Faces from the Past – Burnham, Libby, Plummer, Roberts, & Stone

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 091
SHS Accession #2026.01.06[i]
By Don Taylor

Introduction

The Scarborough Historical Society maintains several important photographic collections documenting people, places, and events. In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine six photographs from the Linwood Dyer Collection—specifically from the Nellie Plummer Roberts album

Alvin C. Roberts (1868–1938) and Nellie A. (Plummer) Roberts (1868–1955)

Photo: circa 1898–1905
Process: Tintype (Ferrotype)
Inscription: Separate slip of paper reading, “Al & Nell Roberts.”

Alvin C. Roberts (1868–1938) and Nellie A. (Plummer) Roberts (1868–1955) ,circa 1898-1905.
Alvin and Nellie (Plummer) Roberts, circa 1898-1905.

Description

  • Dark metallic image with irregular trimmed edges (common with hand-cut tintypes).
  • A seated couple.
  • The man wears a three-piece suit consistent with late 1890s fashion and appears approximately 30–40 years old.
  • The woman wears a long dress with a fitted bodice and high collar. Her hat features an elevated crown and decorative plume (or fabric adornment), fashionable in the late 1890s and early 1900s.

Research

  • Portland Daily Press, Oct. 27, 1891, p. 4: Alvin C. Roberts and Miss Nellie A. Plummer were married in Scarborough on Oct. 24 by Rev. A. Redlon.
  • Portland Evening Express, Nov. 5, 1938, p. 14: Alvin’s obituary reports he died at his home, Elevation Farm, in Scarborough. Born in Brooks, Waldo County, Maine, he was the son of Ezra and Susan (Cook) Roberts.
  • Portland Evening Express, May 31, 1955, p. 2: Nellie’s obituary reports she was born March 10, 1868, daughter of David O. and Nellie Hunnewell Plummer. She was interred at Black Point Cemetery on June 1, 1955.
  • Find a Grave Memorial #108080352 confirms Alvin Charles Roberts (Mar 1868 – 4 Nov 1938), buried at Black Point Cemetery.

From previous research on the Linwood Dyer family, I learned that Nellie A. Plummer was his half-great aunt. Alvin and Nellie had one daughter, Blanche T. (Roberts) Laidlaw.

The estimated photo date (circa 1898–1905) aligns well with their ages and attire.

Charles Burnham (Unidentified)

Charles Burnham, circa 1890.
Charles Burnham, circa 1890.

Photo: circa 1890 (±3 years)
Type: Carte de Visite (CDV)
Studio: Lamson, Portland, Maine
Inscription: “Charles Burnham.”

Description

A young man wearing a stiff collar and narrow necktie, typical of late 1880s–early 1890s fashion.

Research

  • Lamson operated in Portland from approximately 1871 to 1910.
  • The CDV format declined after the early 1890s, suggesting a date before 1895.
  • The subject appears 18–22 years old.

Taken together, I estimate a photo date of circa 1890 (±3 years).

Because there is no 1890 U.S. Census, I reviewed the 1900 Census and city directories:

1900 Census Candidates:

  • Charles Burnham (b. June 1870), Biddeford
  • Charles F. Burnham (b. Jan 1873), Bath
  • Charles Burnham (b. c. 1866), Brunswick

1890 Portland Directory:

  • Charles E., clerk, 4 Fremont Place
  • Charles E., farmer, Summit
  • Charles F., carpenter, 66 Quebec

My current Linwood Dyer genealogy includes no Burnham connections. At present, I am unable to positively identify which Charles Burnham is depicted.

Daniel W. Plummer (1824–1892) & Lydia (Libby) Plummer (1832–1895)

Type: Tintypes
Studio: E. S. Wormell’s Picture Gallery, 316 Congress Street, Portland

Daniel W. Plummer (1824–1892), circa 1866-1872.
Daniel W. Plummer, circa 1866-1872.

Daniel Plummer

Inscription: “Daniel Plummer.”
Description: A man wearing a chin curtain beard, small bow tie, vest, and coat. The photo appears across the album page from another labeled “Lydia Plummer.”

Research:

  • E. S. Wormell operated at 90 Middle Street in 1866 and at 316 Congress Street by 1869. The studio is no longer listed after 1872.
  • Clothing and beard style suggest late 1860s–early 1870s.

Estimated photo date: 1866–1872.
Estimated age: mid-40s (suggesting birth c. 1824).

Lydia (Libby) Plummer

Inscription: “Lydia Plummer.”

Lydia (Libby) Plummer (1832–1895), circa 1866-1872
Lydia Plummer, circa 1866-1872

The facing tintype also bears the Wormell imprint. The woman appears approximately 30–40 years old, suggesting a birth between 1824 and 1842 (most likely c. 1832–1834).

An Ancestry search identified Daniel W. Plummer (1824–1892) and Lydia (Libby) Plummer (1832–1895), born, married, and deceased in Cape Elizabeth.

Given the studio date, estimated ages, and family connections, I am quite confident these images represent Daniel and Lydia.

Further research shows Daniel W. Plummer was a first cousin twice removed of Nellie Plummer Roberts. Additional research is needed to clarify Libby-line relationships.

Seth L. Plummer (1835-1916) & Susan (Stone) Plummer (1849-1899)

Seth L. Plummer (1835-1916) circa 1867.
Seth L. Plummer. circa 1867.

Type: Miniature tintypes
Inscriptions: “Seth Plummer” and “Susan Stone Plummer.”

Description:

A second, more damaged tintype of Seth exists in the album, clearly taken at the same sitting. I digitally reduced scratches and surface damage to better view the image while preserving original features. Opposite Seth’s image is a miniature tintype labeled “Susan Stone Plummer.”

Research

Susan (Stone) Plummer (1849-1899) circa 1867.
Susan (Stone) Plummer, circa 1867.

Susan Stone married Seth Plummer on June 26, 1867, in Cape Elizabeth. She was 18 years old.

Miniature tintypes were especially popular during the 1860s. Susan appears approximately 17–20 years old in the image. The format and her apparent age strongly suggest these photos were taken around the time of their marriage.

Estimated photo date: circa 1867.

This photograph has been added to the Linwood Dyer Collection on Ancestry.com.

Conclusion

If any of the individuals shown here are familiar to you, I would be pleased to hear from you. Many photographs in the Scarborough Historical Society’s collections lack personal identification. Even a small detail may help restore a name or story.

My continuing goal is to reconnect these images with the families and communities to whom they belong—ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.

ENDNOTES

[i] All photos courtesy Scarborough (Maine) Historical Society.

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

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Donna Darling at the Strand Theatre, Pontiac, Michigan (June 22–24, 1925)

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Donna In The News
by Don Taylor

Introduction

As I continue documenting the vaudeville career of my grandmother, Madonna Montran (known professionally as Donna Darling), contemporary newspaper advertisements remain essential evidence. Each confirmed engagement sharpens the chronology of her 1925 tour and helps reconstruct her movement across the Midwest.

I am particularly pleased to have identified a previously undocumented appearance at the Strand Theatre in Pontiac, Michigan, June 22–24, 1925.

Just days earlier, Donna had appeared at the Temple Theatre in Bryan, Ohio (June 18–19). The distance between Bryan and Pontiac is approximately 150 miles. It is possible she had June 20–21 to travel north, although, given the pace of vaudeville routing, it is equally plausible she filled those days with additional engagements en route.

Performance Details

  • Venue: Strand Theatre
  • Location: Pontiac, Michigan
  • Dates: June 22–24, 1925 (Monday–Wednesday)
  • Act: Donna Darling and Her Bathing Girl Revue

The Strand advertisements promoted her act as a featured stage attraction alongside the motion picture Welcome Stranger. The program followed the common mid-1920s hybrid format: feature film, short comedy, and live vaudeville performance.

Notably, the ads reference Donna appearing with her “Comedy Life Guards.”

Clarifying the “Comedy Life Guards”

The phrase “Comedy Life Guards” appears in the promotional copy but does not identify specific performers by name. No supporting artists in Donna’s revue are individually credited in these advertisements.

Based upon other Bathing Girl Revue promotions from this period, the “Comedy Life Guards” likely referred to male comic performers within her company who:

  • Framed the bathing-beauty theme with humorous beach or seaside skits,
  • Provided comic dialogue or specialty routines, and
  • Functioned as visual counterparts to the “Bathing Girls.”

This terminology appears to have been branding rather than formal billing.

Context of the Engagement

During this engagement, Donna’s revue is the only live vaudeville act mentioned in the advertising. The remainder of the program centered on the film Welcome Stranger, starring Florence Vidor and others. This suggests Donna’s act was the primary live attraction during this booking.

The engagement falls between her documented Bryan, Ohio appearance (June 18–19) and her later appearance at the Palace Theatre in Detroit. There is a twelve-day gap between Pontiac and Detroit in the currently documented itinerary. Based on standard vaudeville routing practices, it is highly likely she played additional Michigan dates during that interval. Further research in regional newspapers may reveal those engagements.

Conclusion

Each newly confirmed venue adds precision to Donna Darling’s 1925 touring record. The Strand Theatre engagement in Pontiac not only expands her documented Michigan appearances but also reinforces the geographic logic of her route between Ohio and Detroit.

As always, the work continues. I will continue searching Michigan newspapers from late June through mid-July 1925 in hopes of identifying additional stops along her circuit.

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

Posted in California Bathing Girls (1925), In the news, Bathing Beauty Revue, Donna Montran, Vaudeville | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday Grandma Donna

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Feb 20
by Don Taylor

Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran Kees, circa 1959
Donna circa 1959

Today, I remember my grandmother, Madonna[i] “Donna” Mae Montran Kees. She was born on 20 Feb 1893 in Albion, Michigan[ii].

Madonna married Chester Fenyvessy on 1 October 1911 in Willand, Ontario, Canada.[iii]

Madonna married Thomas Valentine Rooney on 24 November 1915 at St. Mary’s Church in Waltham, Massachusetts. [iv]

Donna married Samson Amsterdam on 19 April 1926 in Manhattan, New York. Donna and Sammy separated about 1932.

In about 1937, Donna began living with Russell Kees in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She began using Kees as a surname then.[v]

She died on 14 September 1976 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her generosity extended beyond her life when she donated her body to science, which was used at the University of Minnesota for several years. In 1979, her cremains were buried in a U of M donor’s location at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I have six postings about her via my Brown & Montran webpage. I also have an extensive number (over 160) of posts about her vaudeville career.

For more information on Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran, see:

Photo of Don as a bay with Donna cut out.
Donald (with Donna cut out)

I have very few photos of Donna after 1930, as most were destroyed during the 1960s. If you have photographs, documents, or recollections relating to Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran Kees, I would welcome hearing from you. Every additional detail helps preserve her story for future generations.

I remember Donna nearly every day and try to honor her through my genealogy blog with a special section regarding her vaudeville career.

ENDNOTES

[i] I only learned she was born Madonna in the 1990s when I began researching family history. She went by Donna beginning in the early 1920s.
[ii] Donna always said she was born in Detroit, MI. I only learned she was born in Albion a few years ago. Albion is about 100 miles west of Detroit.
[iii] Registered as Madonna Montran Holdsworth, Donna was using the surname of a stepfather. Neither my mother nor my Uncle Russ knew of this marriage until I learned of it while doing my genealogy work in the early 2000s. I have not found any evidence that she used the surname Fenneyvessey.
[iv] Neither my mother nor my Uncle Russ knew of this marriage until I learned of it while doing my genealogy work in the early 2000s. I have not found any evidence that she used the surname Rooney.
[v] I have searched extensively for a marriage of Donna to Russel Kees and have been unable to find such a record. I believe she and her children just used the surname as a matter of convenience.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used to generate SEO Metadata, tags, and categories. Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

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

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Don Taylor

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.

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

Lucy Hunnewell Libby

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.

Lucy Hunnewell Libby

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Donna Darling at the Heilig Theatre (Eugene, Oregon) – 1926

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Don Taylor

November 4, 1926 – Donna Darling Revue with Sammy Clark

In the News
by Don Taylor

In the rich tapestry of early twentieth-century entertainment, vaudeville performers such as my grandmother, Madonna Montran—better known on stage as Donna Darling—built careers that were widely celebrated locally but seldom preserved beyond newspaper archives. Fortunately, several articles from The Eugene Guard provide a clear window into one such engagement: the Donna Darling Revue at the Heilig Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, in November 1926.

Performance Details

The Eugene Guard – Nov 4, 1926, page 2
  • Venue: Heilig Theatre, Eugene, Oregon
  • Opening Date: November 4, 1926
  • Circuit: Western Vaudeville Managers’ Association
  • Act: Donna Darling Revue with Sammy Clark

Other Acts on the Bill:

  • Zahn & Dreis – Dementus Americanus
  • Billy Curtis & Lou Lawrence – “Is That the Custom”
  • Princess Winona – Indian Prima Donna
  • Morrell & Elynor – Introducing “The Charleston on Rollers”
  • Heilig Presentation Orchestra – Charles Runyan, Conductor

Preview Article

The Eugene Guard – October 30, 1926 – p.7

The Eugene Guard – Oct 30, 1926, page 7

The preview headline announced:

“VAUDEVILLE BILL IS VARIED – Association Circuit Program for Thursday Looks Good.”

The article described the upcoming program as:

“Versatility plus… From the opening to the closing number every offering on the bill is sparkling with wit, grace, vivacity and life.”

Donna’s act was described as:

“Recollections of famous beauty contests are revived with the presentation of the Donna Darling Revue, the heading act. Miss Darling was the winner of the Madison Square Garden beauty competition in New York City a few months ago, and was afterward featured with ‘Chin Chin’ and also with George White and Flo Ziegfeld, with Sammy Clark, ‘The Juvenile Komik,’ Barring and Lazur, and Hal Dison [sic], who will present a routine of songs and dances, garnished with comedy. Special settings and appropriate costumes enhance the beauty of the act making it worthy of more than passing notice.”

Several points are notable:

  • She is explicitly identified as “the heading act.”
  • Her publicity continued to emphasize her Madison Square Garden beauty competition victory.
  • The copy links her to Chin Chin, George White, and Flo Ziegfeld, reinforcing prestige associations common in vaudeville promotion.
  • The act is described as having special settings and costumes, suggesting a revue-style production rather than a simple two-person act.

Review

The Eugene Guard – November 5, 1926 – p.5

The following day’s review confirms the engagement opened successfully:

The Eugene Guard – Nov 5, 1926, page 5

“Color with all its glory and a singer with beauty both of face and voice, drew the first position on the Association vaudeville program at the Heilig last night. This fair miss, Donna Darling, with her musical revue, held forth with a winning presentation consisting of singing, dancing and spectacular scenic wonders. A special finale came when the entire revue came out in dance dressed in radium coats. When the lights dimmed the radium striped jackets swayed with the dancers in clever fashion…”

This description provides valuable detail. The Donna Darling Revue included:

  • Singing
  • Dancing
  • Scenic spectacle
  • A choreographed ensemble finale

The mention of “radium coats” is particularly intriguing. Whether the costumes were literally treated with radium (unlikely, though radium was still used commercially in the 1920s), or whether the effect was achieved through phosphorescent materials or reflective striping enhanced by stage lighting, the intent is clear: the finale relied on a dramatic lighting effect. In my interpretation, this suggests a visually ambitious production designed to stand out on a regional vaudeville circuit.

The review concludes that her presentation was “winning,” and emphasizes both her vocal ability and stage presence.

Billing and Placement

The preview calls the Donna Darling Revue “the heading act.”
The review notes she “drew the first position.”

In vaudeville practice, opening an evening did not always mean headliner status. However, being identified in advance as the “heading act” strongly suggests she was one of the principal attractions of the week’s program. My interpretation is that she likely held top billing on the Association circuit roster for this engagement, even if program order placed her first for pacing and impact.

Promotional Claims and Open Questions

The preview repeats several claims associated with Donna’s publicity:

  • Winner of a Madison Square Garden beauty competition
  • Featured with Chin Chin
  • Connected with George White
  • Connected with Flo Ziegfeld

I have long been aware of her pageant victory and her work in revue-style productions. However, while references to Ziegfeld and George White appear in promotional materials, I have not yet found independent documentary confirmation of sustained professional involvement with either producer. It remains possible these associations were promotional amplifications rather than formal contracts.

Sammy Clark, whom Donna married earlier in the year, is identified here as “The Juvenile Komik,” reinforcing his role as the comedy counterpoint within the revue format.

Conclusion

This Eugene engagement demonstrates that by late 1926 the Donna Darling Revue was:

  • A fully developed staged production
  • Marketed as visually elaborate
  • Positioned as a principal attraction on the Western Vaudeville Managers’ Association circuit

It also confirms that her career extended well beyond major metropolitan centers into the structured touring networks that sustained vaudeville across the American West.

For a performance that lasted only one night in Eugene, these surviving newspaper accounts preserve a vivid snapshot of her professional standing at that moment in time.

Research credit: Newspapers.com

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

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