SHS Photo Collection – Part 010
By Don Taylor
I have long enjoyed photographs of school classes. They offer a rare glimpse into everyday life, capturing not only faces from the past but also the rhythms of education, community, and childhood in earlier generations. The Scarborough Historical Society holds a substantial collection of school photographs spanning many decades. In this article, I examine four such images, focusing on surnames, identifications, and what can be learned through comparison with town records, census data, and visual clues.
Black Point School Students, c. 1916
Description: This is a formal outdoor school photograph from the early 20th century, likely taken around 1915–1920. It appears to be a copy of the photograph and not an original photo.
Inscription: The back lists the students and teachers.
- Front Row (Left to Right): Elwood Harmon, Maurice Libby, Millard Fredricks, Winslow Seavey, Louis Larrabee, Walter Fredrick, Bill Googins
- 2nd Row (Left to Right): Elizabeth Newcombe, Katherine Newcombe, Mabel Libby, Charlotte Googins, Molly Pillsbury, Lois Pillsbury, Priscilla Googins, Lena Skillings, Helen Libby, Louise Bimpson
- 3rd Row (Left to Right): Arthur Emmons, Perly Meserve, Walter Bimpson, Roland Meserve, Ernest Emmons, Ben Seavey, Raymond Libby, Harold Emmons – Teacher: Bertha Newcombe
- 4th Row (Left to Right): Teacher: Jenny Harmon, Tom Seavey, Louis Larrabee, Laurence Harmon, Clyde Harmon, Fred Skillings, Leonard Emmons
Research: Several lines of evidence help establish the date of this photograph.
- Birth records indicate that the boys seated in the front row were born between 1908 and 1910, placing their apparent ages between 5 and 8 at the time the photograph was taken. This suggests a likely date range of 1915 to 1918.
- The 1920 U.S. Census shows that the first three boys in the front row—Willard (Millard), Eldred (Elwood), and Maurice—all lived on Black Point Road, supporting the likelihood that this was a neighborhood school cohort.
- The 1914 Scarborough Town Report does not list Bertha Newcombe as a teacher, but does list Jennette Harmon at Pine Point School.
- By contrast, the 1915 Town Report shows Bertha Newcombe teaching at Black Point School beginning in the fall of 1915
- Clothing styles and visible tree foliage suggest the photograph was taken in spring rather than fall. Taken together, these factors strongly support a date of spring 1916, with a reasonable range of 1915–1917.
I am confident this photo was taken between 1915 and 1917, most likely in the spring of 1916, at Black Point School.
Pine Point School Students, 1945
Description: This is a mid-20th-century class photograph from Pine Point School, clearly labeled 1945, with the teacher identified as Mrs. Cook. The photo appears to be a copy, not an original print.
Inscription: Printed labels on the photograph identify nearly every child by name, row by row, with two noted as “Unknown.”
- Back Row (Left to Right): Dotty Townsend, Harry Collins, David Collins, Dewey Thompson, Roland Collins, David Green, Carol Libby
- Middle Row (Left to Right): Lillian Townsend, Unknown, Dianne Ridlon, Ann Fogg, Jeanne Ridlon, Muriel Googins, Jane Carter, Virginia Sampson
- Front Row (Left to Right): Bruce Thurlow, June Collins, Brent Turner, Arlene Townsend, Unknown, Fred Bayley, Thelma Libby, Mary Turner, Richard Sampson
Research: This photograph is clearly dated 1945 and identifies Mrs. Cook as the teacher. Nearly all students are named directly on the image, an uncommon but invaluable feature.
The photograph is known to have originated from the Bruce Thurlow collection, providing reliable provenance, even though the print appears to be a later copy rather than an original.
Two students remain unidentified. Readers who recognize either individual are encouraged to share that information so the record may be completed.
Dunstan Grammer, 7th Grade Class, c. 1952.
Description: A formal Dunstan Grammar School, Grade VII, class photo taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s. On the wall is a sign that reads, “Our Next President.”
Inscription: None.
Research:
- This Grade VII class photograph includes a wall display reading “Our Next President.” The portraits visible do not appear to depict Harry S. Truman or Thomas E. Dewey, effectively ruling out a 1948 context. The 1952 presidential election featured Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson II.
- One of the portraits appears to be Eisenhower, while the second is less certain—possibly a second image of Eisenhower or a portrait of Stevenson. Based on this civic display and the classroom context, the photograph was most likely taken in fall 1952, after Eisenhower’s candidacy was well established but before his January 1953 inauguration.
No students in this photograph have yet been identified. Do you recognize anyone? If so, please comment below.
Scarborough High School (Oak Hill/White School) students, c. 1918-1922
Description: This large group photograph was taken in front of Scarborough High School, also known as the Oak Hill or White School.
Inscription: None
Research:
- Mr. Bessey stands in the back row, positioned directly in front of the right-hand school door, likely serving as a teacher or administrator.
- The girls’ hairstyles—long, center-parted, and pinned—are consistent with fashions prior to the widespread adoption of bobbed hair, which became common around 1922–1923.
- Clothing styles and the overall composition suggest a likely date range of 1918 to 1922.
At present, none of the students are identified.. Do you recognize anyone? If so, please comment below.
Conclusion
These four photographs span more than three decades of Scarborough’s educational history, from small neighborhood schools to larger consolidated classes. Together, they illustrate both continuity and change—classroom size, fashion, civic instruction, and community structure. While many faces are already named, others still await identification. As always, additional information from readers, family records, or town documentation is welcome to help ensure these images are preserved not only as photographs but as fully documented records of Scarborough’s past.
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