Bibber, Billings, Bixby, Blaisdell, & Blake
Photo Friday
By Don Taylor
This week for Photo Friday, I look at identifying five more negatives from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The names on the envelope are of the individual who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is important to analyze the photo and information to positively identify the photographs.[ii]
Nina Lucile Bibber – Photo ca. 1936
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Nina Bibber – 56 Paris St. Portland #776.”
There was a Nina L. Bibber, daughter of Waitstill D. and May S. Bibber during the 1930 Census living in Harpswell, Cumberland County, Maine. Nina was 9 years old during the 1930 Census.
Nina L. Bibber married Harold Valentine Smith on 29 September 1936. She appears to have married him a second time on 24 August 1940.
As such, I am confident this is Nina Lucile Bibber, daughter of Waitstell Douglass and Sarah Mae (Brown) Bibber. She was born 9 April 1919 in Harpswell and died 12 April 1994 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nina has a profile on FamilySearch, G4HH-R38. I have uploaded her two photos there.
Eva Billings – Nurse – Photo ca. 1937
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Eva Billings, St Barnabus Hospital, Portland #542.”
The 1935 and 1937 Portland City Directories list Eva Billings as a student nurse at 321 Woodford and residing at 20 Norfolk.
The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Eva Billings as a nurse at 19 Dow, apt 5 and residing at the same place.
She is not listed in the 1939 or 1940 Portland City Directories.
I have been unsuccessful in identifying Eva Billings as related to other individuals. It appears she came to Portland to become a nurse, worked shortly, and left Portland.
I have posted a photo of Eva to Dead Fred and to my Flickr page.
Donna Bixby, February 1943
The envelope this negative is in says, “Mrs. Bixby’s Baby – Feb 1943.”
The child in the photo appears to be four or five years of age.
A search of Bixby families in the 1940 Census with a child 1 to 3 years of age yielded one living in Portland. Donna Bixby, daughter of John and Harriet Bixby. They lived at 93 Oxford Street during 1940.
Donna Bixby has a profile on Family Search, GS1V-SCB and has two photos posted there. The photos on FS seem consistent to me to be the same person as in these photos. I contacted the individual who contributed the two photos to Family Search (James Shine) and he concurred it to be Donna Bixby. I have posted additional photos of Donna to my Flickr page.
Harold Blaisdell – Photo ca. 1934
The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. Harold Blaisdell – 145 A Spring St, Portland #244.”
The 1934 Portland City directory has Harold F and his wife Barbara B. Blaisdell living at 145a Spring. The 1935 city directory has them at 542½ Congress Street, apt 20 in the 1935 directory. The 1936 Directory doesn’t list Harold, but the 1937 directory puts him back to Spring Street, with a different wife, this time he and Dora I. Blaisdell are listed living at 152 Spring, Apt 11. Again, Harold doesn’t appear in the 1938 Directory, however he and Dora are at 32 University during the 1939. Finally, He and Dora appear in the 1940 Directory at 17 Tyng.
Harold and Barbara Dyer were married on 24 September 1930.
Harold and Dora I. Taylor were married on 25 June 1934.
The 1930 Census finds Harold as a 24-year-old lodger in the household of Peter Dyer. In the same household is Barbara Dyer, a 23 year-old daughter of Peter.
It appears that this is Harold Franklin Blaisdell (5 Jul 1905-1 Feb 1992) and with a Family Search ID of LRRG-7R3. I have uploaded two photos of Harold to Family Search.
Elizabeth Blake – Nurse – Photo ca. 1938
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Elizabeth Blake – Me Gen Hospital #967.”
The 1936 Portland City directory lists Elizabeth Blake as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal, residing at 22 Arsenal. She should not be confused with Mrs. Elizabeth T Blake, the wife of Freeman H. Blake. She is also listed in the 1937 and 1938 Portland directories. She is not listed in the 1939 or 1940 city directories.
The 1940 Census indicates there were 13 Elizabeth Blakes in Maine.
- Elizabeth H Blake – 17 year-old daughter of William E. and Annie M. Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – 40 year-old wife of Freeman Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake (nee Browne?) 43 year-old divorcee and daughter of Emma F. Browne.
- Elizabeth Blake – 86 year old widow living in Westbrook.
- Elizabeth Blake – 24 year-old daughter of Arthur & Huldah Blake. She had completed 4 years of high school, but was not working. Possibly her but unlikely.
- Elizabeth Blake, 16 year-old daughter of Thomas C Bake.
- Mary Elizabeth Blake – 18 year-old daughter of Carlton and Helen Blake.
- Elizabeth F Blake – 24 year-old wife of Ernest G. Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – 43 year-old wife of Leslie Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – 17 year-old daughter of Ethel Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – 22 year-old wife of Albert L. Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – 16 year-old daughter of Verna S. Blake.
- Elizabeth Blake – Baby daughter of Ernest & Barbara Blake.
Looking Nationally, the 1940 Census indicates there was
Elizabeth Blake, a 28-year-old Registered Nurse in the Brookville Hospital and Nurses Home in Brookville, Pennsylvania. Alternately, there was a 31-year-old Registered Nurse living with her mother, Mary L. Blake, in Brookville and working at Brookville Hospital. I suspect this is the same person and was enumerated twice, once with the hospital and once in her mother’s home.
So, I have two potential Elizabeth Blakes this could be, however, neither is a strong enough match for me to accept an identity match.
Conclusion
I had:
- Three successful identifications where I could post to Family Search.
- One partial identification posted to Dead Fred.
- One inconclusive identification (two potential candidates).
Final Note
If any of these photos are of a family member, I would love to hear your reaction.
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 to invert the image.
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