received only basic military training. The militarization of schools during this period was controversial and sparked significant opposition from some educators and parents who were concerned about its impact on young people.
#2 Battalion of Death girls who have enlisted. 1917
The Battalion of Death was a female battalion formed during the Russian Revolution in 1917 after the Bolshevik movement overthrew the provisional government led by Lenin. Although Lenin signed a peace treaty with Germany, Trotsky’s newly formed Red Army still had much fighting to do against the White Army, supporters of Czar Nicholas II. The Battalion of Death was one of several female battalions that fought for both sides. Women who enlisted were required to shave their heads to fight at the front.
#3 One woman aims and fires a rifle while another woman watches. 1900
The photograph depicts two women, one of whom is aiming and firing a rifle while the other woman watches. Women’s involvement in shooting and other traditionally male-dominated activities was not uncommon during this period, although it was not yet fully accepted in all parts of society.
#4 Annie Oakley Posing with Hand on Her Hip
Annie Oakley, born in 1860 in Greenville, Ohio, was an accomplished rifle shooter from a young age, shooting games to provide for her family. She married Frank Butler at sixteen, and they joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, where Annie became known as the greatest rifle shot in the world. She traveled with the show for more than seventeen years, and although she never had a written contract with Cody, she was a valued member of his entourage.
Annie was known for her impressive shooting abilities, such as hitting a pack of cards from any distance with a single bullet, and her feats earned her a medal from King Edward of England. She also once shot a cigarette out of the mouth of the former Kaiser Wilhelm (then Crown Prince). Annie’s legacy lives on through the term “Oakleys,” which refers to free passes to any show punched with holes the size of 34-caliber bullets.
#5 French woman Carrying Weapon of War
A pretty French girl wearing shorts and toting a machine gun knows how to fight Germans. She has two Germans dead and 25 captured to her credit. Here she is talking to a male member of the FFI, in the town of Chartres.
#6 Mexican Women Revolutionaries, 1911.
A group of rebel women and girls wearing traditional dress practiced their shooting skills for the Mexican Revolution in 1911.
#7 Radical Young Ladies, 1910.
A group of young women is behaving badly in this real photo postcard issued in an unknown American location, circa 1910.
#8 Mexican girl with a gun.
#9 Rifle Team Take Aim.
George Washington University’s co-ed rifle team, who are favored to win the national title, are the crack girl shots of the country. Left to right: Helen Prentiss, Marian Stewart, Suzanne Jamison, Marjorie Folsom, Betty Clark, Mae Huntzberger, Jane Cuvillier, Grace McLean, Ermyntrude Vaiden, Helen Taylor, and Verna Parsons. The girls have placed second in the National Rifle Association intercollegiate matches for the past three years. The Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, is in the background.
#10 Members of the Women’s Volunteer Defence Corps being trained in rifle drill, World War II, 1940.
Members of the Women’s Volunteer Defence Corps being trained in rifle drill, World War II, 1940. Small arms were in short supply and only the instructor has a weapon; the women are improvising with walking sticks, umbrellas, and even broom handles.
#11 Two Armenian women posing with their rifles before going to battle against the Ottomans, 1895
The famous photograph of two Armenian women posing with rifles has a complicated and mysterious history. It was taken during the Hamidian massacres in 1895 when thousands of Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire. The woman on the left has been identified as Eghisapet Sultania, but the identity of the woman on the right is still unknown. It is unclear whether the women were actual fighters or just posing for the photograph. The original image has a note on the back that says “souvenir.”
#12 Vietnam: NLF (Viet Cong) female artillery squad, near Cu Chi, 1968.
The Second Indochina War, also known as the Vietnam War, took place from 1955 to 1975 and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the US and other anti-communist nations.
The US saw involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam, while North Vietnam viewed it as a colonial war against the US-backed South Vietnam. US military advisors arrived in 1950, and US involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling by 1962. Combat units were deployed in 1965, and operations extended to Laos and Cambodia. US involvement peaked in 1968 during the Tet Offensive and ended in 1973. The fall of Saigon in 1975 marked the end of the war.
#13 Willy Brandt in Israel – 1973
In June 1973, Willy Brandt, the Chancellor of West Germany, made a historic visit to Israel, becoming the first German chancellor to do so. Prior to his departure from Tel Aviv, Brandt walked past an honorary formation of female soldiers at the airport. The visit was significant in the history of German-Israeli relations as it signaled a major shift in the two countries diplomatic ties after the atrocities committed against Jewish people during the Holocaust. Brandt’s visit was an important step towards reconciliation between the two nations.
#14 White Patrol, January 1944
A woman school teacher who joined the ‘White Patrol’, an anti-fascist partisan group, along with her husband in the mountainous border regions in January 1944. In the photo, she is holding a Suomi KP 31 sub-machine gun.
#15 French Forces Hunting German Snipers 1944.
A young French girl in Paris on August 28, 1944, dressed in an outfit suitable for action, holding a submachine gun and keeping it close to a wall. She was part of a patrol assigned to track down and eliminate German snipers who were still hiding in the city during World War II.
