Ethel Wight Collection – Part 144
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.
Doris Mae Tucker, Student Nurse, circa 1936.
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Doris Tucker, Me Gen Hospital #696.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Doris Tucker as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
- The 1939 Portland City Directory lists Doris M Tucker as a nurse living at 261 Vaughan.
- On 22 November 1938, Doris Mae Tucker, a registered nurse living at 261 Vaughan, Portland, Maine, married John Gosselin in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- The 1940 US Census lists Doris and John Gosselin living at 19 Hill Street in Portland; Doris is a Registered Nurse.
I am confident this photo is of Doris Mae Tucker, born 25 February 1917, taken about 1935 while attending nursing school in Portland, Maine
Ancestry has 20 public trees that refer to Doris Mae Tucker. Family Search has profile GMZ2-WKK for Doris. I have uploaded a photo of Doris to her Family Search Memories.
Confirmed to be Doris by a niece.
Joan N. Turner, circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Joanne Turner, 45 Glenwood Ave. #765.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Joan N Turner as a maid living and working at 45 Glenwood Ave.
- I have not found Joan (or Joanne) Turner in other records.
I am sure this photo is of Joan (or Joanne) Turner, who lived in Portland, Maine, in 1935. However, without fully developing her identity, I cannot determine which of several Joan Turners this could be. As such, I uploaded a photo of her to Dead Fred.
Vera York, Student Nurse, 1934.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Vera York, State St. Hospital #247.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1936 and 1937 Portland City Directories list Vera Yorke as a student nurse at 62 State (State Street Hospital).
- The Portland Evening Press, 13 November 1940, Page 6, indicates that Miss Vera L Yorke married Arthur K McDonald. Miss Yorke graduated from the State Stree Hospital School of Nursing. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl A. Yorke of Wells Beach.
I am confident this photo is of Vera L Yorke when she was a student at State Street Hospital in Portland, Maine, in 1934. She married Arthur K. McDonald in 1940.
Seven Ancestry public trees refer to Vera York, and Family Search has profile GFZ4-1T7 for her. I uploaded a photo of Vera to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded a second photo of Vera to my Flickr PhotoStream.
Vera York (or Yorke), circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Vera York, State St. Hospital #651.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- This photo is from a second photo package taken of Vera about one year later.
Again, seven Ancestry public trees refer to Vera York, and Family Search has profile GFZ4-1T7 for her. I uploaded this photo of Vera to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded two more photos of Vera to my Flickr PhotoStream. (Photo 1 – Photo 2)
Elizabeth and Beverley Tuck, circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. W. J. Tucker, 68 Maine Ave. No Deering #992.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
- The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Wallace J Tuck, Jr. as living at 68 Maine Avenue. His wife is Chorenia I Tuck.
- The 1940 US Census lists Wallace J and Chorenia I Tuck living at 355 Woodfords Ave. They have two daughters, 11-year-old Beverly, and 10-year-old Elizabeth.
This photo, taken about 1935, shows Beverley Marie Tuck (born 27 May 1929) and Elizabeth Chorenia Tuck (born 24 April 1930) when they were about six and five years old.
Ancestry has seven public trees that refer to Beverley Marie Tuck; 11 Ancestry public trees refer to Elizabeth Chorenia Tuck. Family Search has profile GN1D-5M9 for Beverley and profile G71Y-KRH for Elizabeth. I have uploaded this photo of them to their Family Search Memories.
Confirmed to be the Tuck sisters by a granddaughter.
Conclusion
- I identified all six individuals in these photo packages. Five have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. One I did not fully identify, so I uploaded her photo to Dead Fred. I also uploaded three photos to my Flickr Photostream.
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.
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.
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