Author Archives: Don Taylor

Donna at Hotel Brenton, Bass Point, Nahant, Mass. August 4, 1915.

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Don Taylor

In 1915, Donna—famously known as the “aeroplane girl”—performed at a grand carnival at Hotel Brenton in Nahant, MA. With vibrant lights, cabaret acts, and dancing, the event was directed by Thomas Rooney, whom Donna married just months later. A vivid piece of early 20th-century entertainment history. Continue reading →

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The Heer Surname: Origins & Ancestors

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Don Taylor

This post explores the origin and meaning of the Heer surname, once a noble title in Switzerland, and follows its lineage through eight generations in Canton Glarus. From Sarah Heer to Florence Wilma Huber Darling, it traces the family’s deep Swiss roots and highlights modern surname distribution and descendant statistics. Continue reading →

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Faces of Portland’s Graduates: Jack, Jackson, McCarthy, Roberts & Temple

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Don Taylor

This week, five more graduation portraits from Portland and Deering High Schools — Jack, Jackson, McCarthy, Roberts & Temple — join the Linwood Dyer Collection, preserving a glimpse into the lives of Maine students in 1918–1923. Continue reading →

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Donna in the 1949 Documentary “Down Memory Lane” (?)

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Don Taylor

A newly found photo of Donna among Mack Sennett’s Bathing Beauties connects our family story to the 1949 film Down Memory Lane. Though the complete film seems lost, this image keeps a bit of her Hollywood days alive. I’m still searching for the full version — maybe it will turn up yet! Continue reading →

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Hanson Studio Graduation Portraits — Linwood Dyer Collection (Part 076)

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Don Taylor

Five Hanson Studio graduation portraits from the Linwood Dyer Collection, featuring four Portland High School students and one from Deering High School, Class of 1918: Bertha M. Tarbox, Margaret A. Anderson, Robert F. Goff, and (likely) Hazel Woodill. Help solve a photo mystery and preserve these stories! Continue reading →

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