Figure 1.--Here is a photograph of the English refugee children in New York, part of an Acme Newsphiotographs Christmas article. The caption by a boy photographer read, "Visiting a department store, younger boys among the refugees make firtst-hand requests to Santa Clause." The article was date Secember 17, 1940. The ohotigraohs may have been tajke a few dats earlier. At the time the German Blkitz wsas ravaging London and other german cities.

Christmas 1940 would have been one of the first milestones for the British refugee children. And beinf away from home and seoparated from loved ones would habe been especially difficult for the children. Here is a press article about that first Christamas. The caption read, "British Children Prepare for Christmas in America: What sort of Christmas is in prospect for British refugee children in America? How are these youngster, so far from home and dear ones, preparing to observe the holidays so inescapably assoiciated with family ties, and for them, as closely interwoven with many old English traditions? For the answers to these questions, Acme Newspictures sent Andrew Giegold, 14 year-old American boy and aspiring press photographer, to the Edwin Gould Foundation, New York City, where a group of British children are being cared for." The Foundation sas founded by Edwin Gould (1866-1933). He was was a successful businessman and son of American financier Jay Gould with a not so savory reputation. Edwin Gould and his wife Sarah Shrady sought to improve the lives of low-income children by helping to fund health care facilities, orphanages and summer camps, as well as vocational and educational training. Taking in refugee children was one of the Foundation's many projects. We believe that most of the children were taken byn families, but there seem to have been some group arrangements. "Having demonstrated photographic ability, plus powers of observation and judgemnent worthy of a more mature person, Andrew was left entirely to his own resources in making these pictures whiuch carry his own captions His comments are interestng, as for, example: 'The children are loving like any American boy or girl, except that they are living in groups.' .... 'One very kind act of the children is working on gifts which they intend to give to poor Amnerican children.' .... 'On Christmas the children will follow an old English custom, by going to houses around the neighborhood to sing carols.' .... 'Most imoportant of the children's Christmas wishes is the desire for peace.'" We wonder if the desire for peace represents the children's sentimenbts or the Foundation's. We might have thiought that at least some of the children would have wanted to bash the hell out of the Germans.

Created: 3:19 AM 10/5/2020
Last updated: 3:19 AM 10/5/2020