Trapaldi, Trevalis, Travis, Trew, & Trider

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 143
Photo Friday
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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Caroline Travis, Student Nurse, 1936.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Caroline Travis, Me. Gen. Hospital #1059.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 and 1936 Portland City Directories list Caroline Travis, a student Nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
• The 1939 Oakland section of Manning’s Waterville, Skowhegan, Fairfield, Oakland, and Winslow Main Directory for 1939 lists Caroline E Travis, a nurse in Sanford, residing on Wilson Ct.
• Maine Marriage Index indicates that Caroline E Travis of Oakland, ME, married William F Coughlin, also of Oakland, ME, on 28 January 1940.

Ancestry Family Trees suggest that this is Caroline E Traviss, born in 1916 in Maine and married William F Coughlin in 1940. And this photo, taken in 1936, of Caroline when she was about 19 years old and attending nursing school.

Ancestry has four public trees that refer to Caroline E Traviss. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Caroline, so I uploaded her photo to Dead Fred.

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June Trider, 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Junnie Trider, 25 Jackson St #251.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists June D Trider as a clerk at 532 Congress and residing at 21 Jackson.
• The 1930 US Census lists 16-year-old June D Trider living at 25 Jackson with her parents, Ralph and Alice E Trider.

This is a photo of June D Trider, who was born on 12 June 1913 in Newton, Massachusetts, taken in 1934, when she was about 20 years old.

Ancestry has ten public trees that refer to June D Trider (1913-1995). She appears in Family Search as profile GQJS-LLF. I have uploaded two photos of June to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be June Trider by a 1st cousin 3X removed.

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George Trevalis, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Mr. Geo. Trevalis #349.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists George Trevalis residing at 6 Tolman Place. He does not appear in the 1935 or 1937 City Directories.
• A George Trevallis (two l’s) appears in the 1931 Portland City Directory. Also in the 1931 directory is George Trouvalis, so it is important not to confuse the two individuals.

I have not found George in Ancestry Trees nor on Family Search. I uploaded a photo of George photo to Dead Fred.

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John Trapaldi, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mr. John Trifaldi, 65 Newbury St #672 – DSCN5056.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Antoinette, widow of Louis Tripaldi, living at 65 Newbury.
• The 1940 US Census lists 21-year-old, Maine-born John S Tripaldi living with his mother at 65 Newbury.

This photo, taken in 1935, must be of John S Tripaldi when he was 16 or 17 years old.

Ancestry has six public trees that refer to John Stephano Tripaldi, son of Antoinette (Vacchiano) Tripaldi. Family Search has profile LJRJ-5BR for John. I uploaded a photo of him to his Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be John Stephano Tripaldi by a niece of his wife.

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James Trew, circa 1934 (age 2).

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Chas A Trew, 33 Runnells St #126.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Charles A and Violet L Trew living at 33 Runnells.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory notes that Charles A Trew is a major with the Salvation Army.
• The 1940 US Census lists Charles & Violet Trew living at 1704 Cherry, Dunmore, Pennsylvania. Charles works for the Salvation Army. Living with them is their 8-year-old son, James.

I am sure this is a photo of James Trew circa 1934, when he was about a year old.

I have not found James in Ancestry trees. However, I have found his father, Capt Charles Augustus Trew, in 17 Ancestry public trees. Also, Family Search does not appear to have a profile for James, so I uploaded a photo of him to Dead Fred.

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Conclusion

Although I identified all five individuals, only two of them have Family Search profiles that I could upload their images to. The other three images I uploaded 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.