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 typically contain the name 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.
Adelia Payer (née LeGassey), circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. James Payer, 238 Danforth St #383.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1935 Portland City Directory lists James E and Adelia A Payer living at 238 Danforth.
- The 1940 US Census places James E and Delia A Payer living at 9 Wescott, Portland. James is 39 years old and was born in New Hampshire.
I am confident this is Adelia Agnes Lagasse, born about 5 January 1900 in Richmond, Maine. She married James A Payer Adelia A “Delia” Legasse Payer on 5 Jan 1933. His parents were Joseph and Adelle (Lessor) Le Gassey.
Ancestry has 28 public trees that refer to Adelia A LaGasse, (1900-1981). Family Search has profile MWN8-PM4 for Adelia Agnes Legassey (1900-1981). I uploaded this photo of Adelia to her Family Search Memories.
James E Payer, circa 1934.
This negative envelope says, “Mr. James Payer, 14 Winter St #274.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1934 Portland City Directory lists James E Payer, a seaman on the USLHS Ilex residing at 14 Winter with his wife Adelia A. The US Light House Service (USLHS) Ilex was a buoy/lighthouse tender.
- The 1940 US Census places James E and Delia A Payer living at 9 Wescott, Portland. James is 39 years old and was born in New Hampshire.
I am confident this is James E Payer, born about 1901 in New Hampshire. He married Adelia A “Delia” Legasse Payer on 5 Jan 1933. His parents were Charles and Laura (Alexander) Payer.
Ancestry has 13 public trees that refer to James E Payer (1901-1959). Family Search has profile MCFB-BG6 for _James E Payer (1900-1959). I uploaded one photos of James to his Family Search Memories.
Donald, Betty, and Winston Payne circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Frank W Payne, 150 Percival St, #860.”
Why I believe this to be these individuals.
- The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Frank W and A Elizabeth Payne living at 150 Percival.
- The 1940 US Census lists Frank W, A Elizabeth and their Children, Betty A and F Winston Jr living at 150 Percival. Betty is 14 and F Winston is nine.
- Ancestry Family Trees suggest that Frank Winston and Alice “Elizabeth” (Davis) Payne had three children.
- Donald born 1 April 1925.
- Betty Marilyn (A) born about 1926 in Somerville, Mass.
- F. Winston Payne, Jr., born 6 March 1931.
I am confident this photo, which was taken about 1935, is of Donald (11), Betty (10), and Winston (4) Payne.
Ancestry has seven public trees that refer to Donald Davis Payne; one tree refers to Betty Marilyn Payne, and 15 trees refer to Frank Winston Payne. Family Search has profile LLMC-8P4 for Donald Davis Payne, profile LLMC-8B9 for Betty Marilyn Payne, and profile LLMC-D7N for F. Winston Payne, Jr. I have uploaded a photo of them to their Family Search Memories.
Confirmed to be Donald Davis Payne by a daughter.
Confirmed to be F Winston Pane by a daugher.
Confirmed to be Betty Payne by a niece.
Shirley Payson, Nurse, circa 1935.
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Shirley Payson, Me Gen Hospital #524.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Shirley Payson as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
- The 1939 Portland City Directory lists that Shirley Payson, a nurse, married Norman W Kimball.
- The 1940 US Census lists Norway W Kimball and his 25-year-old wife, Shirley, living at 17 Hill. Shirley is a Registered Nurse who was born in Maine. Her mother, Bertha Payson is also living with them.
I am quite certain these photos are of Shirley Elizabeth Payson, born 1 April 1915 in Warren, Knox County, Maine, to Virgil Taylor and Bertha (Oxton) Payson.
Ancestry has 23 public trees that refer to Shirley Elizabeth Payson (1915-1977). Family Search has profile L2P8-K63 for Shirley E Payson (1915-1977). I uploaded two photos of Shirley to her Family Search Memories.
Walter & Judith Payson circa 1936.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. W. Mayo Payson, 43 Sheffield St #1023.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1935 Portland City Directory lists W Mayo and Alma R Payson living at 43 Sheffield.
- The 1940 US Census lists Walter Mayo and Alma Payson living at 43 Shaffield Street. With them are children, Walter age 6 and Judith, age 4.
I am confident this photo, taken about 1936, is of Walter when he was about three and Judith about one.
I have not found Walter (Jr.?) in any Ancestry trees. However, his sister Judith L Payson (later Baker) appears in four Ancestry Public Trees. She was born 4 May 1935.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for either Walter or Judith Payson, so I uploaded this photo of them photo to Dead Fred.
Conclusion
- I fully identified all eight individuals. Six 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 but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted her image to Dead Fred, her brother did not appear in Ancestry trees, so his image is also posted 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.
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.
