Hinkley Family Photographs (2024.13.43)
Portland, Maine
By Don Taylor
This photo album, part of the Linwood D. Dyer Photo Collection, is in poor condition. Many photos are glued in place, making it impossible to examine their backs. However, the photos in the album focus on the Hinkley family. The collection contains hundreds of images, documents, and genealogies of people who lived in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My goal is to connect these images with their descendants, who may never have seen them before. The original collection is housed at the Scarborough Historical Society[i].
Gruver Family – c. 1910
Margaret Prindle (Hinkley), Elbert Asa, Eleanor, and Elbert Asa, Jr. Gruver.
Elbert Gruver Family, circa 1910.
Page 57 of the album showcases a heartwarming photograph of the Gruver family. A note accompanying the image reads “Mgt & Elber Gruver.” I believe this depicts Elbert Asa and Margaret Prindle (Hinkley) Gruver with their two eldest children, Eleanor and Elbert Asa Jr. Considering Elbert Jr.’s birthdate of August 21, 1905, and his apparent age of five in the photo, I estimate the picture was taken around 1910. Elbert and Margaret welcomed another child, Margaret Hinkley Gruver, in May 1911. Her absence from this photo further supports the 1910 timeframe.
I have shared this precious snapshot on their Family Search Profiles and my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Elbert Asa Gruver – c. 1915
Elbert Asa Gruver, circa 1915.
Page 56 of the album showcases a photograph of a man, though the image itself is unlabeled. The photographer, “Hanson, Portland, ME,” is embossed on the picture. Based on the 1916 Portland City Directory, Hanson operated a photography business then.
Further evidence on page 57 strongly suggests that this photograph depicts Elbert Asa Gruver. This identification aligns with other pictures I have of Elbert.
I have shared this photograph on his Family Search Profile and my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Frank L. Quinby, Sr. & Jr. – c. 1910
Frank L Quinby, Jr., circa 1910
Page 58 features two photographs of Frank L. Quinby, Jr., born in 1908.
My research identifies him as the son of Frank Lees and Francis (Hinkley) Quinby. According to his Find a Grave memorial, Frank Lees Quinby, Jr. was born on September 23, 1908, in East Orange, New Jersey, and passed away on November 22, 1965. He married Mildred A. Quinby (born June 23, 1906; died September 4, 1996). Based on the child’s estimated age of two, I believe these photographs were taken around 1910.
Frank L Quinby, Sr., & Jr. c. 1910.
Page 59 showcases two additional photographs labeled “Frank.”
Interestingly, Ancestry hints for Frank Lees Quinby (1908-1965) include a photograph of him wearing a winter coat next to a house. This image is also present in the “Ridge-Lownie-Biles-Forepaugh” family tree of William R555. The Hinkley Photo Album also features a photograph of Frank alongside a younger man, whom I presume to be his father, Frank Lees Quinby, Sr. (1880-1965).
I have added these photographs to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Betty Quinby – 1910
Francis Elizabeth & Betty Quinby, 1910
Page 60 showcases two photographs labeled “Betty,” both dated 1910. One picture captures a tender moment of a woman holding a baby. I am confident that this is Frances Elizabeth Prindle (Hinkley) Quinby cradling her daughter, also named Francis Elizabeth Quinby, who was born on July 28, 1910, in East Orange, New Jersey.
I have added this cherished photograph to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Quinby Family – 1911
Frank L Quinby Family, 1911
Frank Lees, Frances Elizabeth Prindle (Hinkley), Frank Lees, Jr., & Frances Elizabeth “Betty” Quinby
Page 61 showcases two photographs labeled “Quinbys,” both dated 1911. This heartwarming photograph captures Frances Elizabeth Prindle (Hinkley) Quinby at the age of 33, her son, Frank Lees Quinby, at the age of three, and her husband, Frank Lees Quinby, at the age of 31, proudly holding their infant daughter, Frances Elizabeth Quinby.
I have added the best of these photographs to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Walter J Gambell – c. 1893
Walter J Gambell of New York
The photo has a printed label on the top indicating “W. J. Gambell.” Handwritten on the back of the card is “Walter J Gambell.” The photographer is “Frederick’s Knickerbocker Family Portrait Gallery – 770 Broadway – Cor. 9th Street – New York. That studio operated at that address from 1869 to at least 1894.[i]
The 1880 US Census identifies a 23-year-old Walter J Gambell living with his parents Wright C. and Elizabeth Gambell in Brooklyn. Ancestry Family Trees suggest this is Walter James Gambell, born 26 Jun 1856. His mother was Elizabeth Bremmer Anderson.
The man in this photo appears to me to be in his late 30s, suggesting the photo was taken about 1893.
So, I believe this is a photo of Walter James Gambell (1856-1898) taken about 1893. However, I am not confident enough to include the image with his FamilySearch profile or my Family Tree. If you are researching Walter, please let me know if you can confirm the identity of this photo.
I uploaded this photo to their Family Search Profiles and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
[i] Miller, Tom – Blog Post – Daytonian in Manhattan “The Lost Frederick’s Photographic Portrait Gallery – 770 Broadway” – Accessed 1/5/2025.
Conclusion
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.[ii]
Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”
Endnotes
[i] Scarborough Historical Society Accession number: 2024.13.43.
[ii] Dontaylorgenealogy.com
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