Save the French Orphans

This card would serve to acknowledge a contribution made to help support French war orphans of WWI.  The back of the card reads:

" Suffer the little children to come unto Me. "

Dear ______

We have received your contribution, and we are pleased to welcome you as a member _________ of the Nest, for the year 191_.

With thanks,

The Secretary

Before World War I, Liefra (an abbreviation for Liberté-Égalité-Fraternité) was an Utopian, socialist, agricultural community. It's hard to know how long it would have persisted without the advent of WWI. The lack of capital and male farmers departing for the front ensured its demise. After the war, the founder, Paul Passy, transformed it into a refuge for orphaned and abandoned children with the help of the Quakers. At that time it was called le Nid de Liefra, or the Nest of Liefra.

Johannesburg, South Africa

This card shows a view of Pritchard Street in Johannesburg, South Africa, circa 1910. Note the street light in the middle of the road. Johannesburg was a dusty settlement until gold was discovered there in 1886, setting off a massive gold rush and fueling tensions over land ownership between the existing Boer government in Pretoria and the British.  By the turn of the century, Johannesburg had a population of 100,000. It is now one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, with a population of over 7 million.

Red Cross Shoes -Elmira, New York

Run on down to Sheehan Dean Co. in Elmira, NY and buy a pair of these lovely shoes for only $6.50. They may be out of stock though. And you will need to do some time traveling, because they closed in 1936. Both the Sheehan and Dean families included  distinguished citizens of Elmira. Daniel Sheehan served as Elmira's police commissioner, postmaster and mayor. Elmer Dean, who died in 1940, was a trustee of Elmira College. Sheehan Dean Co. was a dry goods store,  also selling furniture and clothing in addition to shoes.

At one point, Red Cross shoes were the most popular shoe in the U.S. and the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Red Cross shoes had no connection with the American National Red Cross though, and it's no surprise that the Red Cross objected to having its name used in a commercial manner. The House Foreign Affairs Commission even proposed a ban on the brand name in 1942, but the company voluntarily suspended use of the name before the ban could be enacted. However, they resumed use of the name years later, with the provision that they would publicly disclaim any association with the American National Red Cross. You can still buy Red Cross shoes today, but the styles are limited to nurse's shoes and a few loafer styles, and they cost more than $6.50.