Life, 1917-12-27 · page 28 of 41
Life — December 27, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page documents **LIFE magazine's Christmas charity campaign for French war orphans** during or after World War I. The upper section reports on donations to a "Christmas Fund" that provides $1 gifts to approximately 2,100 orphaned Parisian children, with surplus funds supporting their care for two years. The left image shows **Marcel Onfroy, Baby 1709**, one of the beneficiary children. The page lists hundreds of donors—individuals, clubs, and groups across America—demonstrating grassroots support for French relief efforts. The lower section acknowledges contributors specifically sponsoring individual children at $73 each, keeping them with their mothers rather than in institutions. **The satire's point**: The headline "LIFE's Readers Never Fail" celebrates American generosity and moral virtue. The detailed donor lists and photographs serve as both gratitude and subtle social pressure—showcasing which readers contributed, implicitly encouraging others to give. This reflects post-WWI American charity movements and LIFE's role in mobilizing middle-class philanthropy toward European relief.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1096 LIFE’S Readers Never Fail yet a week before it closes. ONFROY, BARY 1709 E knew it. Lire’s generous readers have already over- subscribed the Christmas Fund, and at present writing there is As already announced, every baby on the list, practically 2100 when Christmas comes, will re- ceive gifts costing one dollar in Paris, and the surplus subscrip- tion, above what is needed for this purpose, will be turned over to the main fund to add more babies to be taken care of for two years. The Society in Paris cables that the committce that is purchasing and distributing the gifts consists of Mr. ‘J. Henry Conklin, Mrs. Morton, the Countess de Dryas, the Countess R. de Mun, Mme. Ferrend, Mlle. de Montmort, Miss Schofield and Miss Fell. We hope before very long to give the contributors to the fund some report of just how it was expended, Lire has received for the Christmas Fund: Already acknowledged . $1886.08 Margaret H. Garrard, Bell 10 fi. Grandin, Mill 6 8 so Thomas N Codman, South’ Dincslne Mas s Mrs. Charies Wales, New Haven, 5 Anonymous, Germantown, Pa. : 7 Mrs. May, ‘Averill, Dodgeville, Wis 1 ss, Annie Wheeler, Montreal, Canada 475 s >. H, Semper, Savannah, Ga.. Members of the Minnesota Range Branch of ‘the International Kindergarten Union, Aurora, Minn. “Camp Lee," Petersburg, Va... Norman L. Cushman, Winchester, Mass Mrs. Henri L, Bouché, New York J, Thuriby, Washington, D.C Mrs. N. G.’McKinny, Meridi Jay G. ‘Wait, Sturgis, Mich. Mrs. A. H,"Tuttle, Shefheid, Mrs, HS. Tarrill, Kent Conn.. W. H. Morling, Emmetsburg, Iowa s. Percival Armitage, Swarthmore, Pa. Elizabeth F, Earl, Chicago, Til... izabeth McFarland, Syracuse, N.Y... E. L. Christian, Douglas, Ariz... ++. F. H, Murray, Columbia, S. G.0000¢ Mary'K. Newman, Albany, N, ¥. Florence Gene Ward, Lawrence, Mas Anonymous, New York City. H, N. Wood, Staten Island, Mrs, John Uri, Lloyd, Cincinnati, ‘01 Nicetown Girls? Club, Nicetown, ‘Philadeiphia, Pa Anna D. Hubbeli, Rochester, N. Herschel Brickell, Jackson, Miss. A. K. Hardy, Hanover, Ni H., Mrs. George ‘Doubleday, New : Mrs. Robert W, Blake, So. Bethlehem, Pa. Ethel Hurn, Chicago,’ Il. Miss Annie’ Cline, Buffalo, N. "Fulton Jacobus, New Work Ci Mrs. G. G. Houness, Stamford, N. Mrs. Vernon Castle, New York City Mass Lire’s readers evidently like to give with both hands. 10 2 $ 2 ' 1 1 S 5 1 2 ° 3 2 1 In addition to their liberality with the Christmas Fund they keep adding to the number of French babies orphaned by the war whom their contributions of seventy-three dollars each are keeping with their mothers, instead of letting the little ones be sent to public institutions. In reply to numerous inquiries we would state that con- tributors who pledge themselves to make up the full seventy-three dollars may send smaller amounts on account. ETEE Lire has received for these children $150,493.40. we have remitted to Paris 837,044.95 francs. We gratefully acknowledge from Peggy Lingo, Dulany Lingo and Mac Lingo, Jr Fexas, for Babies Noss 2017, 2018 and 2019. Dallas, $2 Chas, Verity Hook and Geo. M.'Verity Hook, Middletown, for Babies Nos. 2020 and 2021. Seventh Grade, Ford School of Brownwood, Texas, through Miss Anges Power, for Baby No, 2022. ims Ely, Jr.. Phoenix, Ariz., for Baby No. Gerald Stockwell Vibberts and Chatles Dana Vibberts, New Britain, Conn., for Baby Clara Vibberts Parsons, New Britain, 2025... 3 Henry ‘and Richard Pelton, New Britain, Conn., for Baby ohn ‘Chamberlain’ Vib- Fleanst, Brank’ G. Je. "Anna ‘and’ Lerts, New Rritain, Conn., for Baby No. Mrs Kathleen M. Blasdel, Aiarillo, Texas, The Bons ‘of ‘the for Rabies No for Baby Ni nerican Revolution, S d ‘9 and 203 ec of California Pioneers, San’ Francisco, Cal., for | Baby No. 2031 ... -. Miss Mary Elizabeth Garthwaite, Oakland, ‘Cai.,’ for Baby 0 Mrs, “Mary V. Hinckly’ ‘and ‘Mass., for Baby No. 2034. Mary Hoge Fedden, New York City, for Baby ‘No. “Round Mountain Nevada Baby,” Round Mountai for Baby No. 2038 . Eleanor Brown Borton ar land, Ohio, for Babies Margaret Gage, B The pupils of the ‘Bryn account of Baby No. 2036 The Foraker Bridge Club, New Baby No. 1881 ... The Fibleal Culture School, New York’ Cit, H. Todd, on account of’ Baby No. 1867. N. E. Wingate, Greenville, Miss on acco M. Ee ftughes; ‘Clarksville, “Tenn., on account’ of aby 1903 . Miss Lila C." Hedges, Haverstraw, No. 1873 .. at é BABY NUM Already acknowledged ..... Jas. A. Newlands, West Hartford, Conn. oat Clara Louise Rockwell, Mt. Airy, ‘Philadeiphia, Pal. Mrs. Willard Mossman, Dallas, Texas. Charlotte G. Hawk, Green River, Wyo. Frances Abernethy, Fostoria, Ohi Alice Carpenter, Mt. Kisco, N. Helen Eline Drever, Butte, W, W. McMahon, Philadelp! Adolph. Woodward, “Rockford” .... font Pa! Glenns' Ferry, Idaho. BABY NUMBER 2035 Miss A. Cowdry, Baltimore, Md. Mrs. Albert G. Bale, West, Springheld, Mass. Adoiph Woodward, Glenns Ferry, Idaho’ ...... BABY NUMBER 2045, W. W. McMahon, Philadelphia, re Margaret Willis, Wellesley, Mass... In all, 14 73 73 73 73 73 73 73 146 $: 2 5 z 6. 4 8 2. 4 2 & 3 YVONNE GOUKDON, BABY 1663 _— | \\ comicbooks amy