Kitchen, Knight(2), Konan, & Korpinen

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 of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] My goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Bertha Ellen Korpinen, Nurse, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Bertha Korpinen, Me Gen Hospital #685.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Bertha Korpinen, a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).

The 1940 Census lists Bertha Korpinen as a 26-year-old Registered Nurse working in Private Duty. She lived in “Same Place: in 1935 and was born in Maine.

Ancestry family trees suggest there were two different Burtta Korpinenm, both born about 1915.

• Burtta V Korpinen, daughter of Matti and Kaaisa Korpinen. This Bertha married John Scantz in 1935 and lived in Holden, MA, in 1935 and 1940.
• Bertha Ellen Korpinen, daughter of Onni and Ida Korpinen. She married Roger Standard in 1949. She died, and her obituary says she graduated in 1938 as an R.N. from Maine General Hospital.

This is a photo of Bertha Ellen Korpinen about 1936.

Ancestry has 12 public trees that refer to Bertha; Family Search has profile GQR9-LJT for Bertha Ellen Korpinen.  I have uploaded her photo to her Family Search Memories.

Madeline Genevra McDonald Knight, circa 1935

This negative envelope says, “Miss Madeline Knight, 23 Lafayette St. #270.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

The 1940 Census lists Madeline Knight, the 21-year-old daughter of Albert and Blanche Knight, living with her parents at 23 Lafayette.

The 1930 Census lists Madeline McD Knight as the 12-year-old Adopted Daughter of Albert and Blanche Knight. It indicates she and her mother were born in Maine, but her father was born in Canada (English). Albert and Blanche were both born in Maine.

Madeline Genevra MacDonald’s birth record indicates she was born on 17 Apr 1917. Her father is Albert William Knight, and her mother is Blanche Peaks.

This photo is of Madeline Genevra MacDonald Knight about 1935 when she was about 18 years old.

Ancestry has two public trees that refer to Madeline Knight;  Family Search has profile LZXY-218 for Madeline Genevra Knight. So, I  have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded a third photo of her to my Flickr Photostream. 

Jadwiga Antonina “Veno” Konan, 1936

This negative envelope says, “Miss Veno Konan, 39 Summer St. #1074.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

The 1936 Portland High School yearbook has a photo of Jadwiga Antonina Konan, aka “Veno,” that is clearly the same young woman. She is even wearing the same sweater.

Ancestry Family Trees indicate Jadwiga Antonia “Veno” Konan was born 30 Sep 1918 to Ignacy and Antonia (Yonaskeviza) Konan.

This is a photo of “Veno” in 1936.

Ancestry has nine public trees that refer to Veno; Family Search has profile L1XK-8NK for Jadwiga Antonina Konan. I uploaded two photos of Veno to her Family Search Memories and a third photo of Veno to my Flickr photostream. 

Ronald Harold Knight, circa 1936 (Age 5)

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Harold Knight, 23 Ocean Ave, #1067.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

The 1936 Portland City Directory indicates that Harold E and Leona M Knight lived at 23 Ocean. Harold was a barber at Elite Barber Shop, 272a Congress.

The 1940 Census finds Harold and Lucille separated. Leona is boarding with Sydney & Phyllis Hancock on Adler Street in Portland. Harold Ellsworth Knight and his son, Ronald Harold Knight, live with Harold’s mother, Gertrude (Barter) Hutchins, at 27 Federal Street in Brunswick, ME.

This is a photo of Ronald Harold Knight about 1936 when he was about five years old.

Ancestry has 22 public trees that refer to Ronald Harold Knight; Family Search has profile LRW5-1KQ for Ronald. I uploaded one photo of him to his Family Search Memories, which joined two other photos of him.

Confirmed to be Ronald Harold Knight by a child of his.

Jacqueline Harriett Kitchen, circa 1935

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. John Kitchen, Loring Ave. #570.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

The 1934 Portland City Directory lists John Kitchen living with his wife Florina at 16 Loring Ave, Portland.

The 1940 Census lists John and “Florence” Kitchen living at 8 Grammer Road in Portland. With them is their 10-year-old daughter, Jacqueline.

Jacqueline Harriett Kitchen’s marriage record confirms her parents were John Robert Kitchen and Florina

This is a photo of Jacqueline Harriett Kitchen about 1935.

Ancestry has no public trees that refer to Jacqueline Harriet Kitchen or her parents. Family Search does not have a profile for Jacqueline, So I have added Jacqueline’s photo to Dead Fred. Jacqueline’s parents, John and Florina (Murray) Kitchen, do have profiles on Family Search. They are G3VV-9WB and G3VN-KDX, respectively.

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 Conclusion

• I fully identified all five Four of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories.
• I identified one individual that did not have a Family Search profile nor appeared in Ancestry trees, so I posted her image to Dead Fred.

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.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search, Dead Fred, and Flickr have a higher image quality than the images linked here.

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

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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.