Photo Friday: Sturgis, Sylvester, Talbot, & Taylor

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 139
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. 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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Edward H Sylvester, circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “E. H. Sylvest__, 26 May St, #74 (Labor Union).”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 US Census lists Edward H Sylvester living at 26 May Street. He is a 77-year-old widower born in Maine and lived in the same house in 1935.
• Family Search Family Trees suggest this is Edward H Sylvester, born in September 1983 and died on April 28, 1945.

I am sure this photo of Edward was taken in 1934, when he was about 71 years old.

Ancestry has three public trees that refer to Edward H Sylvester (1863-1945). Family Search has profile LCJL-GP3 for Edward. I uploaded this photo of him to his Family Search Memories.

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Marie Germaine Antoinette Talbot, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Germaine A Talbot, 545 Cumberland #734.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 US Census lists the 36-year-old Canadian-born Germaine Talbot as a lodger at 545 Cumberland. She lived in the same house in 1935.
• The 1935, 1936 lists Germaine Talbot working as a waitress at 266 St John.
• The 1938, 1939 Portland City Directory lists Germaine as a waitress at Langley’s Union Sta.
• Maine, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1787-1991 includes a Declaration of Intention by Marie Germaine Antoinette Talbot of 545 Cumberland Ave, Portland. She was born on 12/12/1903. Her application was in 1941, and her application photo appears to be the same woman.

I am confident this is Marie Germaine Antoinette Talbot, the daughter of Wenceslas and Caroline (Veilleux) Talbot. She was born on 12 December 1903 in St. George, Québec. She died on 5 January 1946 after a long illness in Portland, Maine.

Ancestry has four public trees that refer to Germaine. Family Search has profile MW7X-QFS for Germaine. I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded a third photo of her to my Flickr Photostream.

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Emily B Taylor, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Emily Taylor, 147 Spring St #154 (℅ Smith).”

What I learned while researching this individual.

• The 1934 and 1935 Portland City Directories list Emily B Taylor living at 147 Spring. Emily is a demonstrator at 142 High.
• The 1936 and 1937 Portland City Directory list Emily living at 84 Carleton, apt 4, but or working at 142 High, rm 415. The business in rm 415 is the Bonat Method of Permanent Waving.
• Maine Birth Records list an Emily Burnes Taylor, born 18 Dec 1907 in Oakland, Kennebec County, Maine. She is the daughter of Russell and Carrie (Burness) Taylor. She married Frank Joseph Schellace in 1942.

I am not 100% confident this photo is of Emily Burnes Taylor. I would like to have found some evidence that the Emily B Taylor, who lived in Portland from 1934 to 1937, is the same Emily B Taylor who married Frank Schellace or is the same Emily who was born in Oakland, Maine.

As such, I identify the individual in these photos as Emily B Taylor, who lived in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, from 1934 to 1937. I have a photo of Emily to Dead Fred and a second photo of her to my Flickr photostream.

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Helen Talbot, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Helen Talbot, 25 South St #600.”

What I learned while researching Helen Talbot.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory does not list a Miss Helen Talbot. Kenneth J Russell lives at 25 Spring St.
• There was a Helen Talbot who married Lloyd Parker on 21 September 1935. Both were 24 years old and lived in Portland. Helen’s parents were Thomas and Alice Mae (Barry) Talbot, also of Portland.
• The 1940 US Census places Helen R Parker with her husband, Lloyd, living at 18 Alder Street. With them is Helen’s sister, Marian Talbot.

Ancestry has 23 public trees that refer to Helen Talbot, the wife of Lloyd Parker. I would like to find something that ties Helen (Talbot) Parker to 25 Spring Street or to Kenneth Russell. Because I haven’t found such a link, so I only identify the person in this photo as Miss Helen Talbot, who lived in Portland, Maine, in 1935. I uploaded a photo of Helen to Dead Fred.

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Mary Sturgis, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Mary Sturgis, 6 Cumberland Ave #206.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mary H Sturgis living at 6 Cumberland. Also, at 6 Cumberland lived George F Sturgis, his wife Margaret, and Eleanor F Sturgis.
• The 1930 US Census lists George and Margaret Sturgis living at 6 Cumberland with their two daughters, Mary & Eleanor. Mary is 15 years old. 

I am confident this is a photo of Mary Hudson Sturgis, born on 15 September 1914.

Ancestry has 21 public trees that refer to Mary Sturgis; Family Search has profile GMLB-41J for her. I uploaded a photo of Mary to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be Mary Sturgis by a great-granddaughter.

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Conclusion

I identified three people with Family Search profiles and uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Two people I identified 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

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[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.