Life — August 14, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "From the Kiddies" — Life Magazine Fresh Air Fund Appeal This page solicits donations to Life's Fresh Air Endowment, which sends poor children from New York City slums to the countryside for summer stays. The three sketches illustrate the program's appeal: children gazing longingly out windows at urban scenes, daydreaming of open air, and one child who locked themselves out and improvised indoor entertainment. The text emphasizes emotional appeal—these donations provide "happiness" for disadvantaged urban children. Multiple named donors and memorial gifts are listed, along with instructions that a $200 donation establishes a perpetual endowment funding one child's annual trip. This reflects Progressive Era philanthropy: affluent readers supporting child welfare through magazine-mediated charity. The artwork sentimentalizes poor children's deprivation to motivate middle-class generosity.