Howell-Darling Line, Part 001
By Don Taylor
This installment of Faces from the Past turns to my own family’s photograph collection — five images from my wife’s Howell and Darling lines. Together they span more than half a century, from a 1909 photo of her great-grandfather to a 1964 snapshot of her parents’ home in Bridgton. Each image here is analyzed for what it can tell us: date, process, inscription, and the corroborating evidence that supports (or challenges) each identification. These photographs are being incorporated into my family trees on Ancestry as part of that ongoing work.
Rufus Harry Darling (1857–1917) — 1909
Photo: 1909 Process/Type: Professional mounted photo
Description: A 1¾” x 3¾” full-length photo of a man standing on a grassy lawn with trees in the background. Handwritten beneath the photo is “To Elizabeth from Daddy — July 20, 1909.” Embossed beneath the photo is a swastika.
Research
This photo predates the Nazi Party’s adoption of the swastika by more than a decade. In 1909, the symbol most likely referred to good luck, or was simply a decorative design element common on card stock of the period.
Identification: The family has long identified this photo as my wife’s great-grandfather, Rufus Harry Darling. In 1909 he would have been 52 years old. The “Elizabeth” named in the inscription is certainly his daughter, Elizabeth Grace Darling, who would have been about 3 years old at the time.
Elizabeth (McAllister) Lane (1881–1944), c. 1934
Photo: circa 1934 Process/Type: Snapshot
Inscription: On the back is written, “Center: Elizabeth Lane, (Aunt Lizzie), about 1934 — Katherine’s mother.”
Description: A family snapshot including ten people. Four figures in the back row are cropped off at the head; the remaining six include three men and three women.
Research
In 1934, “Aunt Lizzie” would have been about 53. Her husband, Harold Lane, was 54 and living, as were her three children: James (24), Frank (21), and Katherine (19). The young man seated in front might be one of her sons, James or Frank.
Identification: Based on the inscription and the apparent age of the woman seated at center, I am confident this is my wife’s second great-aunt, Elizabeth (McAllister) Lane (1881–1944), circa 1934. One of the two visible men may be her husband, Harold Lane (1880–1939).
Florence Wilma (Huber) Darling (1908–1934), c. 1924–1929
Photo: circa 1924–1929 Process/Type: Snapshot
Inscription: On the back, “Florence Huber, center, & friends.”
Description: Three young women stand side by side outdoors, smiling at the camera. The composition is a casual, full-body group portrait with a relaxed, cheerful mood.
Research
The drop-waist silhouettes, mid-calf hemlines, and voluminous bobbed hairstyles are hallmarks of 1920s women’s fashion. Florence appears to be at least 16 in this photo, placing it no earlier than 1924. She married Robert Harry Darling around 1929, which suggests the photo predates that marriage.
Identification: Florence Wilma Huber, later Darling, circa 1924–1929.
Clarence “Pete” Fletcher Howell, c. 1954
Photo: 3½” x 3½” snapshot
Inscription: On the back, in handwriting: “Clarence ‘Pete’ Howell, Syracuse, NY est 1954.”
Description: A man with a pipe, seated on a couch, looking over some papers.
Research: This photo is a good reminder that a printed date along the edge of a snapshot marks when the photo was printed (or reprinted), not necessarily when it was taken. Although this print is dated May 1969, Shirley identified the photo as having been taken in Syracuse around 1954. Pete and his wife Shirley moved to Syracuse in April 1954, and moved again to Cortland, NY, by 1960. Personal knowledge and other photos confirm that Pete was a regular pipe smoker.
Identification: Clarence “Pete” Howell, c. 1954.
“Pete” & Shirley Howell’s House, between 1961 & 1964
Photo: Snapshot
Inscription: Printed date on the front reads “June 64.”
Description: A house with two people standing on the front porch.
Research: Personal knowledge holds that this is the Howell home in Bridgton, Maine. Maine Registry of Deeds records indicate that Pete and Shirley purchased the Bridgton house in 1961; this print is dated June 1964.
Identification: The Howell home in Bridgton, Maine, between October 1961 and June 1964. Pete and Shirley appear to be the two figures standing on the porch.
Conclusion
If any of the individuals shown but not identified here are familiar to you, I would be pleased to hear from you. Even a small detail may help restore a name or a story.
My continuing goal is to share family images with the families and communities to whom they belong — ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.
ENDNOTES
[i] All photos courtesy of the author’s personal collection.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting.