Life, 1916-08-31 · page 24 of 34
Life — August 31, 1916 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page documents **Life magazine's charitable campaign to aid French war orphans** during World War I (dated July 1916). It is not a cartoon but rather a fundraising update. The photograph shows **Mme. Veuve Julliette Gaillard with three of her orphaned daughters and Marcel Gaillard (Baby No. 6)**, representing the human impact of the war. The accompanying letter from a French beneficiary explains how her family lost their father and fell into poverty. Before the war, they were respectable and self-sufficient; the photograph shows them "nicely dressed" because French mothers wouldn't permit photos showing actual destitution—a cultural detail meant to assure American donors their contributions go to genuinely deserving (not "undeserving poor") families. The page lists donors and amounts ($73 sustained a child for two years). This represents **Progressive-era American philanthropy addressing European war casualties**, combining moral uplift with documentation of recipient worthiness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
368 “LIFE: In Touch with the Babies 'HE Orphelinat, advises us that in the next mail we will receive the names and addresses of one hundred and forty babies who have been aided by Lire’s generous read- ers. In the same letter occurs this passage, which will be of interest to contributors: You mentioned in a preceding letter that some of the photographs sent to you did not give the idea of any great poverty. You will be able, we are sure, easily to make your contributors understand that many of these photographs were made before the death of the father, when the family still enjoyed resources that now are lost. Besides this, no French mother would permit a photograph of her child to be taken unless it was nicely dressed and with the greatest elegance possible in the circumstances. This is a coquetry that is natural with all mothers, The total of contributions so far received is $23,344.50, from which we have remitted to the Orphelinat 116,612.14 francs. A contribution of seventy-three dollars provides that for two (et: a destitute French child, orphaned by the war, will be cpt. with its mother or relatives instead of being sent to a public institution, where its chances of survival are less than in a family environment. During this critical period in the child’s life its welfare is looked after and the funds disbursed by the Orphelinat des Armées, an organization officered by President Poinearé and other eminent French men and women. The Orphelinat has committees in every part of France, who keep in touch with the children and supervise details of management. Contributions of less than seventy-three dollars are combined feuve: JU me ever until they amount to the larger sum. MME. _VEUNE JULLIETTE GAILLARD WITH THREE OF HER As fast as Lire receives from the Orphelinat the names and ORPHANED DAUGHTERS AND MARCEL GAILLARD, WHO IS BABY addresses of the children and their mothers, with particulars No. 6 of the father's death and other information. these are com: municated directly to the contributors for the care of each child. The full amount of the funds received by Lire is put into French exchange at the most favorable rate and remitted 7 . . to the Orphelinat with no deduction whatever for expenses The photograph on this page and the following letter We gratefully acknowledge from convey a graphic idea of what is being accomplished Valdemar Jordan, Yokohama, Japan, for Baby No. 308..$73 through the generosity of Lire’s readers. “Huntington, Jane and. Mary,” Irvington-on-Hudson, No Vs for’ Babies Nos, 305, 310, and, 311, H. M. and M. C. P., Philadelphia, Pa., for Baby Ossette, July 22, 1916. Edwin H. Riggs, Pittsburgh, Pa.. for Baby No. 3 My DEAR, BENEFACTOR Marion and Joan Bird, Salt’ Lake City, Utah, for ‘Rasy It is not without emotion that I have received your Maree Sy Ttticis aoCeeniek Sel ; generous offering which will help me to procure a little Br pay Now badd i comfort for my poor little Marcel. Mrs, Herbert Before the war our little family, composed of four hae ee aes eee children, never knew poverty. Their father had only one Mrs Emma H.’ Sweetser, No. 317 «0.2605 care, to gain the necessities for his children. Although * Eleanore and’ Katharine T.,” Upper Montclair, N. ’ for faby NOTE. oss cece eicee suffering from a malady of the stomach, which obliged Frederick, Janet and Chancelior Carter, Pasadena. Cai. him to follow a diet, he went regularly every day to work Sales Force of The Crofut & Knapp Co., New York City, in a paper factory in a neighboring village. Then this for Baby No, 328:i.¢s.cbeccsseccessecssusevecesues cursed war came. A few days after the departure of my - yusner 208 husband, the roth of August, 1914, this little Marcel, FOR BADY NUMBER 290 whom you have made the object of your kindness, came Already acknowledged .. . eae joit if ‘is ws i “ flieady, Scknowledged 2 cove preg: vvessonsveees to join our four little girls. This was his father’s dream. Lautge: Dissond, ‘Resaenouees 1s Tie sseragee TY As soon as I was able to undertake the journey, I left Meriam W. Speir, Remsenburg, L. SUGkS here to show him his son. At that time my husband was Mrs. Frank Doster, Pasadena, Cal..... Aenea ans y . R Mis. Lens B. McCormick Salt Lake City, Utah. still at Besancon, which is cighteen kilometers from Master George Simms, Brookly's; NL Y¥..eeeeee Osselle. Mrs, Ee B. Phillips, Bloombeld, Ne Josenene i But alas, the departure for the front could not be de- layed, and after the battle of Soissons my husband was FOR BABY NUMBER 320 reported as lost. He had been made a prisoner. Hrs, EB Ebilling. Bloomfield. Ne Jeeeeee . 5 How could he survive the diet that was given him? me Sandow) Mancnestee, ~ aa Weakened by the malady of his stomach, anxious about his family, he fell seriously ill and died in the camp of