Adams, Coffin, James, Russell, & Stevens
Photo Friday
LDC Part 063
Portland, Maine
Scarborough, Maine
By Don Taylor
This treasured artifact from the Linwood D. Dyer Photo Collection[i] contains 32 pages of historical photographs, primarily cabinet cards, plus one loose photograph. Not all pages include photos, and not all images include identifying information. Remarkably well-preserved, the album offers a glimpse into Portland, Maine, during the 1890s.
Initial examination suggests that these images capture individuals and moments from late 19th-century Portland society. The collection’s significance extends beyond its historical value—it represents an opportunity to connect these photographs with descendants who may have never seen these visual records of their ancestors.
My mission is to facilitate these meaningful reunions, share these images with relatives, and help modern generations discover their visual heritage.
Isabel May James, 1893.
Image: Page 5a – Cabinet Card – size 6½ x 4¼”.
Photographer: Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME. The studio was at this address from 1892 to 1910.
Identification: Handwritten on the back of the card is “Isa May James ’93.”
Review:
- The 1880 US Census lists Isabel M James, the daughter of Caroline H James, living in Deering Town (Portland), Maine, with her two siblings, Lillie and Edward James.
- Ancestry Family Trees suggest this is Isa May James (1876-1927).
Alice Gertrude Russell, 1893.
Image: Page 5b – Cabinet Card – size 6½ x 4¼.”
Photographer: Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME. The studio was at this address from 1892 to 1910.
Identification: Handwritten on the back of the card is “Alice G Russell, Class of ’93.”
Review:
Maine Vital Records (1670-1921) identify an Alice G. Russell, born in East Deering, Mwwdcve on Feb.2, 1875, to William and Mary C. (Congdon) Russell, who lived on Veranda Street.
Ancestry Family Trees suggest this is Alice Gertrude Russell (1875-1967).
Sarah Whitman Adams, 1893
Image: Page 6a – Cabinet Card – size 6½ x 4¼.”
Photographer: Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME. The studio was at this address from 1892 to 1910.
Identification: Handwritten on the back of the card is “Sarah Whitman Adams, February 3, Class of ’93.”
Review:
Sarah Whitman Adams was born on February 3, 1874, to John Milton Adams (1819-1897) and Adele Sophronie (Hobbs) Adams (1842-1917). She had four siblings:
- Susan Merrill Adams (1870-1932)
- John Milton Adams, Jr. (1877-1892)
- Adele Adams (1880-1916)
- Charles Henry Adams (1883-1944)
She married Henry Fred Hooper (1875-1960), and they had two children:
- Anna Putnam Hooper (1895-___)
- Constance Hooper (1913-2002)
She died on July 20, 1970, in Scarborough, Maine.
Herbert Atwood Coffin, 1893.
Image: Page 6b – Cabinet Card – size 6½ x 4¼.”
Photographer: Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME. The studio was at this address from 1892 to 1910.
Identification: Handwritten on the back of the card is “D.H.S. – Bert A. Coffin – ’93.”
Review:
The Portland Daily Press, dated December 22, 1892, page 3, listed Bert Coffin as a pallbearer at the funeral of John M. Adams, Jr., son of Colonel John M. Adams in Deering.
The Portland Daily Press, dated November 29, 1893, page 5, mentioned that Miss Martha Hawes and Mr. Bert Coffin were (musical) soloists at Lewis Hall, Woodfords, under the auspices of the Deering High School.
The Portland Daily Press, dated December 7, 1893, page 3, mentioned that Mr. Bert A. Coffin sang again at Lewis Hall, Woodfords. The parts were all given by scholars or graduates of Deering High School.
The Portland Daily Press, dated December 11, 1895, page 6, reported that Bert Coffin, a graduate of the Deering High School, is expecting to go to South Africa as a sailor.
The Portland Daily Press, dated September 9, 1896, page 6, Deering Column, indicated that Mr. Bert Coffin, High Street, has accepted a position with Mr. Schlosberg, the furrier of Portland.
The 1895 Portland City Directory lists Herbert A Coffin as a clerk who boarded at 12 High. Henry C Coffin was also at 12 High, Woodfords.
Family Search has profile KH1F-LSS for Herbert Atwood Coffin, the son of Henry Cleveland Coffin (1848-1919) and Alice Margaretta (Gegenheimer) Coffin (1850-1906). Herbert was born March 27, 1875, in Portland. Herbert had four siblings:
- Bessie R Coffin (1870-1941)
- Carl Cleveland Coffin (1872-1957)
- Susie G Coffin (1877-1963)
- Harold Wilhelm Coffin (1891-1972)
Herbert died in Michigan in 1954.
Nellie Maud Stevens, 1893
Image: Page 4b – Cabinet Card – size 6½ x 4¼.”
Photographer: Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME. The studio was at this address from 1892 to 1910.
Identification: Handwritten on the back of the card is “Nellie Maud Stevens, ’93.”
Review:
The Portland Daily Press, dated June 20, 1893, page 5, identifies Nellie Maud Stevens as presenting an essay during the Deering High School graduating exercises.
My further research failed to determine Nellie’s parents, spouse, or other information other than that she graduated from Deering High School.
Conclusion:
This album has five additional, unlabeled photos on pages one through six. They are all Longfellow Gallery and appear to have been taken at the same time (1893). The photos have been uploaded to my Flickr Photostream.
I would be delighted to hear from you if you recognize these individuals.
Please feel free to incorporate these photographs into your genealogical research, citing “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”
Endnotes:
[i] Scarborough Historical Society Accession number: 2025.02.22
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