AUSTRIA. Vienna. 1948. The shortage of shoe leather is acute and in many families the same shoes are worn alternatively by different children. To help this problem, the Swedish Red Cross set up a workshop, importing machinery from Sweden and purchasing leather supplies abroad. At present the workshop can repair 200 pairs of children's shoes daily, but this total is still far below existing needs. So shoe repair is allocated by coupons distributed by the City Council welfare workers, and only those mothers with a priority coupon can visit the shop.
Picture shows shoes being taken in for repair at the reception room in front of the workshop. The mothers each hold one coupon entitling them to have one pair of shoes or boots repaired.