Life, 1919-06-12 · page 8 of 46
Life — June 12, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page describes Life magazine's charitable Fresh Air Farm in Branchville, Connecticut—a real philanthropic initiative, not satire. The illustrated scene shows a woman and child in a garden setting with the caption "Come into the garden, Maud." The article explains that since 1887, Life has funded vacations for poor urban children from New York City, spending $174,473 annually to send roughly 10,000 children to the countryside. The text praises the program's success: children receive proper food, rest, and outdoor recreation they lack in city tenements. This represents Life magazine's era as a journal combining humor with progressive social advocacy—using its platform to highlight urban poverty and promote charitable solutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A event of great importance to many city children is the an- nual opening of Lire’s Fresh Air Farm at Branchville. It is in the hill country of western Connecticut, fifty-three miles from New York There are about fourteen acres of land, formerly the property of the late Edwin Gilbert, who devoted it evowe to Fresh Air Fund uses. The French-roof house and out-buildings have been remodelled as dormitories for children, while the grounds, with the brook and orchard, give plenty of space for their amusement. Everything is arranged for the care and entertain- ment of children. In the summer of 1887, when Fresh Air Fund work was in its infancy, Lire collected $1,000 from its readers to send children to the country, ‘LIFE: LIFE’S Fresh Air Farm then Lire’s kind readers have helped year after year, until, at an expendi- ture of $174,473.17, vacations have been given to 40,007 children. Plenty of space, all they want to eat, plenty of play—what such a fortnight means to an East Side tenement child can hardly he imagined. They come from the er New York, city missions and settlements, and no poorer districts of Gri needy child is refused if he can pos- sibly be taken. They all want to come again. We have a more enthusiastic clientéle than the most popular summer hotel, and all our guests who can in any way manage it are with us each summer until the age limit of twelve years is passed. The children are well looked after. Caretakers are with them all the time, and so far no serious illness or acci: dent has ever happened at the Farm. As the parties contain about two hundred children, and they bring their appetites along, the amount of provisions they can make away with is surprising. Three times a day and strict attention to the business in hands produce results. But the improvement shown in the children makes it more than worth while, even in this era of war prices fo everything from raisins to. railro fare. Careful management helps a lor even against the high cost of livin and last year the expense of a chil entire two weeks’ vacation, includi: transportation, was a little less than eight dollars. Lire once more asks its readers fo their unfailing help. Whether the send dimes or dollars, it is a gu NN ~ en SEN, Nt Women! 44 “Come into the garden, Maud” comicbooks.com