Faces from the Past – Hunnewell & Plummer Family Portraits (1860s–1880s)

From the Album of Nellie Plummer Roberts –
Scarborough Historical Society accession #2026.01.06.
Linwood Dyer Photo Collection – Part 090
By Don Taylor

A small group of mid-19th-century photographs in the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection appears to derive from the family album of Nellie Plummer Roberts. The handwritten slips identifying “Aunt Lucy,” “Aunt Mettie,” and “Uncle Seth” reflect Nellie’s relationships to the sitters.

The portraits include Lucy Hunnewell Libby (1834–1902), Marietta “Mettie” Hunnewell Small (b. 1846), and Seth L. Plummer (1835–1916). Through studio imprints, mount styles, fashion analysis, and correlation with known birth dates, the photographs can be securely placed within a narrow chronological framework.

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Lucy Hunnewell Libby (1834–1902)

Lucy Hunnewell was born in May 1834 in Scarborough, Maine. She married on 21 November 1860 and died in Scarborough on 20 December 1902. Three portraits in the album document her across nearly twenty years of adulthood.

Tintype – c. 1864–1866

The earliest image is a mid-1860s tintype. The small iron plate format, restrained Civil War–era styling, tightly smoothed center-part hairstyle, and high collar strongly suggest a date of approximately 1864–1866. Lucy would have been about 30–32 years old. The image presents her as a young married woman in the wartime generation.

Carte de Visite – c. 1873–1875

A later portrait by Chas. W. Hearn at 518 Congress Street in Portland dates to the early-to-mid 1870s. The studio address and mount characteristics place the image between 1873 and 1875, when Lucy would have been approximately 39–41 years old. Softer hair, fuller hair, and a decorative lace collar reflect postwar fashion trends.

Carte de Visite – c. 1883–1886

A second CDV from Hearn’s later location at 514 Congress Street (Dow’s New Block) places the photograph in the mid-1880s. Lucy would have been about 49–52 years old. The darker mount with gilt lettering and mature facial features align with that period. The progression across the three portraits forms a coherent visual aging sequence and supports the identification.

Together, these images preserve a rare, multi-decade record of Lucy’s adult life in Scarborough.

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Marietta “Mettie” Hunnewell Small (1846-1923)

“Mettie,” identified in the album as “Aunt Mettie,” is a nickname for Marietta Hunnewell, born in 1846, married James Austin Small in 1868, and died in 1923. Two portraits document her in her twenties.

Carte de Visite – c. 1872–1874

A CDV by J. H. Lamson at 152 Middle Street, Portland, dates to the early-to-mid 1870s. Marietta would have been approximately 26–28 years old. Her coiffure, decorative bow with tassels, beaded choker, and ruffled sleeves are characteristic of early-1870s fashion.

Carte de Visite – c. 1874–1876

A second CDV by Chas. W. Hearn at 518 Congress Street places the image slightly later in the decade. At that time, Marietta would have been approximately 28–30 years old. Subtle facial maturation and a more structured presentation suggest a sitting separated by several years from the Lamson portrait.

The two images form a logical chronological pair and, when considered with her birth year, support the identification as Marietta “Mettie” Hunnewell Small.

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Seth L. Plummer (1835–1916)

The final photograph is a miniature “gem” tintype labeled “Uncle Seth.” Seth L. Plummer was born 30 March 1835 in Scarborough and died there in 1916.

Miniature tintypes were especially popular during the 1860s. The sitter’s pointed goatee, narrow lapels, and modest neckwear align with early-to-mid 1860s men’s fashion. If photographed between 1863 and 1866, Seth would have been approximately 28–31 years old, consistent with his appearance.

Although he lived through the Civil War era, the 1910 U.S. Census does not identify him as a survivor of Union or Confederate service. The portrait, therefore, represents him as a young civilian from Scarborough in the 1860s rather than as a soldier.

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Conclusion

Taken together, these photographs illustrate how a single family album—likely assembled by Nellie Plummer Roberts—preserves a visual record of multiple relatives across successive decades. The designations “Aunt” and “Uncle” reflect Nellie’s perspective, providing important contextual clues for identification.

The progression of photographic formats, from miniature tintype to early and later cartes de visite, mirrors broader developments in 19th-century portraiture. By correlating studio addresses, fashion details, and known birth dates, the images can be placed within a secure chronological framework. The result is a compact but meaningful visual narrative of the Hunnewell and Plummer families of Scarborough during the Civil War era and the decades that followed.

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Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting.