She was the sweet face that often greeted us at Paul Holbrook's Camera Americana page on Facebook. Many wondered who she was, including myself. And now we know.
Meet little Miss Margaret Nesbitt.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
Margaret Nesbitt was born on May 6, 1904 . The second child and only daughter of Harry and Mary Elizabeth Nesbitt, Margaret was three and a half years younger than her brother Charles.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
Here she is, in what I believe is the backyard of her home on Academy Street, Plymouth, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
Margaret's father took many pictures of his children, friends, and other family members through the years. In this picture, below, Margaret appears at about age 11 or 12.
Photo from glass negative owned by Robin Clark of Memory Lane Photos. Used with permission.
I believe she might be the girl on the left, below.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
Newspaper reports reveal that she played the piano and took part in her high school's drama department's plays.
Margaret attended Plymouth Borough High School and later attended college at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.
Published in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, June 17, 1922 p26. Accessed at newspapers.com
Margaret married John P. Danielson Jr. on June 25, 1927. John was the son of a prominent businessman and the owner and president of J.P. Danielson Tool Manufacturer of Jamestown, NY.
Published by the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, June 25, 1927, p2. Accessed at newspapers.com.
Although it's hard to see, this is a picture of Margaret on her wedding day.
Published by the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, June 28, 1927, p10. Accessed at newspapers.com.
Margaret Nesbitt Danielson moved with her husband to Jamestown, New York. They had two children, John and Mary Elizabeth. After his father's death, Margaret's husband, John P. Danielson Jr. took over as president of the J.P. Danielson Tool Co. He served in that capacity for many years even after it was acquired by Plomb Tool Company in 1946. He died in 1979.
Margaret's son, John N. Danielson was born on December 11, 1928 in Jamestown, New York. He attended West Point and Syracuse University. He served at home and abroad, deploying twice to South Korea and once to France. He died at the age of 87 on March 27, 2016.
John N. Danielson, Margaret's son:
Published in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, April 10, 2016, pA26. Accessed at newspapers.com
Margaret's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Danielson was born on April 30, 1934. She married Robert Ray Greenwood in 1959. They settled in Syracuse, New York and later moved to Texas.
Margaret was active in the community there, hosting parties and showers, serving as president of the auxiliary, on the board of the VFW, and as secretary of the draft board during wartime. This shadowy picture below shows Margaret on the far left when she served on the draft board:
Published in the Jamestown Post-Journal, October 1, 1952 p1. Accessed on fultonhistory.com
Margaret Nesbitt Danielson died in 1973 and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Jamestown, Chautaqua County, New York.
It's so satisfying to know Margaret had a good life. It appears that she had the love of family and friends and the respect of the community she actively served in. We get a glimpse into what her life might have been like through these snippets from newspapers, dates, and the facts I've been able to find. Perhaps it is enough for us to imagine, fill in the gaps, and hope that she was happy. I would have loved to meet her. She died the year before I was born.
So, here we are. 120 years after her birth, and we all feel as if we know her. She is immortalized forever in her father's photographs.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
Photo from glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.
From glass negative owned by Paul Holbrook of Camera Americana. Used with permission.