Found Film: Introducing the Alberts

Raymond Albert was born on March 20, 1926 to Willa/Vila/Ovila (depending on the source) and Annie (Chenard) Albert, who were born in 1892 and 1895, respectively, in Canada and came separately to Maine as teens.  According to the 1940 census, at age 14, he and his family lived at 318 Waldo Street, in Rumford, Maine (photo from Google Earth in 2014).

318 Waldo

He had two older sisters: Theresa (Legere), who had already moved out by this time, as she was 10 years older than Raymond; and Lillian, who was 16.  He also had a younger brother named Donald, age 8.

Raymond eventually married Cecile Fisher – who, like he, worked at the Oxford Paper Mill –  on July 9, 1945.   They initially moved to 427 Penobscot Street.

marriage p1

Later, they bought a house not too far away from his childhood home, at 241 Knox Street, where they raised their daughter, Louise, who was born soon after they married (the white house to the right foreground is 241 as it currently appears).

241 knox

One of Raymond’s hobbies, besides his love of automobiles and fishing, was photography.  This post is the first in a series of “found film” post that chronicle the photos he took over a 6 -8 year period, from about 1948 until the mid- to late 1950s.  The photographs came to me as a box of already-developed negatives, dusty from having been packed away for the last 60+ years.

Below is the person I believe to be Raymond.  Because he appears in so many of the photos, it may have been his wife who was the photographer; but it is Raymond’s name that appears on one of the film rolls, along with the address, 241 Knox Street.  Other than that single name and address, everything else in this and the subsequent posts has been learned by searching information available on the internet.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 1

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 1

This is Louise, in what appears to be a 1948 Ford Mercury. And below, I’m guessing this is Raymond, Louise and Raymond’s parents, and a picture where Raymond swaps places with Cecile.  They are visiting the Rumford Falls Dam, shown below both black and white photos.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 1

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 1

Rumford, Maine

In July 1949, it appears that Raymond’s sister Lillian may have gotten married.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Here’s how we know the date:

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

As in the case of Raymond and Cecile’s wedding, the reception was held at the local VFW on Waldo Street, (info provided by a reader, thanks!) where bingo could also be played,  Many receptions were held in this VFW hall, which was called the “Acadia Theatre” from 1926 to 1942.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

However, the wedding itself was held at St. John’s (Catholic) Church.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

This church was literally just a couple of blocks down the street from the Albert home on Knox Street.  In fact, if you scroll back up to the top of the page, you can see the steeple in the distance.  The church catered primarily to French-speaking (Acadian) people living in the area.

It seems the Alberts also had relatives in the country – perhaps Raymond’s grandmother?

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Sheep! Cows!

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2
Kittens!

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Lobster feast!

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

The women of the family pose on a trip – perhaps to Lameque, New Brunswick? Along the way, they photographed these odd “ruins” in the bottom photo.  Which, it turns out, are fields where peat moss has been harvested and stacked.

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Raymond Albert's Photos - Roll 2

Thanks to Mike for identifying these “ruins” in the last photo! Check out this one for another view of harvesting peat moss in Canada.

Want to see more photos in this series?  Check out this collection on Flickr or visit the next post on the Alberts.

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