In the early-20th century, Europe and the U.S. saw the rise of “open air” schools intended to create healthy environments to combat tuberculosis using the principles of sanatoria. Sometimes purpose-built, and sometimes converted spaces, open air schools provided fresh air and extra nutrition for at-risk youth.
In the May 1917 issue of The Modern City, John H. Ferguson wrote about Richmond’s 16 open air schools: “Each school has a capacity of 20 children; and each one is always crowded, with a long waiting list. The children are selected from the entire public school system of the city by the school physician…Few of these children have tuberculosis even in its non-communicative forms, but they are all below par, physically, just in the right receptive condition to be fertile soil for the development of the disease.”
A Richmond Times-Dispatch notice of March 2, 1915 (p. 7) noted fundraising activities of "prominent society women" in support of the open-air schools. These women served as tearoom hostesses in the palm garden of the Jefferson Hotel. Indoor golf was a popular activity for which "two handsome silver cups" were to be awarded at the conclusion of the season.
Woman’s Exchange January 8, 1932
The Richmond Exchange for Woman’s Work is the first woman’s shop established in Richmond which has been in continuous operation for almost fifty years. It was established in 1883 to assist ladies who, in 1883, felt their privacy would be violated and their pride tarnished if the public knew they were forced to work for money. Now we know that what a woman can do is her greatest ornament and that she always consults her dignity by doing it.
Now we have meetings where Consignors and Board Members discuss every phase of our mutual business.
There are among the consignors some of your best friends and mine.
They are from the best levels of our citizenship – much respected and self respecting women.
Without exception they are women who cannot go out into active business. Most of them have children or invalids at home who cannot do without them, or perhaps their husbands have had bad luck and cannot make ends meet. They show a notable gallantry by throwing their strength into helping their family to be self supporting upstanding citizens.
The Exchange is not a charity, - it is a philanthropy.
We simply give women a chance to help themselves.
As a shop we are obliged to meet tremendous and increasing competition.
We try to meet it by defeating it.
We try to give honest value, courteous and efficient service and the very best quality in town.
In our foods we tolerate no substitute for the best materials.
We have lately put on a second delivery and we send to Westhampton and to Ginter Park.
We are constantly trying to introduce novelties in all our departments.
We have many services which the public does not always realize.
We make aspics and desert to order.
We mend fine bead bags and wash and darn delicate laces and old lace curtains.
We restore antique, painted trays.
We print stationery, --just like you get from Peru, Indiana, at the same price, - and more promptly.
We take for sale some young woman’s treasured bit of glory, that must be sacrificed because her husband has lost his job, or some frail old lady’s paisley shawl or piece of family silver.
The Superintendent gives these facts about some of our present consignors
A-says that through her sales she has been able to keep her two boys at school.
B-says that her sales of cake and fancy articles enabled her to have her daughter taught the violin which she is now teaching to others.
C-says her sales have made it possible for her to take care of an invalid mother and stay at home with her.
D-says her sales have given her the means to help to keep her sister at the Blue Ridge Sanitarium.
E-could not hold her home together without the Exchange.
We have over two hundred consignors.
It is not an easy job that we do.
We have only a thirty thousand dollar endowment invested in mortgage bonds.
p.3
The consignors pay us twenty per cent commission, -which is only about two-thirds of what it costs any shop to do business.
We have a small amount from subscriptions and consignors membership tickets.
One of our greatest difficulties has been to keep our promise to pay the consignor on the first pay day after her article is sold.
This is difficult because some of our patrons are careless about paying their bills. They do not realize that we have no working capital and that their delay is a very serious embarrassment for us, and has often sent us to borrow from the bank where we have to pay interest.
We rarely beg, but we do have a constant struggle to make ends meet.
If we ever have to shut up our business it will throw about two hundred women out of employment.
We do not ask pity, - we only ask that you will try our shop.
Give us the chance we are trying to give our consignors.
Ethel Baskervill
]]>Woman’s Exchange January 8, 1932
The Richmond Exchange for Woman’s Work is the first woman’s shop established in Richmond which has been in continuous operation for almost fifty years. It was established in 1883 to assist ladies who, in 1883, felt their privacy would be violated and their pride tarnished if the public knew they were forced to work for money. Now we know that what a woman can do is her greatest ornament and that she always consults her dignity by doing it.
Now we have meetings where Consignors and Board Members discuss every phase of our mutual business.
There are among the consignors some of your best friends and mine.
They are from the best levels of our citizenship – much respected and self respecting women.
Without exception they are women who cannot go out into active business. Most of them have children or invalids at home who cannot do without them, or perhaps their husbands have had bad luck and cannot make ends meet. They show a notable gallantry by throwing their strength into helping their family to be self supporting upstanding citizens.
The Exchange is not a charity, - it is a philanthropy.
We simply give women a chance to help themselves.
As a shop we are obliged to meet tremendous and increasing competition.
We try to meet it by defeating it.
We try to give honest value, courteous and efficient service and the very best quality in town.
In our foods we tolerate no substitute for the best materials.
We have lately put on a second delivery and we send to Westhampton and to Ginter Park.
We are constantly trying to introduce novelties in all our departments.
We have many services which the public does not always realize.
We make aspics and desert to order.
We mend fine bead bags and wash and darn delicate laces and old lace curtains.
We restore antique, painted trays.
We print stationery, --just like you get from Peru, Indiana, at the same price, - and more promptly.
We take for sale some young woman’s treasured bit of glory, that must be sacrificed because her husband has lost his job, or some frail old lady’s paisley shawl or piece of family silver.
The Superintendent gives these facts about some of our present consignors
A-says that through her sales she has been able to keep her two boys at school.
B-says that her sales of cake and fancy articles enabled her to have her daughter taught the violin which she is now teaching to others.
C-says her sales have made it possible for her to take care of an invalid mother and stay at home with her.
D-says her sales have given her the means to help to keep her sister at the Blue Ridge Sanitarium.
E-could not hold her home together without the Exchange.
We have over two hundred consignors.
It is not an easy job that we do.
We have only a thirty thousand dollar endowment invested in mortgage bonds.
p.3
The consignors pay us twenty per cent commission, -which is only about two-thirds of what it costs any shop to do business.
We have a small amount from subscriptions and consignors membership tickets.
One of our greatest difficulties has been to keep our promise to pay the consignor on the first pay day after her article is sold.
This is difficult because some of our patrons are careless about paying their bills. They do not realize that we have no working capital and that their delay is a very serious embarrassment for us, and has often sent us to borrow from the bank where we have to pay interest.
We rarely beg, but we do have a constant struggle to make ends meet.
If we ever have to shut up our business it will throw about two hundred women out of employment.
We do not ask pity, - we only ask that you will try our shop.
Give us the chance we are trying to give our consignors.
Ethel Baskervill
America First
Not merely in matters material, but in things of the spirit.
Not merely in science, inventions, motors, and skyscrapers, but also in ideals, principles, character.
Not merely in the calm assertion of rights, but in the glad assumption of duties.
Not flaunting her strength as a giant, but bending in helpfulness over a sick and wounded world like a Good Samaritan.
Not in splendid isolation, but in courageous cooperation.
Not in pride, arrogance, and disdain of other races and peoples, but in sympathy, love, and understanding.
Not in treading again the old, worn, bloody pathway which ends inevitably in chaos and disaster, but in blazing a new trail, along which, please God, other nations will follow, into the new Jerusalem where wars shall be no more.
Some day some nation must take that path -- unless we are to lapse once again into utter barbarism -- and that honor I covet for my beloved America.
And so, in that spirit and with these hopes, I say with all my heart and soul, "AMERICA FIRST."
From a Sermon by Bishop G. Ashton Oldham, in Washington, D.C., September 7, 1924.
America First
Not merely in matters material, but in things of the spirit.
Not merely in science, inventions, motors, and skyscrapers, but also in ideals, principles, character.
Not merely in the calm assertion of rights, but in the glad assumption of duties.
Not flaunting her strength as a giant, but bending in helpfulness over a sick and wounded world like a Good Samaritan.
Not in splendid isolation, but in courageous cooperation.
Not in pride, arrogance, and disdain of other races and peoples, but in sympathy, love, and understanding.
Not in treading again the old, worn, bloody pathway which ends inevitably in chaos and disaster, but in blazing a new trail, along which, please God, other nations will follow, into the new Jerusalem where wars shall be no more.
Some day some nation must take that path -- unless we are to lapse once again into utter barbarism -- and that honor I covet for my beloved America.
And so, in that spirit and with these hopes, I say with all my heart and soul, "AMERICA FIRST."
From a Sermon by Bishop G. Ashton Oldham, in Washington, D.C., September 7, 1924.