The authorities did not think the war would last long. As a result, solidarity networks for the poor first formed informally based on the model of 19th-century charities at the initiative of private philanthropists and sponsors. The social elite often involved the same individuals as the political elite, and charities began to surface in every one of the twenty administrative divisions or arrondissements. Here, we offer a small sampling of the many charities, with various purposes and recipients, that connected the areas of the capital and appealed to Parisians’ generosity.
Municipal child-care center in the 9th arrondissement
The Historical Library's collections of small documents from daily life--ephemerals--contain handwritten facsimiles of posters made to keep a trace of them because the originals were glued to walls. This poster shows the development of child-care centers as an aid to working women.
Facsimile of a poster, 1914
