Have you Seen?

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Mary Pickard

Brownie Camera
SHS Collection

Have you seen the historical society’s collection of cameras, in particular the Brownie? When you next aim your smartphone at a glorious sunset or snap a selfie, give thanks to George Eastman. In 1900 his company, Eastman Kodak, introduced the Brownie, a low-priced, hand-held, point-and-shoot camera simple enough for children to use.
Designed by Frank Brownell, the camera was a simple black rectangular cardboard box covered in leatherette. To take a photo or “snapshot,” one popped in a film cartridge, closed the door, held the camera at waist height, aimed by looking through the viewfinder at the top, then turned a switch. The camera was very affordable, priced at $1 each. A six-exposure film cartridge was 15 cents. For an extra 10 cents per photo, plus 40 cents for developing and postage, the film could be sent to Kodak for developing. The Brownie gave everyone an affordable, accessible way to document important moments.

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A Message from the President

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Mark Matteau

Mark Matteau – Stock Photo

COVID-19 has affected everyone and everything in some way in recent months, including our museum. We have had to cancel a variety of events and programs in response to the necessity for social distancing. We are monitoring the possibility of resuming our regular activities following state, national, and local guidelines and the museum and historical societies community at large.

The work of our museum continues being done by individual members pursuing further research, attending to online and telephone queries, and continuing our presence in outreach via our webpage and Facebook.

The work of digitizing our collections to make these items available to our larger communities continues. Also, work on the schoolhouse continues to be an ongoing project; and to that end, we have formalized a committee to oversee the project to move it forward into the future.

I would like to express my own personal thanks to our dedicated members and friends for their ongoing work and help, including the maintenance of our grounds, building, and collections.

I know we all look forward to the time when we shall be able to resume our programming, outreach, and the reopening of our building and be able to meet and interact in person again with our members, friends, and visitors.

Respectfully,
Mark A. Matteau
President

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Added week of June 9th thru 15th, 2020

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Don Taylor

Businesses

Hotels, Motels, & Inns

I added:  Danish Village (U.S. Route 1) – Clipping – 28 August 2015 – “Danish Village arch to be saved.”

Organizations

Methodist Church (West Scarborough)

I added:  Booklet: 150th Anniversary and Rededication – 1802-1952  (Contains church history and images)

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Looking Back

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Don Taylor

Besides “The Villages of Scarborough,” in 2011 the Scarborough Leader ran a series of articles titled “Looking Back” about various objects at the Scarborough Historical Society. These articles included the following:

Looking Back

Ross Road Violin

  1. Board for drying freshly spun will – 2011-08-05
  2. Bootjack – 2011-05-20
  3. Bronze Clock – 2011-06-24
  4. Early Vacuum Cleaner – 2011-05-27
  5. Edison Gould Moulded Records (cylindrical record) – 2011-06-10
  6. Looking Back – Granite Mile Markers – 2011-05-06
  7. Looking Back – Ornamental tools – 2011-06-03.jpeg
  8. Looking Back – Ross Road Violin – 2011-04-29
  9. Looking Back – Ship Model “Delia Chapin” – 2011-07-01

These articles have been compiled and are available in a PDF file: “Clippings – Looking Back – 2011”

While researching these clippings, I found a 10th article regarding custom-built “bog shoes”  in the April 22, 2011, edition of the Leader. I’ve included it in the “Clippings – Looking Back – 2011” file. 

These articles are also available through the efforts of the Scarborough Public Library through “Advantage Preservation.”

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Holmes Surname Folder

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Don Taylor

As of 13 May 2020

  • 43.1 – Article: “The Identity of Samuel and Joseph Holmes of Scarborough and Machias, Maine: The Importance of Applying Basic Genealogical Methods” by Windred A. Côté, III. The Maine Genealogist, May 1999, Pages 51-60.
  • 4.1 – Article: “The Identity of Samuel and Joseph Holmes of Scarborough and Machias, Maine: The Importance of Applying Basic Genealogical Methods” by Windred A. Côté, III. Generations, The Journal of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society, Summer 2000, Pages 35-41.
  • 9.1759 – “Holmes Family” – A typed, 1-page document apparently written by S. M. Watson in 1917 and transcribed by Dorothy Shaw Libby, Feb. 15, 1962.
  • 03.7.1 – Letter: June 13, 2002 from Yolande B. Justice Scarborough Town Clerk to Ms. Joan Starkman.
    • Letter: December 3, 2002 from Joan Starkman to Scarborough Historical Society.
    • Letter: February 3, 2003 Mary G Johnson to Ms. Joan Starkman. [response]
  • 03.39.1 – Letter: June 23, 2003 from Mary Johnson to Ms. Joan Starkman.
  • 03.39.2a – Letter: July 9, 2003 – From Joan Starkman to Ms. Johnson.
  • 03.39.2b – Letter: July 21, 2003 from Mary Johnson to Ms. Joan Starkman.
  • 20.11.1a – Letter: Feb 19, 2020 from Joan Starkman to Scarborough Historical Society.
    • Photocopy of letter from S. Marion Watson to Isaac ___, Feb 4, 1882.
    • Photocopy of “Names of persons admitted to Covenant for the privilege of baptism to themselves and children.” [2nd Congregational Church]

Clipping: Maine Sunday Telegram, January 12, 1992, Page 10G – “WHAT’S IN A NAME?” Query 12,628: HOLMES. John Nelson Holmes, son of Joseph and Dorcas Holmes….

Holmes Cross References (AKA “Pink Slip”)

  • Daniel Holmes, See #97.32.5, Invent. of Estate of N. Libby.
  • See History of Machias, pg. 15, Joseph
  • Chris Holmes – 00.571 ‘Acting in Fun’
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