Photo Friday – Pulkin, Putnam, Quimby, & Quinn

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 122
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 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.

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Elsie Pulkin, (later Anderson) circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Elsie Pulkin, 792 Congress St #512.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Elsie L Pulkin residing at 792 Congress.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory indicates that Elsie L Pulkin married Warren Anderson.
• Family Search indicates that Elsie Lempi Pulkkinen married Lars Warren Anderson on 4 December 1934 in Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire. Elsie was born on 12 August 1909 in Hancock, Michigan.
• According to New Hampshire Marriage and Divorce Records, Elsie and Warren resided in Portland, Maine, and were 25 years old.
• Ancestry public trees indicate that Else Pulkenen married Lars Warren Anderson.
• It appears clear that various researchers found Elsie’s names as Elsie, Elsa, and Else in multiple records. Her surname was also spelled Pulkin, Pulkkinen, and Pulkenen.

I am sure this photo is of Elsie Pulkin about 1934, shortly before her marriage to Warren Anderson.

I have not found Elsie directly referred to using Ancestry tree search algorithms; however, I have found her husband, Lars Warren Anderson, in 24 public Ancestry trees. Two of those trees refer to Else or Elsie. Family Search has profile G49C-C5X for Elsie Lempi Pulkkinen. I have uploaded a photo of Elsie to her Family Search Memories.

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Nurse Kathryn Quinn, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Kathryn Quinn – St Barnabas Hospital #925.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Kathryn M Quinn as a student nurse at 231 Woodford (St. Barnabas Hospital).
• The 1940 US Census lists Catherine Quinn, a 23-year-old Maine-born nurse, lodging at 1 Grant in Portland.

Alternate Individuals.

• Do not confuse with Katherine L Quinn, the superintendent of nurses at Portland City Hall.
• Do not confuse with Catherine M Quinn, the wife of Edward P Quinn.
• Do not confuse with Katherine W Quinn, who in the 1940 US Census is the 55-year-old mother of three children living at 75 Clinton Street, Portland.

I have not found Kathryn M Quinn in Ancestry trees. Likewise, Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Kathryn M Quinn, born about 1916 in Maine. I uploaded a photo of Kathryn to Dead Fred.

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Marie Quimby, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Marie Quimby, ME Gen Hospital #907.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Marie Quimby as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
• The 1939 Portland City Directory lists Marie E. Quimby as a graduate nurse at 46 Bramhall.
• Maine Marriage Index indicates that Marie E Quimby married Cedric H Thomas on 6 Dec 1940.

I am confident this is Marie Edna Quimby, born 28 Mar 1915 in Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine, and married Cedric Thomas on 6 Dec 1940.

Ancestry has 18 public trees that refer to Marie Edna Quimby. Family Search has profile GMPN-DDH for Marie. I uploaded two photos of Marie to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be Marie by a niece.

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Walter and Carrie (née Danico) Putnam, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mr & Mrs. Walter Putnam, 13 E Kidder St #978.”

Why I believe this to be these individuals.

• The 1940 US Census lists Walter A and Carrie F Putnam living at 13 Kidder Street, Portland, Maine. Walter is 69 and Carrie is 66.
• Ancestry Family Trees suggest this is Walter Adelbert Putnam, born 31 Oct 1870 in Nashua, New Hampshire, and his wife, Carrie Frances (Danico) Putnam. Carrie was born on 5 Jun 1873 in Benton, Maine.

I am sure this photo is of Walter and Carrie in 1935 when they were about 64 and 61 years old.

Ancestry has ten public trees that refer to Walter Adelbert Putnam; 15 trees refer to Carrie Frances Danico. Family Search has profile 9MS4-J8C for Walter and profile G452-DV6 for Carrie F Denaco. I have uploaded two photos of the couple to their Family Search Memories.

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Carolyn May Putnam, circa 1936 (age 2) 

This negative envelope says, “Mr. Harold Putnam, 13 Kidder St #1031.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 US Census places Walter A Putnam as the head of household living at 13 Kidder. Living with him is his wife, Carrie, son Alfred H Putnam, daughter-in-law Gladys S Putnam, and five-year-old granddaughter Carolyn M Putnam. Carolyn was born in Massachusetts, while Carrie, Alfred, and Gladys were born in Maine.
• Ancestry Trees suggest that Harold Alfred Putnam, son of Walter and Carrie (Danico) Putnam, was born on 14 Jan 1900. They also suggest that Carolyn May Putnam was born in May 1934 in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

This photo was taken in 1936 when Carolyn was about two years old.

An Ancestry search for Carolyn May Putnam, born in Massachusetts in 1934, fails to return any results. However, her father, Harold Arnold Putnam, born 14 Jan 1900 in Fairfield, Maine, appears in 10 public trees. One of those trees refer to his daughter Carolyn, but probably in error. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Carolyn May Putnam either. As such, I uploaded a photo of Carolyn to Dead Fred.

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Conclusion

I identified all six individuals. Four 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.

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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.