Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 099
By Don Taylor
Introduction
The Scarborough Historical Society maintains several important photographic collections documenting the people, places, and events of our community. In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine a photo album from the Linwood Dyer Collection titled “Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney.” Some photos have names written on the back; others include pink slips with identifying information. But many more, sadly, have no identifying information at all.
This installment focuses on five portraits spanning roughly forty years of Hinkley and Kinney family history, from a grandmother photographed in 1894 to a Waynflete graduate in 1936.
Philip Edward Hinkley (1881–1962), May 1917
Inscription: “For Eleanor – May 1917” is written on the back of the photo.
This is a wonderful sepia-toned photograph of Philip Hinkley, captured in May 1917 — just weeks after the United States entered the First World War. Philip stands outdoors on a grass lawn in his U.S. Army field uniform: a wool service coat with shoulder straps and breast pockets, paired with riding breeches bloused into white canvas leggings over dark ankle boots — the characteristic look of the American doughboy of WWI. He holds his campaign hat loosely at his side rather than wearing it, giving the portrait a casual, personable quality. Bare-branched trees in the background suggest early spring, and the setting may be a training camp or park.
The inscription “For Eleanor” is most certainly intended for his sister, Eleanor Tisdale Hinkley (1871–1943) — a young man’s gift to a loved one before heading off to war.
Research: Although the photo bears no name, based on my review of photographs in Part 098 of this series, I am confident it is of Philip Edward Hinkley (1881–1962).
Frances Elizabeth (Prindle) Hinkley (1843–1908), 1894
Frances Elizabeth (Prindle) Hinkley (1843–1908), circa 1894, age 51. Lamson Studio, 5 Temple Street, Portland, Maine.
Photographer: Lamson Studio, 5 Temple Street, Portland, ME
Inscription: “1894 (?), Grandmother Hinkley”
This is a beautifully preserved cabinet card portrait in the vignette style popular in studio portraiture of the 1890s, where the image fades softly into the white mount rather than having a hard border. Frances is dressed in a dark, richly textured gown with prominent puffed sleeves, which were the height of fashion in the mid-1890s, and her neckline is trimmed with a delicate lace collar. Her hair is swept up into a high pompadour-style updo topped with a small decorative ornament, very characteristic of the era. Based on her known birth year of 1843, she would have been approximately 51 years old when this portrait was taken.
Research: Margaret Cogswell Kinney’s Hinkley grandmother was Frances Elizabeth (Prindle) Hinkley (1843–1908).
Dating the Photograph: The Lamson Studio was located at 5 Temple Street from approximately 1883 until about 1907, when it moved to Congress Street. The inscription date of 1894 is consistent with the sitter’s apparent age, her clothing and hairstyle, and the known studio location. I am confident this is a portrait of Frances taken around 1894, when she was 51 years old.
Louise and Margaret Kinney, circa 1917–1918
Inscription: “Louise & Margaret Kinney”
A charming and beautifully composed indoor photograph of two young sisters gathered around an elegant tripod pedestal table. Both girls wear white smock-style dresses with wide white headbands. The older girl, Margaret, stands to the right, resting her chin thoughtfully on her hand; little Louise peers over the edge of the table from the left, her wide eyes full of wonder. They appear to be examining a small book or card together. The soft, natural lighting and intimate domestic setting give the photograph a warmth and tenderness.
Research: Previous research into the Kinney family established that Louise was born in 1914 and Margaret in 1911.
Dating the Photograph: With the girls’ ages estimated at roughly 3 and 6, the photo was most likely taken around 1917–1918.
Margaret Kinney (1911–1995), Graduation Portrait, 1931
Inscription: “Margaret Kinney, Waynflete Graduation Picture”
Photographer: Jordan Studio, dated ’31
A studio graduation portrait of Margaret Kinney at approximately 19–20 years of age. She is photographed in a three-quarter bust pose, wearing a V-neck cardigan over a white blouse. Her wavy, light-colored hair is softly styled and swept back, and she gazes directly at the camera with a composed, self-possessed expression.
Research: The Portland Press Herald, June 12, 1931, Page 6, includes a photograph of Waynflete seniors following Commencement, in which Margaret Kinney appears.
Frances Dana (later Jordan) (1918–2008), Graduation Portrait, 1936
Inscription: ’36 on the front; “Frances Dana Jordan” on the back.
A professional portrait of a young woman of approximately 17–18 years, apparently a graduation photograph. The style and composition are consistent with mid-1930s studio portraiture.
Research: Previous research established that Frances Dana, born April 20, 1918, married Jack Weaver Jordan on September 5, 1939. The Portland Press Herald, June 4, 1936, Page 6, reported Frances Dana as a senior graduating from Waynflete School. Frances was a first cousin of Margaret Kinney, the apparent original owner of this photo album.
Six Photos — Unidentified Individuals
Sadly, six photographs from various pages in the album carry no indication of who they are. Presumably, they are all related to the Kinney, Catlin, Hinkley, or Prindle families.
If any of the individuals shown are familiar to you, I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Conclusion
What strikes me most about this collection is the quiet intimacy of it — a grandmother posed in her finest dress at the Lamson Studio, two little girls sharing a book at a parlor table, a soldier smiling for his sister before sailing off to war. These are not grand public moments. They are the small, private acts of remembrance that families have always performed: commissioning a portrait, tucking a photograph into an album, writing a name on the back so that someone, someday, might remember.
The Hinkley and Kinney families were woven into the fabric of Portland and the greater Cumberland County community across several generations. Through photographs like these, preserved in the Linwood Dyer Collection at the Scarborough Historical Society, we are able to look across more than a century and see them not as names in a genealogical record, but as people — a proud young soldier, a dignified grandmother, two small girls in white dresses, and a pair of young women standing on the edge of their futures.
That is the enduring value of collections like this one. Every photograph identified is a story rescued from silence. I am grateful to Lynwood Dyer and the Scarborough Historical Society for preserving these images. If these portraits have stirred a memory, a family name, a familiar face, or a detail half-remembered, please do reach out. These people deserve to be remembered.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude (Anthropic) was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.
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