Curry, Cutter, Fields, Fitts, & Todd

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

This week for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily 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.

Charles Nelson Cutter, circa 1936.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. Chas Cutter, Union Mutual Insurance Co, Portland #505.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• • The Nashua Telegraph (Nashua, NH), dated 2 May 1961, page 13, had an article, “Cutter is Honored at Reception Here.” The article indicated that Charles N. Cutter was honored at a dinner for being the manager of the Nashua agency of the Union Mutual Life Insurance company. It also says that before taking over the Nashua agency for the company, he was with the Home Office in Portland, ME, as assistant to the president. This article confirms the spelling of his name and position with the firm.
  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Charles N (Esther M) Cutter as the asst supt UMLICo 396 Congress, residing at Falmouth.
  • The 1935 Bowdoin College Alumni Directory indicates that Charles N Cutter, class of 1926, lived on Edgewater Rd., Falmouth Foreside. He worked in insurance in Portland, ME.
  • The 1940 US Census enumerated Charles N Cutter, age 36, born in Massachusetts, living with his wife, Esther N. Cutter, in Nashua, Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

Family Search identifies Charles Nelson Cutter, born 5 March 1904, and wife of Esther Mitchell as ID LK14-1K6. 21 Ancestry trees refer to Charles Nelson Cutter.

I have uploaded two photos of Charles Nelson Cutter to his Family Search Memories. I also uploaded three additional pictures to my Flickr photostream.

Update: Confirmed by a first cousin, once removed, to be Charles Nelson Cutter.

Confirmed by a grandson to be Charles Nelson Cutter. 

Richmond & Spencer Fitts, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Edith Fitts, 132 Bradley St, Portland.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• • The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Edith S. Fitts, a secretary at 602a Congress, room 204, residing at 132 Bradley.
  • The 1940 US Census enumerated Edith Fitts, the wife of Lyman R. Fitts, living at 132 Bradley Street with two sons, Richmond Fitts, age 14, and Spencer Fitts, age 9.
  • This photo does not have a number, so the relative date of the photo package is unknown; however, if it were taken about 1936, that would suggest Richmond as about ten and Spencer about 5. Those ages fit my interpretation of the ages of the two boys.
  • Richmond Osgood Fitts was born 14 June 1925; Spencer B. Fitts was born 6 June 1930.

Family Search identifies Richmond Fitts, born 15 June 1925 to Lyman and Edith (Briggs) Fitts, as ID LX37-295. Family Search also identifies Spencer B. Fitts as ID LJRF-C1J. Richmond Fitts is found in two Ancestry trees. Spencer B. Fitts is found in the same two Ancestry trees.

I have uploaded two photos of the two boys to their Family Search Memories. I also uploaded one additional photo to my Flickr photostream.

Emelia Fields, circa 1935

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. J. H. Fields, 73 Federal St., Portland #732.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 Portland City Directory lists Joseph H. and Mary J. Fields living at 73 Federal.
• The 1940 US Census lists Joseph H. and Mary J. Fields also living at 73 Federal. Living with them are five children, including 5-year-old Emelia Fields.

Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Emelia Fields. Ancestry Family Trees do not appear to include Emelia either. However, her father, Joseph Henry Fields, appears in 36 Ancestry trees.

The packages included this photo. There was a second photo of Emelia that I have uploaded to Dead Fred.

Confirmed by family members in Maine that this is Emelia/Amelia/”Great Aunt Mimi.”

Leda (Gallant) Curry, circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Ralph Curry, 19 Sherman St, Portland #319.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• • I reviewed Mr. Ralph Curry in Part 38 of this series. This photo set included one photo of Ralph and his wife. The other photo in this package was of his wife, Marie Leda Gallant. Leda was 28-years-old during the 1940 Census.

Family Search identifies Leda Gallant, the daughter of Adolph and Alice (St. Pierre) Gallant, as ID G76Q-4C1. There are 49 Ancestry trees that refer to Marie Leda Gallant.

I have uploaded a photo of Ralph and Leda Curry and a single photo of Leda to her Family Search Memories.

Marilyn Lorraine Todd, circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. William A. Field, 9 Cummingham St, Portland #504.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• • 

    Marilyn Lorraine Todd, circa 1934

    The 1935 Portland City Directory lists William A. and Florence Field living at 9 Cummings.

  • William and Florence may have had four children between 1913 and 1916. This child is an infant in a photo taken about 1935, so the image must be one of a grandchild.
  • The 1940 Census indicates that William and Florence were living at 54 Florida Ave. Living with them is their daughter Olive Todd and their six-year-old granddaughter, Marilyn L. Todd.
  • Marilyn Lorraine Todd’s marriage certificate indicates she lived at 54 Florida Ave, and her parents were Herold J. Todd and Olive LaVerne Field.
  • I am confident this is a photo of Marilyn about 1934 when she was about one year old.

Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Marilyn Lorraine Todd (1933-2008). However, she appears in 12 Ancestry family trees.

I have added her photo to Dead Fred.

Conclusion

• I fully identified four individuals that I could post their photos to Family Search
• I also identified two individuals whose photos I posted to Dead Fred because they did not appear to have Family Search profiles.
• Five of the individuals appear in Ancestry Family Trees.

Final Note

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

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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.