Mini-photo, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Circa 1906.

Price:  $10.00          Size:  About 1 and 1/4 x 1 and 3/4″

Shades of decades past…

Here’s a miniature photo of an unknown little boy, with blonde hair and an angel face, about five years old. He’s seated in a child’s wooden chair (with carved backrest) and is wearing a dark, double-breasted jacket. For me, the jacket has sort of a military appearance, and reminds me of Civil War days, though, of course, this would have been taken decades later. Photo by:  The Stamp Gallery, 610 1/2 Central Ave., Fort Dodge, Iowa.

The Stamp Gallery, evidently short, but sweet

The business name, The Stamp Gallery, was not found in any online searches. It’s a nice name, though, The Stamp Gallery, and one presumes it would be in reference to the small size of the images produced. (We have some others that are actually closer to postage stamp size. See the category, Mini Photos.) But though we didn’t find the company name, we did find a photographer name at this 610 1/2 Central Avenue, in 1906, that of May E. Hodge. Later that same year, November 29th to be precise, May (Mary Elizabeth) Hodge marries Manning T. McKenzie. So, most likely, the gallery was not in business very long, but, to me, that makes this little photo rather precious.

Five years earlier, siblings on the 1904 directory

May E. Hodge, manager for O. S. Hodge, boards 721 E. Locust St., 1904 Fort Dodge city directory. Listed in the next entry on the same page is:

Oramel S. Hodge, photographer, 221 1/2 Locust and 200 E. Locust, residence 709 E. Locust.

To find the relationship between the two, we went back to the 1880 Federal Census for Indianola, IA, showing Mary Hodge, born Iowa, about 1873, younger sister of Oramel S. Hodge, born Iowa, about 1870. Their parents are J. D. and Emily (Hinckley) Hodge, and siblings on the 1880 are Luvilla and Eliza.

Sources:  R. L. Polk & Co.’s Fort Dodge City Directory, 1906. p. 110. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Fort Dodge City Directory, 1904. p. 478. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Indianola, Warren, Iowa; Roll: 368; Family History Film: 1254368; Page: 377A; Enumeration District: 232. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996.