Vigo County Historical Society

Hape known for his photographic skill

Robert Hape was a photographer of note in Terre Haute from about 1915 to the mid-1940s. Though he took hundreds of pictures, one of his crowning achievements is now on display at the Vigo County Historical Museum. It is a 26-by-17-inch framed studio portrait of his wife, Mabel Thomas Hape, given recently to the society by her nephew George R. Thomas.

The photograph was taken in the early 1900s in Henderson, Ky., where the two met while Mabel was vacationing.

The engaging portrait was taken by Robert before their marriage. He hung it on the wall of his studio facing the front door so that it was immediately seen by anyone entering.

Soon after the marriage, Mabel’s mother declared that the couple should live in her hometown of Terre Haute, so Robert opened a studio at 629 1/2 Wabash Ave. and later moved to 820 1/2 Wabash.

During his early days in Terre Haute, Hape traveled about town on a bicycle carrying his heavy camera. Not being especially gregarious, he did few portraits of individuals, but kept busy working for local newspapers photographing buildings, picnics and events.

Having one of the first panoramic cameras in Terre Haute, he was in demand to photograph events that drew large crowds such as parades, fairs, circuses and the local Soap Box Derby.

Mabel Hape is described by her nephew as an outgoing woman.

She was active in civic organizations and enjoyed having her picture in the newspaper. As a young lady, she was a beauty. In the photograph pictured, she is dressed as a typical "Gibson Girl," wearing a large straw feathered hat set at a jaunty angle, a nigh collared blouse and flared skirt, all very fashionable for the time.

The large portrait stands in an exhibit room called the Dressmaker’s Shoppe on the museum’s second floor. It is displayed to impress visitors just as it did in Robert Hape’s studio nearly 100 years ago.