Ethel Wight Collection – Part 135
Photo Friday
By Don Taylor
This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes typically contain the name of the person who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. It is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.
Katharine Snow, Student Nurse, circa 1934.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Kathryn Snow – Children’s Hospital #182.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1933 and 1934 Portland City Directories list Katherine Snow, a student nurse at 231 Woodford (St. Barnabas Hospital).
- The 1934 and 1935 Rockland, Maine, City Directories list Katharine Snow, a nurse in Portland residing at 25 Ocean.
- The Bangor Daily News, 5 Jan 1937, Page 23, reported that Katharine Louise Snow, a graduate of St. Barnabas Hospital, the daughter of Mrs. Milton Griffin, married Carl Frederick Philbrook in Westbrook on 4 Jan 1937. The couple was moving to 25 Ocean.
I am confident this is a photo of Katharine Louise Snow (1914-2000), daughter of Milford and Sarah (Pettee) Snow.
Ancestry has 11 public trees that refer to Katharine. Family Search has profile GQHB-ZCM for Katherine L Snow, the daughter of Milford & Sarah (Pettee) Snow. I uploaded two photos of Katharine to her Family Search Memories.
Nathlin Smith, Student Nurse, circa 1936.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Nathlin Smith, St. Barnabas Hospital #1041.”
What I learned about Nathlin Smith:
- No Nathlin, Nathline, or Nathlina Smith appear in the Portland City directories for 1934 or 1935.
- The 1934 Portland city directory lists four nurses with the surname Smith; Evelyn, Frances, Marion, and Mildred. None of them have a middle initial of “N” either. Finally, the 1935 directory only lists Frances and Marion.
I could not identify Nathlin Smith other than her name as written on the envelope, so I uploaded her photo to Dead Fred.
Roscoe & Joan Smith, circa 1934 (ages 7 & 4).
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Roscoe Smith, 28 Tremont St #145.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1934 Portland City directory lists Roscoe N and Bernice F Smith residing at 28 Tremont.
- The 1940 US Census lists Rosco N and Bernice living in Portland with their two children, 13-year-old Roscoe Jr. and nine-year-old Joan F. In 1934, when this photo was taken, Roscoe, Jr. would have been seven and Joan about three.
I am confident this photo is of Roscoe, Jr. and Joan F Smith, the children of Roscoe and Bernice Smith, about 1934.
Roscoe Nason Smith, Junior, is found in eight Ancestry public trees. Joan does not appear to be in any Ancestry public trees. Neither appear in Family Search profiles, so I posted their photo to Dead Fred.
Confirmed to be Roscoe by one of his children.
Joan F Smith, circa 1934 (age 4).
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Roscoe Smith, 28 Tremont St #144.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- This is clearly the same little girl reviewed above. The photo was taken on the same day and she is wearing the same dress as her brother.
Joan is not found in any Ancestry trees nor in Family Search profiles. I uploaded this photo of Joan to Dead Fred.
Adelaide & Loretta Sobill (possibly Sopiel) – 1942.
The envelope this negative was in says, “Adelaid & Loretta Sobill – 1942 – DSCN4920P.”
What I discovered.
- I have been unable to find an Adelaid & Loretta Sobill in any records I’ve searched.
Alternate Individuals.
However, I did find Adelaide Ann and Loretta Sopiel. Adelaide was born on 9 February 1933, and Loretta was born about 1935. Several records indicate Loretta was born in 1929. However, the 1940 Census indicates she was five years old in 1940. Both were born at the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation in Washington County, Maine. If Loretta was born in 1935, making her seven years old in 1942, then I believe these are the two sisters. If Loretta was born in 1929, she was about 13 in 1942, older than I think either of these children are.
Ten Ancestry public trees refer to Adelaide Ann Sopiel, and three Ancestry public trees refer to Mary Loretta Sopiel, two of the children of David Toma and Eliza (Dana) Sopiel. Please let me know if you know this family and can identify these two children. Because I have not identified the individuals in this photo sufficiently to upload to either Family Search or Dead Fred, so I only include the image here.
Conclusion
- I identified all four of five individuals. Only one has a Family Search profile, so I uploaded her image to hir Family Search Memories. Three did not have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos to Dead Fred.
- I could not identify one of the individuals, so her photo is only here.
I will love to hear your reaction if any of these photos are of your family member. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search and Dead Fred have higher quality than those linked to here.
For all postings in the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.
Endnotes
[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.
[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.
