Behind the trike's left wheel I think I spy Ham & Sam the Minstrel Team tin windup...

Toys now -- he was 3 here (but like his father, looked older) -- girls later.

In between (1943) was the WWII service wondered about (below). He became a Mason, and -- in contrast to his peripatetic childhood (New York, DC, Atlanta, Chicago) -- seems to have spent the rest of his life in Illinois.(He died in 1982, outliving his mother by just nine years).

... darling little boy. That sweet smile warms my heart. Now I want to know how his life unfolded.

Happy Holidays, Shorpsters!

I wonder what the future held for this boy? I’m guessing his direction may have changed 16 years after this photo was taken. We’ll probably never know, but it’s interesting to reflect.

[More like 15 years. - Dave]

This charming boy is growing up to look just like his father.

That little 0-gauge clockwork train has already covered quite a distance -- all the way from Germany, to be precise. It's been made by Bing, a major German toymaker back then. It's not completely surprising that Mr. Lodding decided to buy a Bing train instead of one manufactured by Lionel, Ives or American Flyer -- after all, Lodding is a German name.