Hart, Hodsdon, West, Wormell, (née Pinkham)

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 151
Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

This week, for Photo Friday, I identified 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 the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, I aim to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

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Esther Emily West, circa 1936.

Two packages from the Ethel Wight Studio, Portland, Maine, relate to this individual.

The first envelope says “Miss West, Wells ME, R.F.D. No Berwick #764.”

The second envelope says, “Mr. Oliver G West, RDF Wells – No Berwick RFD – Jan 5, 1938.”

The two packages are of the same young woman in her late teens. The first appears to have been taken about 1936; the second appears to be a 1938 photo reproduction of photos taken in 1936. I have selected the best of the pictures to present here.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 US Census lists Oliver West of Wells, Maine, living with his wife, Ida, daughter, Esther, and son, George. Esther is a 21-year-old teacher at a grammar school.
• In the 1930 US Census, Esther is 11 years old, and no other daughters are listed.

I am confident these photos are of Esther taken in 1936 when she was about 17.

Ancestry has three public trees that refer to Esther Emily West, the daughter of Oliver and Ida (Murray) West. Family Search has profile L1QD-GC6 for Esther Emily West (1919-___). I uploaded this photo to her Family Search profile.

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Almena/Almenda Pauline Wormell, née Pinkham, circa 1935.

This photo is from the Ethel Wight Studio, Portland, Maine. 

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Robert Wormell, Falmouth Foreside, #446.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934, 1935, and 1936 Portland City Directories list Robert L. and Maud A. Wormell living at 52 Walton. Robert is a cattle director (livestock dealer).
• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Robert N and A Pauline Wormall living at 324 Preble, South Portland.
• The 1934 Bangor City Directory lists Robert N and Pauline A. Wormall living at 157 Center in Bangor.
• The 1930 US Census indicates that Robert and Maude lived in Portland. Maude was 47.
• The 1930 US Census indicates that Robert N Wormall was a Massachusetts-born, 23-year-old single man.
• Maine Marriage Index indicates that Robert N and Almena Pinkham married on 22 Sep 1933. They both lived in Steuben, Maine. New Brunswick Marriage records show that Robert Nelson Wormell and Almena Pauline Pinkham married on 22 Sep 1933 in Saint Stephen, New Brunswick. They both lived in Steuben, Maine. Almena was 27 years old and had been born in Steuben. Almena’s parents were Milford and Ida Pinkham. 
• This photo was taken about 1935. In 1935, Maude would have been about 53 years old; Pauline would have been about 29 years old. The woman in the photo appears to be in her late 20s, not early 50s, so I am pretty sure this photo is of Almena Pauline Wormell (née Pinkham).

Ancestry has 24 public trees that refer to Almena Pauline (Pinkham) Wormell (1906-1984). Family Search has profile LB4W-128 for Almenda P Pinkham, wife of Robert Nelson Wormell.

I uploaded a photo of Almena/Almenda to her Family Search Memories.

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Headstone – James Hart (1808-1858).

This photo is from the Ethel Wight Studio, Portland, Maine. 

This negative envelope says, “James Hart Head Stone – Eaton Oct – 1948.”

Why I believe this to be the headstone of James Hart (1808-1858).

• A Find-a-Grave Memorial[iii] for James Hart shows his headstone at the George Hart Cemetery, Eaton Center, Carroll County, New Hampshire. He was born in January 1808 and died on 11 March 1858. This photo was reproduced from a photo taken before October 1948, showing the marker much less overgrown. The marker for James’ wife, Susan (Littlefield) Hart, can be seen to the right of James’ marker.

I uploaded this photo of James Hart’s marker to Find-a-Grave.

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(Probably) Herbert and Helena (Morris) Hodsdon and (Possibly) Minnie Curtis.

This photo is from the Ethel Wight Studio, Portland, Maine. 

The envelope this negative was in says, “Helena Hodsdon – was very good friend of Ethel Wight (fellow artist).”

Why I believe this to be these individuals.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Helena C Hodsdon, artist at 548½ Congress, Rm 11, residing at 217 Stevens Ave. The directory also lists Herbert S Hodsdon as living at 217 Stevens.
• The 1930 US Census lists Herbert and Helena Hodsdon living at 491 Brighton Ave. Helena is 39 years old and a photographic retoucher. Herbert is a 36-year-old Assistant Manager at a life insurance company. The household also includes their daughter, Helena, and an aunt of Herbert’s, Minnie Curtis. Minnie is 54 years old.
• Helena Curtis Morris’s mother was Susan Mary Curtis (1860-1899).
• In “Hodgins, Hodsdon, Hoffman, Hoffses, & née Sholes,” (Ethel Wight Collection Part 61) I identified Helena’s daughter, Helena Susan Hodsdon.

I am fairly sure that this photo includes Helena and her husband Herbert. I suspect the woman on the right is Minnie Curtis. However, I have been unsuccessful in determining the exact relationship. Because this photo is a copy, I can’t determine the date, but I believe it is likely from the 1930s.

• Ancestry has eight public trees that refer to Helena Curtis (Morris) Hodsdon (1891-1965).
• Ancestry has 33 public trees that refer to Herbert Stanley Hodsdon (1894-1989).
• Family Search has profile 9H99-GZT for Helena Curtis Morris.
• Family Search has profile K6HV-CBP for Herbert Stanley Hodsdon.

Because I am not 100% convinced this photo shows Helena and Herbert, I have only uploaded the photo here. If you can confirm the identity of any of the people in this photo, please let me know.

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Conclusion

• I identified all two individuals that have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Two I possibly identified, but not sufficiently to upload to Family Search, so they are only presented here. One headstone marker was uploaded to Find-a-Grave.

I would 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 Find-a-Grave have a higher quality than those linked to here.

For all postings of the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.

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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.

[iii] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134069786/james-hart: accessed 15 October 2023), memorial page for James Hart (Jan 1808–11 Mar 1858), Find a Grave Memorial ID 134069786, citing George Hart Cemetery, Eaton Center, Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA; Maintained by Charles Baker (contributor 47201082).