Photo Friday – Leary, Small, Wentworth, Wright.

Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 057
 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.” While some photos are identified, others are not. I am trying to positively identify and then share these historical photos with the descendants of the people pictured, offering families a chance to see unknown images of their ancestors.

The original materials, including this album (Accession number: 2024.13.50), are carefully preserved at the Scarborough Historical Society, serving as part of the broader Linwood Dyer Photo Collection’s enduring legacy.

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Henry Leary, circa 1891.

The story of Henry Leary unfolds through two photographs on page 43 of an album. The first, a portrait by the Hearn-F.E. Roberts studio in Portland, Maine, offers a glimpse into his life around 1891. Historical records pinpoint Henry C. Leary as a baker, born in Scarborough in 1866. We trace his journey through census records, revealing a life marked by early loss and family ties. He married twice, first to Rossi Emma Deering and later to Lizzie May Hatch, and eventually returned to his roots in Scarborough. His 1958 obituary paints a picture of a man deeply involved in his community. A second photograph, taken by J.A. Swett around 1890, further solidifies our understanding of Henry Leary. Despite these insights, a connection to Nellie (Plummer) Roberts (the album creator) remains elusive.

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James Small, c. 1883.

On page 42 of an album, we find a photograph marked “Uncle Jimmy Small,” captured by the Portland studio of Conant. The back of the photo reveals the studio’s address at 478½ Congress Street, active between 1877 and 1884. I believe this album belonged to Nellie (Plummer) Roberts. The photograph depicts James Austin Small (1842-1935), who was married to Nellie’s aunt, Marietta S. Honeywell (1846-1923). Comparing this image to one featured in “Photo Friday – Libby & Small” (Part 53), we can confidently identify him as the same man, suggesting this photo was taken around 1883. Thus, “Uncle Jimmy Small” is James Austin Small, husband of Nellie Plummer’s aunt, Marietta S. Honeywell.[i]

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Perley & Lloyd Wentworth, circa 1892.

The photographs on page 46, captioned “Twins – Perley & Lloyd Wentworth,” are attributed to G. Waldon Smith, whose Portland studio at 514 Congress Street operated between 1892 and 1893. Research in genealogical records identified Perley Leaon Wentworth, born February 15, 1886, in Bath, Maine, and his brother, Lloyd W. Wentworth, born in October 1887. Given the studio’s operational dates, the photographs were likely taken when Perley was approximately six and Lloyd five, consistent with their apparent ages in the images. The description of the brothers as twins is likely erroneous, as Perley is observably older and taller.

The 1900 census records the brothers residing in South Portland with their widowed mother, Lizzie, and other family members, including their grandmother, Sarah B. Plummer. Lloyd Wentworth died in Portland in 1907 at the age of 19. In 1910, Perley Wentworth was living with his mother and grandmother in Portland. By 1915, he was boarding in Portland. In 1917, he registered for the draft while residing and working in Bath, Maine. Perley Wentworth died in Bath in 1919 at the age of 32. Perley and Lloyd Wentworth were Nellie Plummer’s second cousins.

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Liz Wright, circa 1886

This photograph, labeled “Liz Wright” from page 47, is attributed to Hearn of Portland, Maine. The inscription on the reverse identifies the studio as C.W. Hearn Portrait Photographer at 514 Congress Street. Given that C.W. Hearn operated at that address from 1883 to 1889, the photograph likely dates to approximately 1886. A comparative analysis with photographs of Liz Wright in Part 051 of this series, “Libby, Plummer (married Wright & Dyer),” confirms that this is Sarah Elizabeth “Liz” (Plummer) Wright, the half-sister of Nellie Plummer.

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David Wright, circa 1912.

Found on page 47 of the album, adjacent to a photograph of Liz Wright, is an image labeled “David Wright.” This identification is corroborated by comparison with a photo of David Wright in Part 56 of the series, “Libby, Laidlaw, Moody, & Wright.” Based on his apparent age of approximately six years and his birth year of 1906 in Scarborough, Maine, the photograph is estimated to date to 1912. David E. Wright is a half-nephew of Nellie A. Plummer.

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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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Endnotes

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[i] See another photo of James Small in Part 53 of this series, “Photo Friday – Libby & Small.”