[Grace Goodhue Coolidge, full length portrait, seated in chair on lawn, facing left; as a volunteer Grey Lady of the Red Cross" reading to a group of disabled veterans of the World War [4 men; another man in background] at the Walter Reed Hospital]"

Share

Seated on a lawn and reading aloud is Grace Goodhue Coolidge, who volunteered as a gray Lady for the American Red Cross. She is shown with a group of disabled veterans of the First World War at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. gray Ladies were volunteers who visited wounded servicemen to read, write letters, and keep them company. The card records no date, but her role points to the 1920s, when her husband, Calvin Coolidge, was President and she was First Lady. The informal outdoor setting is what stands out, since it shows the personal side of care for veterans rather than the hospital wards themselves.

More from the Historic Print Archive collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.