Photo Friday – Shuft & Silke

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 132
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.This week, for Photo Friday, I identify 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 of the individual portrayed in the image. It is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.


Alicia Silke, circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Alicia Silke, 37 Smith St #293.”

Photo of Alicia Silke, circa 1934.

Alicia Silke, circa 1934

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Alicia J Silke living at 37 Smith. Also at that address was Catherine, Widow of John W Silkie (who died 8 Aug 1934). Kathleen M Smith was also at that address. She was a clerk at the same place as Alicia (518 Congress).
  • The 1930 US Census listed the John W and Catherine Silke family living at 37 Smith Street. With them are three children; John E, age 24; Kathleen, age 20; and Alicia Silke, age 16.

I am confident this is a photo of Alicia J Silke (later McCarthy) taken in 1934 when she was about 21 years old. Alicia was born in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, on 16 Jun 1913.

Ancestry has 11 public trees that refer to Alicia. Family Search has profile LY9W-Z83 for her. I have uploaded two photos of Alicia J Silke to her Family Search Memories.


Kathleen M Silke, circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Kathleen Silke, 37 Smith St #291.”

Photo of Kathleen M Silke, circa 1934.

Kathleen M Silke, circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Kathleen M Silke living at 37 Smith. Also at that address was Catherine, widow of John W Silkie (who died 8 Aug 1934). Kathleen M Silke was also at that address. She was a clerk at the same place as her sister Alicia (at 518 Congress).
  • The 1930 US Census listed the John W and Catherine Silke family living at 37 Smith Street. With them are three children; John E, age 24; Kathleen, age 20; and Alicia Silke, age 16.

I am sure this is a photo of Kathleen M Silke (later Murray) taken in 1934 when she was about 25 years old. Kathleen was born in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, on 25 Aug 1909.

Ancestry has five public trees that refer to Kathleen M Silke, daughter of John and Catherine (Fitzpatrick) Silke. Family Search has profile G667-JP3 for Kathleen. I have uploaded a photo of Kathleen to her Family Search Memories.


Donald Silke, circa 1935 (age 1).

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. John B Silke, 112 Sheridan St (Donald) #682.”

Photo of Donald Silke, circa 1935 (age 1).

Donald Silke, circa 1935 (age 1).

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists John B and Doris E Silke living at 112 Sheridan.
  • The 1940 US Census shows John and Doris Silke living at 131 Bolton. With them are three children, Mary F (age 7), Donald H (age 5), and Robert B (age 9/12). The three children were all born in Maine, and the family lived in the “Same Place” in 1935.

Because the envelope said “Donald” and that a child of the right age was in the household, I am confident this is a photo of Donald. Donald Herman Silke, the son of John Bernard and Doris (Anderson) Silke, was born in Portland, Maine, in 1934.

I have not found Donald in Ancestry trees. However, I have found his father, John B Silke, in 20 public Ancestry trees. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Donald either, so I uploaded this photo of him to Dead Fred.


Mary Frances Silke, circa 1935 (age 3).

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. John B Silke, 112 Sheridan St (Mary Frances) #681.” Note: This photo was taken on the same day as the photo of Donald Silke (above).

Photo of Mary Frances Silke, circa 1935 (age 3).

Mary Frances Silke, circa 1935 (age 3).

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • This photo envelope indicates the photo is of Mary Frances.
  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists John B and Doris E Silke living at 112 Sheridan.
  • The 1940 US Census shows John and Doris Silke living at 131 Bolton. With them are three children, Mary F (age 7), Donald H (age 5), and Robert B (age 9/12). The three children were all born in Maine, and the family lived in the “Same Place” in 1935.

I am confident this photo is of Mary Frances Silke, born 20 May 1932 in Portland, Maine, to John B and Doris (Anderson) Silke about 1935, when she was about three years old.

Ancestry has eight public trees that refer to Mary Frances Silke (later Core). Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Mary Frances, so I uploaded this photo of her to Dead Fred.


Daughter of Ruth Shuft (?), circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Ruth Shuft, 207 Congress St #299.”

A Photo probably of the Daughter of Ruth Shuft, circa 1934.

(Probably the) daughter of Ruth Shuft, circa 1934.

What I learned.

  • The 1933, 1934, and 1935 Portland City Directories do not list a Ruth Shuft or any similar name I’ve found.
  • Also, the 1933 and 1934 Portland city directories list Charles Leventhal, Mrs. Anna Knudsen, and Walter Horne living at 207 Congress Street—No Ruth.

I have failed to identify her or this child; although the photo is likely Ruth’s daughter, I’ve included a copy of the envelope text. If your view of the name differs from mine, I’ll be happy to look at whatever name you suggest it might be.

Scan of negative envelope showing the name of the person who ordered the photos.

Negative envelope showing name & address. Can you help me read this? 


Conclusion

  • I identified four of the five individuals in this photo set. Two have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Two did not, so I uploaded their photos to Dead Fred.
  • I could not identify the mother or child in the fifth photo set. As such, I only uploaded the image here.

I will 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, Dead Fred, and Flickr have higher quality than those linked here.

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


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.

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Selberg, Semple, Severence, & Severino

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 131
Photo Friday 
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.This week, for Photo Friday, I identify 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 of the individual portrayed in the image. It is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.


Nurse Josephine Severino, circa 1935.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Josephine Severino, ME Gn Hospital #843.”

Photo of Miss Josephine Severino, circa 1935.

Nurse Josephine Severino, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 and 1936 Portland City Directories list Josephine Severino as a student Nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
  • The 1934 Portland High School Directory lists Josephine “Jo” Nancy Severino as a Senior whose college preference was Maine General Hospital School of Nursing. The photo appears to be of the same young woman.
  • The 1939 Portland City Directory lists Josephine Severino as a nurse who married James A Maiorano.
  • Ancestry Trees indicate that Josephine Nancy Severino was born on 30 October 1916 and married James Anthony Maiorano on 18 September 1938.

Ancestry has 16 public trees that refer to Josephine Nancy Severino, daughter of Agrippino and Maria (Olivetta) Severino. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Josephine. I uploaded a photo of Josephine to Dead Fred.


Phyllis Semple, circa 1935 (high school photo).

This negative envelope says, “Miss Phyllis Semple, 31 Kellogg St (P. H. S.) #1094.”

Photo of Phyllis Semple, circa 1935 (high school photo).

Phyllis Semple, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1936 Portland High School Yearbook shows the same photo of this girl as Phyllis Mae Semple “Jimmie.”
  • New Hampshire Certificate of Marriage shows that Phyllis Mae Semple, of South Portland,” married Russell Alfred Oates on 30 September 1938. Phyllis was 20 years old, the daughter of Samuel James and Ethel (Thornton) Semple.
  • Ancestry Public Trees indicate this is Phyllis Mae Semple, born on 20 January 1918 in Portland, Maine.

Ancestry has six public trees that refer to Phyllis Mae Semple (later Oates). Family Search has profile LVHC-B1Q for Phyllis. I have uploaded a photo of Phyllis to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded three additional pictures of Phyllis to my Flickr PhotoStream.


Inga Selberg, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Inga Selberg, 66 Devon St #162.”

Photo of Inga Selberg, circa 1934.

Inga Selberg, circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Inga E Selberg living at 62 Devon. Also at 62 Devon are Hilda E, Peter G, and Robert W Selberg. Ernest and Katherine Selverg live at 66 Devon.
  • The 1935 Deering High School Yearbook lists Inga E Selberg. The school photo appears to be of the same young woman as is in this photo.
  • Ancestry Family Trees suggest this in Inga Fredericka Selberg, born 31 March 1917 in Portland, Maine. Note that although the yearbook and city directory indicate her middle initial is “E,” it appears her middle name was Fredericka.

Ancestry has 18 public trees that refer to Inga Fredericka Selberg. Family Search has profile LYQB-8XR for Inga. I have uploaded two photos of Inga to her Family Search Memories.


Eileen Severence, circa 1936 (age 5)

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. C. I. Severance, 176 Danforth St, #1013.”

Photo of Eileen Severence, circa 1936 (age 5)

Eileen Severence, circa 1936 (age 5)

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Charles F and Helen L Severance living at 176 Danforth. Also at that address is Harry J. Severance.
  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Charles and Helen D Severence living at 12 Gray. No other Severances are listed living at 12 Gray (or Danforth).
  • The 1939 and 1940 Portland City Directories list Charles F and Helen B Severance as living at 24 May. A Charlie L and Mary E Severance are residing at 12 Wescott.
  • The 1934 Bangor City Directory lists Charles F and Helen D Severance living at 16 Broadway, Bangor. Also at 16 Broadway are Harry J and Ethel L Severance.
  • Eileen Severance was born on 2 December 1931 in Lincoln, Penobscot County, Maine. Her parents were Charles F and Helen D (Lunt) Severance.
  • This photo was taken in 1936 when Eileen would have been about five years old. The girl in the picture also appears to be between four and six years old, so I believe this photo is of Eileen Helen Severance (1931-2000).

Ancestry has two public trees that refer to _Eileen Severance, born 2 Dec 1931. Family Search has profile KW84-7GL for Eileen. I have uploaded one photo of Eileen to her Family Search Memories.


Three unidentified women.

Photo of the back of the envelope showing "Mrs. Sherman - July 1941 - Mrs. L.E. Sherman, 317 Jostram St, Providence R I."

Crop of envelope information.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Sherman – July 1941 – Mrs. L.E. Sherman, 317 Jostram St, Providence R I.”

What I learned.

My search for a Jostram or similarly named street in Providence failed to find such an address. The closest I could find was a Joslin street. The written address provided doesn’t fit that street.

Photo of three unidentified women.

Three unidentified women.

I did not find a Mr. L. E. Sherman in Providence from 1940 to 1942. There was a Loretta E Sherman, wife of Herbert W Sherman. In 1940 and 1942, they lived at 29 Desoto. Loretta was born about 1907, making her only 33 years old in 1940. Much younger than any of the women in this photograph.

So, I have not identified the individuals in this photos, so I only include the image here.


Conclusion

  • I identified the people in four of the five photographs. Three have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. One did not have a Family Search profile, so I uploaded her photos to Dead Fred.
  • I was unable to identify the three individuals in one photo. I uploaded that photo only here

I will 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, Dead Fred, and Flickr have higher quality than those linked here.

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


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.

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Sawyer, Schofield, Sedgley, & Selberg

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 130
Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

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


Beatrice Sedgley, Student Nurse, Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary, circa 1934

The envelope this negative was in says, “Beatrice Sedgley, Me Eye & Ear Infirmary #53.”

Photo of Beatrice Sedgley, Student Nurse, Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary, Portland, ME

Beatrice Sedgley, Student Nurse, Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary, Portland, ME

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Beatrice Sedgley as a student nurse at 79 Bramhall (Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary)
  • The 1940 US Census lists Beatrice Sedley, the 23-year-old daughter of Pearl & Florence Sedley living in Brunswick, Maine. Beatrice is a trained nurse.
  • Later in 1940, Beatrice married Hugo Joseph Sandelin.

I am confident this photo is of Beatrice Arlene Sedgley, born 30 Sep 1916, taken about 1934, when she attended nursing school at the Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary.

Ancestry has 15 public trees that refer to Beatrice Arlene Sedgley. Family Search has profile GZ63-GSP for Beatrice Sedley, daughter of Pearl and Florence (Loon) Sedgley. I have uploaded a photo of Beatrice to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be Beatrice by a grandchild.


Ernestine Selberg, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. E. S. Selberg, 66 Devon St # 752.”

Photo of Ernestine Selberg, circa 1935 (age 2)

Ernestine Selberg, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Ernest L and Katherine E Selberg living at 66 Devon. Also at that address is Philip G Selberg. Several other Selbergs are living nearby at 62 Devon.
  • The 1940 US Census lists Earnest L and Katherine E Selberg living at 82 Devon Street. With them are two children, six-year-old Ernestine and three-year-old Ernest.
  • The S. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 show Ernestine Marie Selberg, daughter of Ernest Selberg, was born on 18 Dec 1934.
  • If Ernestine had been born in December 1934, she would have been five during the 1940 Census. However, other records indicate she was born in 1933.

I am sure this photo was taken of Ernestine Marie Selberg, born 18 Dec 1933, when she was about two years old.

I have not found Earnestine in any Ancestry public trees. However, her father, Ernest L Selberg, is in 20 public Ancestry trees. Family Search has profile GCPV-8S4 for Ernestine M Selberg. I uploaded a photo of Ernestine to her Family Search Memories.


Gladys E Sawyer (née Pride), circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Gladys E Sawyer, 20 Pennell Ave #769.”

Photo of Gladys E Sawyer (née Pride), circa 1935.

Gladys E Sawyer (née Pride), circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1940 US Census Lists Stephen and Gladys Sawyer living at 20 Pennell Ave. With them is their 14-year-old daughter Florence.
  • Ancestry Family Trees suggest this would be Gladys Eola Sawyer (née Pride), born on 4 July 1897.

The woman in this photo appears to be in her mid-30s, suggesting it is Gladys. As such, I believe this photo to be of Gladys Eola Sawyer (née Pride) taken about 1935.

Ancestry has 23 public trees that refer to Gladys Eola Pride. Family Search has profile M585-G7F  or Gladys. I uploaded a photo of Gladys to her Family Search Memories.


Lawrence Sawyer, Jr., circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Lawrence Sawyer, 74 Woodmont Ave #155.”

Photo of Lawrence Sawyer, Jr., circa 1934 (age 1)

Lawrence Sawyer, Jr., circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Lawrence W and Alice E Lawrence living at 74 Woodmont.
  • The 1940 US Census lists Lawrence and Alice Sawyer living at 106 Parsons Rd. Living with them is their seven-year-old son, Lawrence, Jr.
  • The S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, indicates that Lawrence White Sawyer, Jr. was born on 19 Dec 1932, to Lawrence W and Alice (Crosby) Sawyer in Portland, Maine.

I am confident this photo is of Lawrence taken in 1934 when he was about a year old.

Ancestry has five public trees that refer to Lawrence White Sawyer (1932-2007). Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Lawrence Junior, but his parents are listed. I uploaded a photo of Lawrence, Jr., to Dead Fred.


Virginia Schofield, circa 1936. 

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Margaret Scofield, 59 Maine Ave, #1047.”

Photo of Virginia Schofield, circa 1936 (age 8)

Virginia Schofield, circa 1936.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1940 US Census lists Louis and Margaret E Schofield living at 59 Maine Ave, Portland, Maine. Two daughters, Margaret A (age 20) and Virginia E (age 12), live with them.

Based on the Photo Number (#1047), this photo was taken in 1936. Margaret would be about 16, and Virginia about eight. This photo appears to be of a young girl eight to 10 years old; as such, I believe this to be Virginia.

Ancestry has five public trees that refer to Virginia E Schofield (1927-1999). Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Virginia, so I uploaded a photo of Virginia to Dead Fred.

One Researcher indicates this is not Virginia E “Betty” Schofield. I will revisit this identification in the future.


Conclusion

  • I identified all five Three have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Two did not have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos to Dead Fred.

I will 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, Dead Fred, and Flickr have higher quality than those linked here.

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


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.

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Nelson Barnes in Elmira?

Is he my Nelson Barnes?

Roberts Research
Roberts-Barnes Line
In the News
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.“In the News” is my reporting of discovered newspaper articles and advertising regarding ancestors I am researching. NYS Historic Newspapers is one of my favorite websites. I am trying to see if my grandmother, Madonna Montran (aka Donna Montran, Donna Darling, Donna Clark, & Donna Kees), has a new article posted from her time in New York. I also like to occasionally find out if another ancestor of mine might be in the NYS Historic Newspapers. Today, I took a look for Nelson Barnes, my 2nd great-grandfather.

Nelson was born in 1816 in Broome County, New York. He married Mercy Elizabeth Taft on 31 October 1939 in New York. He and Mercy moved to Sullivan County, Indiana, before 1842. So my search criteria were Nelson Barnes (words within five words of each other), after 1815, and before 1843.

My Search of NYS Historic newspapers found 18 results. Fourteen of them were false hits, but four were of interest. They related to two instances of letters remaining in the post office.

The first was on 14 October 1823. My Nelson was only about seven years old in 1823. It is unlikely he was in Monroe County. The second instance was a Nelson Barnes, whose mail was at Elmira, NY. My Nelson was 22 when the mail went undelivered. He married shortly after that, so the idea that Nelson was in or near Elmira is possible.

The information found in newspapers often raises questions and more areas for research areas, and this is no exception. Indeed, I’ve known there were other Nelson Barneses, one in Steuben County, NY, and another in Delaware County. Does this mean there was another Nelson Barnes in Tioga County, or did my Nelson live there for a while? I still haven’t found Nelson in the 1840 Census. Finding him possibly in Tioga County could lead to greater understanding of his migration to Indiana.

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Donna Darling Collection – Part 96

Two clippings and three photos

Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.For this week’s Treasure Chest Thursday, I’m looking at two clippings and three photos from two pages of the Donna Darling Collection.

Clipping 1

First is a clipping showing that Donna Darling Revue played at the Liberty Theater. The clipping did not include a date or a location.

Image of a newspaper clipping showing Donna Darling playing at the Liberty Theatre. show.

Clipping showing Liberty Theatre show.

Bright Show is Promised for Saturday

Liberty Offers Much Variety in Vaudeville Bill Coming This Week; Beauty of Note Booked

SOMETHING entertaining in vaudeville is promised by the Liberty theatre Saturday night. The management makes this report of the show:

“Recollections of famous beauty contests are revived with the presentation of the Donna Darling Revue, the headline act. Miss Darling was the winner of the Madison Square Garden beauty competition in New York city a few years ago and was afterwards featured in musical comedy. Others in this exceptional cast are Sammy Clark, the Juvenile Komik, Barring and Lazur and Hal Dixon who present a routine of songs and dances interspersed with comedy. Special stage settings and beautiful costumes enhance the beauty of the act, making it one of song, dance and fun.

“Billy Curtis,” a song writer….

I’ve encountered Babe Berring and Steve Lazur before.[i] However, I know virtually nothing about them outside of their being part of Donna’s 1926 revue.

It is always great to find the exact clipping in an online newspaper. It confirmed the location and date of Donna’s revue. In this case, Newspapers.Com includes the same clipping from page two of the Morning Olympian (Olympia, WA) dated Friday, 12 Nov 1926. That clipping proves the show was performed in Olympia, Washington, on November 13th.

Key features:

  • The venue is the Liberty Theater – “Direction Pacific Northwest Theaters, Inc.
  • The bill included five “Orpheum Jr. Circuit” shows.
  • The Donna Darling Revue included Sammy Clark, [Babe] Barring, [Steve] Lazur, and Hal Dixon.
  • Also on bill
    • Billy Curtis and Lou Lawrence in “Is This the Custom.”

 

Clipping 2

The second clipping shows the Donna Darling Revue played at the Rivoli Theater. No date nor location is included.

Newspaper clipping showing that Donna Darling played at the Rivoli theatre with Sammy Clark.Donna Darling Revue Crest of Rivoli Bill

Sammy Clark, the “anesthetic dancer” with the Donna Darling Revue, is the brightest spot on the Rivoli bill this week. Sammy is one of those untamed spirits who dance for the pure joy of expression. His costume, a cloud of pink unmentionables, is peculiarly fit for his wild spirit.

Donna Darling herself is a pretty miss with a nice voice for ballads. The rest of the company consists of an excellent pair of dancers and a whistling comedian. It is a clever act, and well staged.

Curtis and Lawrence….

This is likely a clipping from Donna’s show at Grants Pass or Portland, Oregon. Both cities had theaters named Rivoli[ii]. On Tuesday, November 1st, Donna was in Chico, California. Grant’s Pass is only about 30 miles from Medford, where she played on November 3rd. So the notion that she may have played Grants Pass on the 2nd makes sense. Likewise, the show played at the Rivoli theater in Portland from November 6th to the 8th. A review of the Portland papers at the time failed to find this article.

Key features:

  • The venue is the Rivoli Theater –
  • The bill included the movie “Laddie” and five “vaudeville shows:
    • Donna Darling Revue (with Sammy Clark).
    • Curtis and Lawrence in “Is That the Custom”
    • Morell and Elynor (roller skating)
    • Princess Winona
    • Zuhn and Dreis

Photo #1 – Donna & Two Men

Photo showing Donna Darling with two young men, certainly brothers, possibly twins.

Donna Darling with two young men.

This photo shows Donna with two young men—certainly brothers and possibly twins. I’ve seen photos of the two men previously with Russell as a child[iii], so the photo must be from 1929 or 1930.


Photo #2 – Donna & Wing Dress

Donna Darling in "wing dress."

Donna Darling in “wing dress”

This photo shows Donna in one of many costumes. I call it her “wing dress.” It is quite lovely.


Photo #3 – Sammy and Russell

Photo of Sammy "Clark" Amsterdam and his son, Russell Amsterdam (later Kees), circa 1934

Photo of Sammy and Russel.

This photo is of Sammy and Russell circa 1929. Although the picture is damaged and in bad shape, I like it because Sammy is showing great pleasure looking at his son.


Followup Actions

I set up alerts on Newspapers and Genealogy Bank and shortcuts to Newspaper Archives and Chronicling America to look for “Donna Darling” Rivoli regularly.

Sources

[i] See Donna Darling Collection – Part 91Donna Darling Collection – Part 91, Donna Darling Collection – Part 90, Donna Darling Collection – Part 89, Donna Darling Collection – Part 55, and Donna Darling Collection – Part 40.

[ii] Internet – Cinema Treasures – Search for “Rivoli” Theaters in Oregon: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/oregon?q=Rivoli&status=all. Accessed 10 May 2023.

[iii] See Donna Darling Collection – Part 75 and Donna Darling Collection – Part 54.

 

 

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