This is the only true photograph I have found of Sophie May. It is in the book 'Just Maine Folks' (see below). Later in her life, her publisher asked her for a photograph of herself, and she reluctantly obliged. This is probably that photo.

A postcard of Sophie May's home in Norridgewock, Maine.

Another postcard of Sophie May's home in Norridgewock, Maine.

Yet a third postcard of Sophie May's home in Norridgewock, Maine. I purchased this card from a dealer who had the sample postcards from a company that I don't think ever actually sold any of the postcards, so I think this is the only copy of this card. I also own the negative for this card.

A postcard of the 'Willows at home of Sophie May-Norridgewock'. I wonder if they are still there?

A postcard of the public library in Norridgewock, Maine. Sophie May donated the money to build this building as a gift to her hometown.

A couple more photos of the Norridgewock library.

This is a child's sized china tea cup made in Germany for O.F. Hall, S. Norridgewock, Maine. It features an illustration of Sophie May's Home.

Sophie May's autograph on a 'wood-grained' card, dated December 20, 1887.

A photo from the Old Oak cememtery in Norridgewock, Maine, where the Clarke family plot is located.

The grave of Sophie May.

The grave of Sophie May's sister, Sarah. She wrote children's books as well.

Currier & Ives prints of "Dotty Dimple" (left) and "Little Prudy" (right). Could these be portraits of the two nieces that Sophie based her characters on?

This is a carte-de-visite (visiting card) that is titled "Dotty Dimple". It was popular in the 1860's and 1870's to have your photograph made into these visiting cards to trade with your friends. They would be displayed in an album in the parlour. Photographers also would have made special interest CDVs to sell to people.

This is a photograph of the three of Sophie May's nieces that it is assumed were the inspiration for Prudy, Susy, and Dotty Dimple (left to right in the photo). It is in the book 'Just Maine Folks' (see below).

An advertising button from O.P. Ramsdell Sweet & Co., Buffalo, NY. It advertises "Dottie Dimple" children's shoes. The back says that they offer "wholesale boots, shoes, and rubbers." The patent date is July 21, 1896.

This is a child's silverware place setting using the name "Dotty Dimple".

A 4 page ad from 'Farm Life' magazine for the 'Dotty Dimple' doll. There is no reference made in the ad to Sophie May.

One of my prized possessions! An 1860's Sophie May paper doll set put out by McLoughlin Bros. of New York. It has a 2-sided doll, and 4 different dresses (front and back sides). The original cost was 10 cents.

This is 'Housekeeper's Weekly' magazine, April 2, 1892 edition, which features a cover drawing of Sophie May, and on page 2 a two column article about Sophie May. In the future I plan on typing in the article in full.

This is a children's book published in 1976 by Unicorn Paperbacks. It is retold and illustrated by Susan Jeffers. The story is based on the tale of Wild Robin in Sophie May's 'Little Prudy's Fairy Book', as is indicated on the title page.

This book is by the Maine Writers Research Club. This is the second printing, dated 1924. It has a wonderful 7+ page chapter on Sophie May written by Florence Waugh Danforth. It contains the two photos shown above.

The book 'Women of Maine', written by Lee Agger, and published in 1982. It contains a 3/4 page biography on Sophie May, as well as a nearly full page copy of the potrait engraving of her, as seen on my biography web page.

The book 'Early Days of Norridgewock', written by Henrietta Danforth Wood, and printed in 1933. This book includes many stories about the people who called Norridgewock, Maine their home. It includes a chapter on Sophie May and her sister 'Penn Shirley'.

This book, entitled 'Research About Nineteenth-Century Children and Books', is a collection of papers presented at a symposium held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 27-28, 1979, and sponsored by the Graduate School of Library Science and the Committee on National Planning for Special Collections, Association for Library Service to Children, American Library Association. At that symposium, Carol Doll presented a report entitled 'The Children of Sophie May', which discussed the child characters Sophie created in her books, and how they were treated, or presented. It is presented in this book as a 20 page report, and includes some great reference material listed on the last few pages.