Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 055
Hod, Wright, JPD, Liz, Others Album (2024.13.50)
By Don Taylor
The Linwood Dyer Photo Collection at the Scarborough Historical Society contains a photo album labeled “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS.” Some
The original materials, including this album (Accession number: 2024.13.43), are carefully preserved at the Scarborough Historical Society, serving as part of the broader Linwood Dyer Photo Collection’s enduring legacy.
Major Frank Moody, circa 1876.
This photo from page 22 is labeled Major Frank Moody. The photographer was identified as Smith – Photographer – no address. There were at least six different Smith photographers in Portland that operated from 1871 to 1916.
Also on page 22 is an unlabeled photo of a woman about the same age as Major Frank. Due to placement in the photo album, I suspect this is Major Frank Moody’s wife. Further research found his wife was Julia A Harmon (1833-1906).
Page 23 of the album includes to photos, also photographed at the same studio at about the same time are two more photos. One is identified as “Eleanor Moody” and the other as “Eleanor Moody & sister. (Under sister is “Harriet” written in pencil.)” The 1880 US Census lists Major Moody, his wife Julia and two daughters Hattie (age 15) and Nellie (age 12). Find a Grave has a photo of Elinor S Moody, that appears to be the same woman, just a few years older.
I am sure these four photos comprise the Major Frank Moody family:
- Major Frank Moody – Father (1830-1888) (aka Major Francis Moody)
- Julia Ann (Harmon) Moody – Mother (1833-___)
- Elinor S Moody – daughter (1868-1956) (aka Nellie S Moody)
- Hattie Moody – daughter (aka Harriette F. Moody) (1865-___)
Major Moody’s photo,
Mettie Rounds, circa 1895 (age 17).
The photo on page 20, labeled “Nettie Rounds (Uncle James Small’s sister’s child),” was taken by H.M. Smith of 478 Congress St., Portland, ME (studio listed at that address 1892-1898). This identification clarifies the album’s perspective: Nellie A. Plummer’s mother was Ellen A. Hunnewell. Ellen’s sister, Marietta, married James Auston Small (Nellie’s uncle). James had three sisters: Maria (m. Charles A. Libby), Elizabeth (m. Edwin Wilson Rounds), and Nellie May (m. Rosco Green Libby). Elizabeth and Edwin’s daughter, Mettie/Nattie L. Rounds (1878-1965), is likely the photo’s subject, taken circa 1895 when she was about 17.
I added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and her profile at FamilySearch (LBMZ-B8X).
Conclusion
Family photographs hold an extraordinary power to connect us across generations, offering glimpses into the lives, personalities, and experiences of those who came before us. The discovery of an unseen photograph of a beloved ancestor can be a profoundly moving experience that collapses the distance of time and allows us to see our family members as they once were, perhaps in the full bloom of youth or childhood. If any of these images have helped you recognize an ancestor, I would be deeply grateful to hear your story and learn how these photographs have enriched your understanding of your family’s history.
For those interested in accessing the highest quality versions of these historical photographs for genealogical research, please note that the full-resolution images are available through Ancestry and Family Search platforms due to technical constraints. These photographs are shared freely for your family history research and documentation, with the simple request that you acknowledge their source with the citation: “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.” By sharing and properly attributing these images, you help maintain the vital connection between these historical materials and their custodians, ensuring that future generations can continue to discover and learn from these precious visual records of our shared past.
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