Life — July 6, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life's Fresh Air Fund This page documents **Life Magazine's charitable initiative** to send poor urban children to the countryside for summer vacations. The photograph shows children relaxing outdoors at the farm. The accompanying article explains that since 1887, Life's readers had donated over $150,000 to send 37,278 children to the country for two-week stays. The farm itself, opened in 1891 in Branchville, Connecticut, was donated by Edwin Gilbert. The lengthy donor list on the left represents Life's readership contributing to this cause—a common practice where magazines published donor names to encourage further giving. **The satire/point:** This demonstrates Life's mission beyond humor: using its platform for social reform, believing fresh air and rural space could relieve urban poverty's "terrible congestion and crowding."