More Images
French Baby Fund Festival Exhibition. Liberty Cottage. Boston Common. [opening lines]
French Baby Fund Festival Exhibition. Liberty Cottage. Boston Common. [opening lines]

French Baby Fund Festival Exhibition. Liberty Cottage. Boston Common. [opening lines]


“Our Fathers are Fighting in France.” A rare and unrecorded first World War photo-illustrated broadside documenting a little-known display of Franco-American friendship.

Across America, various patriotic societies, often organized by women, raised funds and sent baby clothes and necessities to France. These funds went to help babies orphaned by the War or to help French mothers with children whose fathers were fighting with the American solders. As one American soldier described it: “We will say, for instance, that this is Baby No. 4000 ... She wears wooden-soled shoes and half-length woolen stockings and a blue calico dress, and her mother does the washing for the Sammies who are billeted out in the barn with Toto….” (“Right in Touch with the Babies” in Life Magazine, 1918.)

Here, at the French Baby Fund Festival Exhibition, the Boston community lent a benevolent hand and declared “May Day” to be “Baby Day” as part of a three day festival at Liberty Cottage, Boston Common. The raised funds were likely funneled to the Fraternité Franco-Américaine.

The broadside is printed with the colors of France and all of its text is printed in a pale lavender.


Description: French Baby Fund Festival Exhibition. Liberty Cottage. Boston Common. [opening lines]

Boston: Pinkham Press, [1917–1918]. 22 x 14 inches, printed on cardstock. Illustrated. Lightly soiled; near fine.

[3731940]

Price: $450.00