Ray's Photo Service, Central Indiana photographs
Collection — Folder: S2507
Identifier: S2507
Scope and Contents
This collection includes eight photographs processed and enlarged by Ray's Photo Service of La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1940. Taken by an unknown photographer(s), the 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 pictures have a 5 x 7 matted finish and were taken in 1938 and 1940 in the following locations around Central Indiana: the campus of Butler University; the entrance to the Indiana University Medicine and Anatomy building; outside the James Whitcomb Riley home in Greenfield; the Upper Lake and Lower Lake in Morgan-Monroe State Forest; a rock garden in the shape of the United States near Martinsville; and above the rooftops of Indiana University.
Dates
- 1938-1940
Creator
- Ray's Photo Service (La Crosse, Wis.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical / Historical
Ray’s Photo Service of La Crosse, Wisconsin was started by Helen Mae Hoeft. Born in 1894 in La Crosse, she started working in the photo business at the age of 14 and in 1920 she partnered with Millard E. Reynolds, a portrait photographer, to open the Paramount Photo Shop. In 1924, when competitors cut prices by fifty percent and it looked like they were out of business, Helen had the idea of offering photo processing by mail, a service that didn’t exist at that time. Charging 25 cents for the service, her idea seemed to be a failure, but shortly after changing the name of the mail order part of their business from Paramount to Ray’s Photo Service they began receiving bags of mail with rolls of film for processing. Advertising in newspapers and magazines across the country, the company grew rapidly and employed 150 people working three shifts to keep up with orders. Following Reynold's retirement, Hoeft took over as sole owner and continued to run the company until she sold it in 1955. A pioneer in the mail order photo business and hailed as the “Queen of Photo Finishing,” Hoeft passed away at the age of 75 on July 6, 1969.
Sources:
“Ask the Trib: A Tale of Two Local Companies.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), December 29, 2003. https://lacrossetribune.com/news/ask-the-trib-a-tale-of-two-local-companies/article_e683e912-86b8-5f33-b43f-4088bc77db6a.html.
“Helen M. Hoeft Dies at 75; Photo Pioneer.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), July 7, 1969. https://access.newspaperarchive.com.
“Mail Order Photo Business Pioneered by Local Woman.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), March 14, 1954. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/87040229/.
Sources:
“Ask the Trib: A Tale of Two Local Companies.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), December 29, 2003. https://lacrossetribune.com/news/ask-the-trib-a-tale-of-two-local-companies/article_e683e912-86b8-5f33-b43f-4088bc77db6a.html.
“Helen M. Hoeft Dies at 75; Photo Pioneer.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), July 7, 1969. https://access.newspaperarchive.com.
“Mail Order Photo Business Pioneered by Local Woman.” La Crosse Tribune (WI), March 14, 1954. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/87040229/.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2018/12//05 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2018/12/05 by Laura Eliason.
Creator
- Ray's Photo Service (La Crosse, Wis.) (Organization)
- Title
- Ray's Photo Service, Central Indiana photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
