A street merchant is one of Cannon’s “Hickory People” and features incredibly detailed smaller items.

The research room at the Batavia Depot Museum contains community archives, old photos and a surprising collection that might be best viewed through a magnifying glass.

Batavia native Elaine Cannon (1895-1982) created unique pieces of art during her life that captured local living with a miniature, Victorian-era twist.

“Elaine was really going for nostalgia basically,” said Jennifer Putzier, Batavia Depot Museum director. “She also really liked the idea of selling, like people who were shopkeepers.”

The public can view some of Cannon’s work when it reopens for the season on March 5. The museum, located at 155 Houston St.,  will be open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

Cannon’s sales theme is evident in some of the pieces that will be on display. One featuring a shop owner behind a counter and another depicting a street merchant holding out a tray of goods.

There are pieces from three different collections of Cannon’s on display: “Dome Dolls”, “Hickory People” and a Miniature Room.

“Dome Dolls” are very small; miniature depictions of vintage women in Victorian dresses. Putzier said heads are made from grains of wheat, an idea that Cannon had while feeding her birds and realized that they were the perfect size. The incorporation of natural elements were prominent in her work, with each dome doll standing on a small shell.

One of Elaine Cannon’s “Dome Dolls” will be on display when the Batavia Depot Museum reopens for the season on March 5. (Photo by Emily Arias / for Chronicle Media)

“There is so much you don’t notice about the world around you, but when it’s this small you really have to look, and then you realize all that there is in there,” said Putzier about why people are so captivated by miniature artwork.

“Hickory People” are larger and that allow for more serious detailing in the objects. Heads are made from hickory nuts which made it very easy for Cannon to portray the elderly since the wrinkles were “already built in,” Putzier said.

Real photographs are shrunken down to fit the figure’s mini world, tiny pieces of art with incredible detail “for sale” by a merchant and even a small Batavia newspaper, a little reminder of her hometown.

Perhaps the most elaborate piece is her miniature room. The rustic, vintage-inspired look of the shop brings a visitor back in time, with real products reduced to dollhouse size.

Following the theme of the “Hickory People”, the shopkeeper is made with a nut head, and she looks over the small jar of gumballs on the counter. It’s a charming piece and the little details capture an era.

Cannon’s work was sold at the Geneva’s The Little Traveler and Chicago’s Marshall Field’s department story between 1940-50. 

“As the story goes, she sold these little guys for $6 each and the first year she sold 7,000 of them. People really like the Dome Dolls,” Putzier said.

Cannon’s creations are prized by some collectors and said to be hard to find. A recent eBay auction of a 5-inch “Hickory People” creation was listed at $150.

Cannon was friends and collaborated with fellow miniaturist Narcissa Thorne, whose Thorne Rooms are a popular attraction at the wArt Institute of Chicago.

The Batavia Depot Museum is currently raising funds for a $2 million expansion plan.

The Depot Museum received a few room displays from the Chicago Historical Society in 1981. Since then, most of the larger pieces of Cannon’s have come from donors since 2000. The museum is still actively collecting more of her work.

Museum expansion, upcoming events

The museum has an expansion fundraising project under way and a new exhibit featuring service organizations set to greet new and past visitors on March 5.

Building expansion plans were approved by the Batavia Park District board earlier this month. The original museum building, listed  on the National Registry of Historic Places, will be preserved. But new features will be introduced to bring a modern spin while holding true to its original architecture.

New features will include a welcome center, better storage, offices, a special exhibit area. Restrooms will be moved,  creating more space in the original building. Museum officials aim  to break ground by 2020 if the funds are available.

The fundraising goal  is $2 million dollars. The Batavia Historical Society has already raised $600,000 to date and has a series of fundraising events planned over the next few months.

• On March 17 from 6 to 11 p.m., the ShamRock & Roll will celebrate St. Patricks Day and benefit the expansion project. This event, put on by the Batavia Woman’s Club, will feature music, a live DJ, dancing, games and more. There will be a full buffet dinner including some Irish specialities. Tickets are $50. More information is available at www.BataviaWomansClub.org.
• The Carry A. Nation Temperance Rally & Bar Smashing is on March 29 at 7 p.m. at Shannon Hall. For one night only, visitors can witness Mrs. Nation herself show you how she earned the title of “Bar-Room Smasher”. Tickets are available now, call 630-879-5235 to register for $25.
• Preservation Week runs from April 22-28, 2018 and is a collaboration of events put on by several local organizations including the Batavia Park District, Batavia Public Library and the Depot Museum. Each day will feature a different event, each hosted by a different organization, to relive and remember the town’s rich history.

To kick off the week, the Historical Society will host an Antiques Appraisal Fair from 1-4 p.m. on April 22 at Lodge at Laurelwood.

To learn more about Preservation Week, other upcoming events and  the expansion project, visit  www.BataviaHistoricalSociety.com.

—Elaine Cannon’s tiny masterpieces on display at Batavia Depot Museum–