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A Plea Pennsylvania Society to Protect Children from Cruelty, Donation Day, Thanksgiving Day

Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Society to Protect Children from Cruelty, 1904. The Pennsylvania Society to Protect Children from Cruelty (SPCC) was founded in 1877 with the aim was to effect improvement in children's lives, specifically those "who are cruelly treated, or neglected physically, mentally, or morally." They did this through several methods, first by warning the child's parents and letting them know they were on probation. Second, by using the courts to temporarily remove the children until the parents could prove their improvement in living conditions or temperament. And lastly, if all else failed, permanently removing the children to a new home with either relatives or a unrelated "loving family". This pamphlet was their Thanksgiving Day advertisement for donations, and it even includes a pasted in donation envelope for use. The front of the pamphlet features a black and white image from a photograph of over a dozen young children on clustered steps. The captions reads, "A few of the children living in one courtyard. From typical homes needing supervision." Based on the photograph and accompanying text, it does appear as though the charity society viewed that only the urban poor could be cruel to their children, (and therefore needed supervision), and that their cruelty was a symptom of their poverty and/or lack of morals. Other information provided within the advertisement is a list of the society's board of directors, current expenses, work that needs to be done and work that has been done since the society's founding. On a side note, the printed photograph on the cover is to be view vertically, while all the text in the pamphlet is to be view horizontally. Single fold pamphlet with a pasted in donation envelope. Measures 6" x 4 1/2" (folded), 12 1/2" x 6" (unfolded), 4 1/4" x 2" (envelope). General wear. Minor missing surface litho on bottom edge of front page.

Price: $110.00

Item #20200490