Some deserving candidates for the hero fund
Subject(s): Awards, Carnegie Hero Fund Trust, Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919, Heroes, Lifesaving
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A series of nine vignettes shows men putting themselves at risk in one way or another. One man gets up in the middle of the night to attend to a screaming infant, another tests breakfast cereals, a third dares to enter the kitchen to reprimand the cook, others survive the street railroads, one suffers the attack of mosquitoes, while others endure rude opera attendees, rural life, and a tour guide. At center, each “hero” receives a pension from Andrew Carnegie who is wearing a traditional Scottish kilt.
Comments and Context
Cartoonist Ehrhart drew these center-spread vignettes as news commentary on the announcement 1904 by Andrew Carnegie of the creation of the Carnegie Hero Fund with an initial endowment of $5-million.
Andrew Carnegie was inspired by the story of two men who lost their lives attempting rescues in a mine accident in Harwick, Pennsylvania. More than 180 people died in the disaster. Carnegie’s Fund, which is still active, has recognized more than 10,000 people who have performed good deeds and selfless acts, awarding more than $40-million in grants, scholarships, death benefits, and other assistance.
Ehrhart took the opportunity of noting Carnegie’s largesse and a contemporary news story, to comment humorously on various forms of “heroism” — life’s drudgeries, fads, and frustrations.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1904-08-24
Creator(s)
Ehrhart, S. D. (Samuel D.), approximately 1862-1937
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Some deserving candidates for the hero fund. [August 24, 1904]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277849. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Ehrhart, S. D. (Samuel D.), approximately 1862-1937. Some deserving candidates for the hero fund. [24 Aug. 1904]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277849.
APA:
Ehrhart, S. D. (Samuel D.), approximately 1862-1937., [1904, August 24]. Some deserving candidates for the hero fund.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277849.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
