Life, 1917-04-12 · page 26 of 42
Life — April 12, 1917 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page documents Life magazine's fundraising campaign for war orphans in post-WWI France. The article reports that readers have contributed over $82,000 to support 1,111 fatherless children kept with their families rather than institutionalized. The accompanying letter from "Madame Le Gorr" exemplifies the campaign's emotional appeal: a 26-year-old widow whose husband was killed at Verdun in 1916, now supporting her toddler son Paul and elderly father on a teacher's salary. The photographs show beneficiary children and families receiving aid. This represents American charitable mobilization during the humanitarian crisis following World War I, when European civilians—particularly women and children—faced severe poverty. The campaign emphasized direct aid with no administrative overhead, encouraging personal correspondence between American donors and French beneficiaries to build emotional investment in the cause.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ERE A Year of French Babies UST one year ago this week the staff and em- ployees of Lire contributed the sum of seventy- three dollars, which was for- warded to Paris for the two years’ maintenance ‘of Baby Number One. Then the appeal was made to the readers of Lire, whose sup- port has never failed us in the aid of a worthy cause. From that small beginning the con- tributions have grown to the impressive total of $82,484.42, from which we have remitted to The Fatherless Children of France in Paris, and to its prede- cessors in the work, the sum of 469,- 123.70 francs. The number of children who have been kept with their own families, through these contributions, instead of being sent to public institutions, is now 1,111, The relief is continuous, being turned over to the mothers in quar- terly payments. Many of the contribu- tors are in regular correspondence with their beneficiaries, and in two or three cases contributors who have gone to France have visited the children in their homes, From these sources we gain confirmation of our belief in the efficiency of this work and in its prac- ANDRE LONGLET, BABY 856 tical result of bringing aid where aid is sadly needed. Again we wish to give our read- ers the assurance that every penny they contribute goes directly to its destination without any deduction for expenses. The expense of conducting the work and the care of the large amount of detail are borne by Lire, The remittances are made in sums large enough to secure the most favorable rates of exchange in the open mar- ket. The letter which follows is one of hundreds that have passed through our hands. It is from the mother of Baby 947, and is dated at Courbevois. Monsieur: I have received through M. Vilette an order for forty-five francs to help me in rais- ing my little boy, Paul. I have the honor, sir, to thank you deeply for your goodness to the little orphans of France, victims of this terrible war, i My poor husband was killed at Verdun, November 1st, 1916. He was thirty-two years old. He was struck by shrapnel, and died almost instantly. He was at the front from the beginning of the war. I am a widow of twenty-six, with my child of twenty-one months and my father to support—a sad state of affairs, but alas! a common one. I have found in my child the strength to battle with my grief. He is a dear baby, full of spirit and life. The photo: graph I send was taken when my husband was home on furlough. I am a teacher, and know a little English, which lan- THE JOURDAIN FAMILY WITH SUZANNE, BABY 742 The letter from Mune. Jourdain which came with this photograph was dated February fifth. In it she said, “ This picture was taken one year ago to-day, when my dear husband was home on furlough. Little did we think that it was the last time we should ever be together.” guage I am still studying. Pardon the length of this letter, sir, and believe in my sincere gratitude. Mavame Le Gorr. We gratefully acknowledge from Joaquin E. Camara Chan and José Camara Chan, New York ity + 10 Evelina Pierce, Portland, Me., for Baby No. 1098. ALR, Oahu, W. ets 20 Miss Elizabeth M. Duffield, ‘South Orange, N. J. Thomas j. Davis, Alameda, Cal. teas 1 0. 1099. : Chauncey H. Peacock, Germantown, F G, S. and A. C. 'Sicere, Shreveport, La., for Baby No. 1100. Wm, C. ;Shapleigh and’ Frances Shapleigh, Lockport, N.Y. for Baby No. stot. Frederick H. Lewis, Birmingham, Ala., for Baby No. Charles F. Lewis, Leeds, Ala., for Baby No, 1103. Dick, Billie, Florence and Lucille Goldrick, Tulsa, Okla Babies Nos. 1105, 1106, 1107 and 1108. Marguerite, Chester, james and Alice Doubleday, New York City, for Baby" No. 1109. F. P., Jr., Boston, Mass., for Baby No. 1110 The Misses Turnbull, New York City, for Baby No. FOR BABY NUMBER 1104 Chauncey H. Pcacock, Germantown, Pa.. Mr. and Mrs. N. L. Goodrich, Hanover, N. C. Mertens, Nashville, Tenn, C. P. Crosby. Lois E. Howard, Brooklyn, N.Y Peter, Rochester, N.Y. rs. Wm, Roberts and Miss Maude Lanctot, Rochester, N.Y Weeksbury, Ky.” FOR BABY NUMBER 1070 For Salations s-14, Already acknowledged Birmingham, Ala. (Continued on page 653) comicbooks.com