Author Archives: Don Taylor
Faces from the Past – The Portland Men’s Singing Club at Poland Spring (1919)
A remarkable 1919 panoramic photograph shows members of the Portland Men’s Singing Club and their guests gathered at Poland Spring, Maine. Taken just months after the end of World War I, the image captures a moment of renewed civic life and fellowship. Can you help identify the individuals in this historic group photograph? Continue reading
Posted in Linwood Dyer Collection, Maine History, Faces from the Past
Tagged T H Merritt photographer, panoramic photograph, Portland Maine History, historic group photograph, Maine music history, Portland History, Maine choral societies, Poland Spring Maine, Poland Spring House, Portland Mens Singing Club, Portland civic organizations, Maine social clubs, 1919 Maine
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Faces from the Past – Cole, Dyer, Hersey, Quimby, & Sawyer
This installment of Faces from the Past examines five photographs from the Linwood Dyer Collection. Through inscriptions, studio imprints, and genealogical research, several individuals connected to the extended Dyer family of Cape Elizabeth and Portland, Maine, can be identified, including Brainard Dyer, Eleanor B. (Dyer) Cole, Henry Hersey, Mary Weeks (Quimby) Dyer, and Eva Beatrice Sawyer. Continue reading
Posted in Scarborough Historical Society and Museum, Linwood Dyer Collection, Genealogy Research, Faces from the Past
Tagged Portland Maine Photographers, Cole family, Hersey family, Dyer family, Sawyer family, South Portland Maine history, Cape Elizabeth Maine families, Maine genealogy, H M Smith photographer Portland Maine, Quimby family, Cabinet Cards, Lamson photographer Portland Maine, Linwood Dyer Collection
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Faces from the Past – Plummer-Roberts (& Hunnewell &Mains)
This installment of Faces from the Past examines three final photographs from the Plummer-Roberts album in the Linwood Dyer Collection. The images include a childhood tintype of Nellie (Plummer) Roberts, an unidentified Mary Mains CDV from Portland, and a possible portrait of Mary “Polly” Hunnewell of Scarborough. Each photograph is analyzed for dating, identification, and family context. Continue reading
Posted in Linwood Dyer Collection, Faces from the Past
Tagged ferrotype portrait, Linwood Dyer Collection, carte de visite CDV, Nellie Plummer Roberts, Mary Mains, Plummer family, Hunnewell family, Mains family, Sarah Elizabeth Plummer Wright, Roberts family, Scarborough Maine genealogy, Polly Hunnewell, Geo E Brown photographer
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“The Scintillating Beauty”: Donna Darling’s Week at Jackson’s Capitol Theatre, 1926
In March 1926, Donna Darling and her “Little Jewel Revue” appeared for a full week at the Capitol Theatre in Jackson, Michigan. Featuring split bills of motion pictures and vaudeville, the engagement included glowing press notices and a locally promoted Bathing Girl Contest arrainged and conducted by Donna. Continue reading
Donna Darling in Rochester, NY: “Chin Chin” at the Lyceum, March 4th-6th, 1920
In March 1920, Donna Darling appeared at Rochester’s Lyceum Theatre in the touring musical comedy Chin Chin. Cast as the Goddess of the Light, Donna performed in a major Charles Dillingham production during its return engagement. Contemporary newspaper coverage highlights the scale, spectacle, and national reach of the show, providing valuable context for Donna’s early professional stage career. Continue reading
Posted in In the news, Vaudeville
Tagged musical comedy, Charles Dillingham, Rochester New York, theatrical revivals, Chin Chin, American theatre 1920, Donna Darling, Walter Wills, Roy Binder, touring productions, stage performers, early twentieth century theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Goddess of the Light, Vaudeville Performers
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