Christmas at the Lutheran Orphans’ Home and Asylum for the Aged and Infirm
 
This evocative December 1919 edition of The Philadelphia Orphans’ Home Advocate offers a rare and touching glimpse into the holiday season at the Lutheran Orphans’ Home and Asylum for the Aged and Infirm, located at 6950 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Published monthly, this paper served as both a newsletter and a charitable appeal, connecting the institution’s supporters with the daily lives, hopes, and needs of its residents—particularly the children.
 
The Christmas issue is filled with heartfelt content: reflections on the meaning of the season, details of holiday preparations, and a list of specific needs and wishes for the orphaned children under the Home’s care. There’s a clear sense of warmth, faith, and service woven through every column—illuminating the vital role the Home played in the lives of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable citizens.
 
Founded in the mid-19th century, the Lutheran Orphans’ Home and Asylum for the Aged and Infirm was part of a broader movement of faith-based charitable institutions that emerged in response to growing urban poverty, illness, and the social upheaval of the post-Civil War period. Located in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, the Home cared for both orphaned children and elderly residents, reflecting a multi-generational model of Christian care and compassion. Its monthly Advocate was not only an update on operations but a means of building an enduring support network rooted in Lutheran benevolence and civic duty.
 
This 1919 edition, printed just over a year after the end of World War I and during the final wave of the Spanish flu pandemic, captures a moment of cautious optimism and spiritual resilience as the Home and its residents looked toward a brighter new year.
 
Details:
• The Orphans’ Home Advocate, December 1919 issue
• Published by the Lutheran Orphans’ Home and Asylum for the Aged and Infirm, Philadelphia
• Original staple-bound pamphlet, approx. 6" x 9"
• Condition: Very good antique condition with light wear and minor toning