Douglas Armsden Photograph Project
Douglas Armsden in his studio at 240 Whipple Road, Kittery, Maine, c. 1940s.
Between 2018 & 2021, the family of prolific photographer Douglas J. Armsden (1918-2009) donated his photograph collection to the Athenaeum. Born in England and raised in upstate New York, Armsden and his family settled in Kittery Point, Maine. He captured the essence of mid-20th century Portsmouth, the Seacoast region of New England, and beyond. His work included wedding photography, family portraits, early documentation of historic houses, commercial and scenic images of Maine and New Hampshire, and editorial work for local newspapers and magazines such as The Shoreliner, New Hampshire Profiles, and Down East.
This collection also documents Armsden’s years of service in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and later, his daily life with his wife, Alice Decatur, and their three daughters, as well as family and friends in their “little piece of heaven” along Fernald Cove in Kittery Point.
The photographic images in the collection include print photographs, color transparencies, 35 mm film, and both medium- and large-format negatives.
In 2018, we estimated the archival supplies for the collection would cost $6,500. We reached our goal through a Thaxter Foundation grant, a Portsmouth Flatbread fundraiser, and generous donations from members of the Athenaeum, the local community, and Seacoast businesses. In late 2020 and 2021, we received additional Armsden material. We now need $2,500 to purchase archival supplies for the newer material.
When fully processed and available on our online catalog, this Armsden collection of roughly 30,000 images will nearly double the Athenaeum’s entire photographic collection!
If you would like to contribute to preserving this collection, click on the “Armsden Donate” button for PayPal. Remember, you don’t have to be a PayPal member to use PayPal. You can donate as a guest.
If you would prefer to pay by check, please make it out to to the Portsmouth Athenaeum with “Armsden” in the memo line and mail it to “Portsmouth Athenaeum, P.O. Box 366, Portsmouth, NH 03802.”
Thank you for your support!
Preserve Local History
Does Armsden Sound Familiar?
You may have come across Armsden’s photographs already in our collection. During his lifetime, Armsden donated a collection of negatives (P15 Armsden Photograph Collection). These invaluable historic images depict mid-20th century Portsmouth and other Seacoast locales. While there are duplicates in both collections, the images in P15 are an example of what the new complete Armsden collection will offer.
The existing P15 collection will also be reprocessed. Click here to view the P15 collection.
ARMSDEN PROJECT IN THE NEWS
FEATURED IMAGES BY ARMSDEN
![With the Portsmouth Historic House Associates Twilight Tour tonight, we thought we'd share this view of Market Square taken at night in 1956 by commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery, Maine.
We cropped the full photo in sections so you can zoom in on two sides of Congress Street and those night scenes and neon signs. 👀 🌃 😍
On the left side, you can see the Economy Market and the Colonial Theatre. Later and for many years, Eagle Photo occupied this site. Further down are the Rogers Block and an adjacent building, which were destroyed by a fire in 1964. Today, a new block stands on this site, including Popovers and the Good Vibes Life Is Good store among other businesses on the first floor and condos above. Beyond is the extant National Block.
On the right, the buildings have remained, but the storefronts have changed. People are standing under the neon sign for the New China Restaurant (on the upper floor) and the Jarvis Restaurant on the ground floor. Today, this is the Best of British. In the foreground, there is a "ghost bus" in front of the Boston & Maine Transportation Co. bus stop and Green's Drug Store. Until this spring, there was a Starbucks here.
We tagged all the participating historic sites involved in tonight's Twilight Tour from 4 to 8 p.m.
Each Twilight Tour ticket is valid for one admission to the many participating sites on the night of the Twilight Tour. Tickets are valid for the balance of the 2024 season for admission to most of the sites if visitors are unable to tour the night of the event.
[P15.235]
#douglasarmsden #marketsquare #nightphotography #neonsigns #twilighttour #historicsites #portsmouthnh #collectpreserveshare📖 ##localhistory](https://portsmouthathenaeum.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
With the Portsmouth Historic House Associates Twilight Tour tonight, we thought we`d share this view of Market Square taken at night in 1956 by commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery, Maine.
We cropped the full photo in sections so you can zoom in on two sides of Congress Street and those night scenes and neon signs. 👀 🌃 😍
On the left side, you can see the Economy Market and the Colonial Theatre. Later and for many years, Eagle Photo occupied this site. Further down are the Rogers Block and an adjacent building, which were destroyed by a fire in 1964. Today, a new block stands on this site, including Popovers and the Good Vibes Life Is Good store among other businesses on the first floor and condos above. Beyond is the extant National Block.
On the right, the buildings have remained, but the storefronts have changed. People are standing under the neon sign for the New China Restaurant (on the upper floor) and the Jarvis Restaurant on the ground floor. Today, this is the Best of British. In the foreground, there is a "ghost bus" in front of the Boston & Maine Transportation Co. bus stop and Green`s Drug Store. Until this spring, there was a Starbucks here.
We tagged all the participating historic sites involved in tonight`s Twilight Tour from 4 to 8 p.m.
Each Twilight Tour ticket is valid for one admission to the many participating sites on the night of the Twilight Tour. Tickets are valid for the balance of the 2024 season for admission to most of the sites if visitors are unable to tour the night of the event.
[P15.235]
#douglasarmsden #marketsquare #nightphotography #neonsigns #twilighttour #historicsites #portsmouthnh #collectpreserveshare📖 ##localhistory
Happy Thanksgiving!🦃🫛🥔🥧🍰
"Hope you saved room for dessert." 🥴🫠🙊
Here are photos and ads from the former M & M Bakeries, Inc., in Dover, NH.
The 1951 photographs were done by commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery Point, Maine.
In the 20th century, M & M baked, sold, and distributed breads, cakes, and pastries all along the seacoast and across the state. In 1925, M & M even dabbled in "quick delivery" by airplane between Dover and Portsmouth with bread, "which was still hot."
Many of us might not be familiar with the company (who`s still thinking of the candy? 🙋♂️), but you might have seen the M & M Bakeries advertising sign if you visit or walk through Strawbery Banke Museum. The sign is on the front door of the Little Corner Store owned by the Abbott family and interpreted in the WWII era.
From what we can find, Patrick Henry McManus (1888-1962) first opened the bakery on Central Avenue in Dover in the 1910s. McManus was the son and maternal grandson of Irish immigrants. In 1923, he married Mary Cavanaugh (1898-1994), and in 1926, the couple welcomed their only child, M. Anastasia McManus (1926-2013).
The retail storefront was in a building that formely stood on the corner of Central Avenue and Orchard Street in Dover. In 1927, McManus expanded the bakery distribution business by constructing a new factory at 74 Third Street. Now known as the Third Street Exchange, the building still stands, and it includes the June Cork Pub (formerly the home of Weeksie`s Pizza) among other businesses. In some of the Armsden photos, you can see St. Mary`s Catholic Church, which still stands across the street.
One reference we found indicates M & M Bakeries closed in 1961. In the Portsmouth Herald, a public auction notice announced that on Wednesday, April 8, 1964, the inventory of M & M Bakeries, Inc. was to be auctioned off, including real estate, bakery equipment, and vehicles.
👉We are closed to the public on 11/24 and 11/25. We hope everyone has a sweet holiday!
#happythanksgiving
#mmbakeries #dovernh #DouglasArmsden
#collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #Maine #seacoast❤️
Over the weekend, we dodged a dangerous storm as Lee moved further east through Maine and Maritime Canada, but nearly 70 years ago, the Portsmouth area wasn`t as fortunate.🌀
On August 31, 1954, Hurricane Carol struck the seacoast with 100 mph winds, making landfall in Connecticut & heading straight through New Hampshire. A week later, Hurricane Edna impacted the area as the storm hit Cape Cod before veering east through the Gulf of Maine.
Within our online catalog, we have a series of "Hurricane, 1954" negatives by prolific commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery Point, Maine. The images depict local storm cleanup by the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company (NETT)🔔. While the catalog record doesn`t offer more information, these Armsden images most likely capture the aftermath of Carol.
According to the Portsmouth Herald, Carol knocked out 8,000 telephones in the Portsmouth area & 4,000 in the Dover area.
The newspaper also reported a large crane from the Newington (Pease) air base contractor that aided in "materially" lifting trees and other heavy objects from the lines. This crane is believed to be in the first image clearing downed tree limbs.
With widespread damage, there were 500 emergency workmen in the state, including 350 from Vermont, New York, and New Jersey. The second image shows NETT workmen mobilizing at the Boston & Maine depot, which formerly stood on Deer Street in the vicinity of the intersection of Maplewood Avenue. NETT emergency headquarters were established at the Rockingham Hotel to direct and coordinate the repair efforts. While not pictured here, one of the Armsden photos shows a scene inside the Rockingham.
Finally, the third image shows a workman clearing a downed tree from a fallen telephone pole in the Portsmouth area. Does anyone recognize the street? You can also see a boy on his bike watching the man from inside the damage area.😳
[Armsden Photograph Collection, P15.0083]
#hurricanecarol #hurricaneseason #newenglantelephoneandtelegraphco #DouglasArmsden #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #Maine #seacoast❤
Spring is here, and you can bank. on. it.🌱🌷🌼🌿🌸😊
(That and our weakness for bad puns...hey, we`re not perfect. 🤷♂️🤷♀️)
On April 11, 1959, the First National of Bank of Portsmouth hosted an open house for its brand new bank building at 325 State on the corner of Fleet Street.🏦💵 #onthisdate
Pictured are a few earlier photos of the 325 State Street bank by commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery Point, Maine.
[P15.366 & P0061_00241]
Incorporated in 1824, first as the Piscataqua Bank, the bank shared the same treasurer, Samuel Lord, as the Portsmouth Savings Bank, which was located on the upper floor of the New Hampshire Bank at 22-26 Market Square. With one too many banks, Piscataqua Bank moved to an upper room at the corner of State and Pleasant streets.
In 1844, the Market Square building was purchased by both Piscataqua Bank and Portsmouth Savings Bank. Piscataqua Bank changed its name to Piscataqua Exchange Bank.
While independent of Portsmouth Savings Bank, both held the same building, officers, and directors (and Mr. Lord).
In 1863, Piscataqua Exchange changed its name to First National Bank of Portsmouth.
In 1869, the two banks separated completely after its shared treasurer retired. A partition was constructed between the two banks with Portsmouth Savings Bank on the north side and First National Bank on the south side.
(Oh, we can talk more about the Market Square building another time.🍵⏱️)
In 1957, Portsmouth Savings began construction on a new bank at 333 State on the corner of Fleet Street. Of course, a few years later, First National followed, opening this bank directly across the street. #banktwins
In 1996, First National merged with Bank of New Hampshire. Later, it was People`s United. Today, it`s M & T Bank.
But can we talk about the bank`s spaceship, er, annex building? 👽
In 2003-2004, the bank remodeled the mid-century modern exterior and demolished the annex, returning it to the mothership of Lost Portsmouth architectural history.😔
#otd #firstnationalbank #midcenturymodern #statestreet #douglasarmsden #collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #seacoast❤
Flying in for #nationalbirdday 🦅
Did you know before the Great Bay Wildlife Refuge, there was another bird and animal sanctuary in Newington?🐦
Here children are feeding waterfowl along a freshwater pond while it appears their mothers and others look on from the road at Holden`s Wild Fish and Game Preserve between the old Dover Road and Piscataqua River in Newington, NH.
Douglas Armsden photographed these images for the article "Bird and Animal Eden" featured in the December 1950-issue of The Shoreliner magazine.
The little boy squatting is John J. Hassett III, and the two blonde older boys are the Hodsdon brothers, John, center, and Tommy, holding the bag of chips. At center is "Billy" the swan.🦢
On the bridge, the little boy dressed as a cowboy is Dennis Clark of Rockhill Avenue. The three women are unidentified, but they are assumed to be the mothers of the children: Nancy Badger Hodsdon, Marjorie Hassett, and Mrs. Clark.
We cropped the first photo to see the people.🔍
In the 4th image, William Young (1917-2008) feeds the waterfowl.
"As soon as William Young of Newington appeared with the pail of grain, all the ducks and geese shot across the pond from the farther side with amazing speed," according to the article caption.💨🦆
"Mr. Young takes care of all the livestock on the preserve. It is estimated that just to feed the ducks and geese on the pond and the fish in it, the cost approaches four dollars a day."
The article mentions the preserve between the old Dover Road and Great Bay surrounding the property of John E. Holden`s oil business. Holden (1893-1964), the Newington Fire Chief, owned the Atlantic Terminal Sales Corp., now C. H. Sprague off Shattuck Way (formerly Old Dover Road) on the shores of the Piscataqua River in Newington. From aerial mapping, the two ponds (upper or freshwater and lower or tidal) still appear to exist as wetlands on the property.
[PS1340]
#newingtonnh #holdenspreserve #olddoverroad #douglasarmsden #shoreliner #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #Maine #seacoast❤
Here`s hoping we all get a holiday lift as we head into the weekend.🎄😊
Commercial photographer Douglas Armsden of Kittery Point captured these scenes as workers raised the Christmas tree with ropes & ladders into the middle of the Market Square rotary.💪🌲
On Saturday, Dec. 4, 1954, the front page of the Portsmouth Herald featured a similar tree-raising photo by Armsden with the following caption:
"Up it goes -- The big Christmas tree in Market Square was hoisted into place this week for the holiday season. It will be lit tomorrow and, with the rest of the downtown holiday lighting, will be illuminated every night until New Year`s."
"Santa Claus is coming to town— that`s for sure," the Herald reported. "The Chamber of Commerce retail board has found a willing volunteer to impersonate Santa in tomorrow`s parade through downtown streets for the youngsters of Portsmouth.
"The man in a bright, red suit, behind the bushy, white beard, will be John R. Wiggin of 110 Chapel Street. Seated beside him in the parade, taking the part of Mrs. Santa Claus, will be Miss Helen L. Kelly, secretary of the chamber."🎅🤶
Those overhead Christmas lights must have been a sight in the Square!😍
Okay, but we know you`re wondering about the rotary, roundabout, whatabout traffic circle in Market Square.
A little over two years later, in April 1956, the City of Portsmouth announced a new downtown traffic pattern as a "radical departure from the existing setup."
Presented as a trial-basis, the pattern utilized one-way street sections & channelization islands or diverters to improve congestion. And regardless of the trial outcome, the rotary would be removed as the newspaper described it as a long-term source of "traffic tie-ups."
But motorists would still be going roundabout...sort of.
"The heart of the system drawn up by the traffic engineers," the Herald wrote, "centers around the utilization of the area bounded by Daniel, Penhallow, Bow and Market streets as a giant traffic circle."
This traffic pattern is not the same as today`s.
[P15.429]
#marketsquare #Christmastree #DouglasArmsden #rotary #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #Maine #seacoast❤
Happy Halloween!🎃🎃🎃🎃
Four jack-o-lanterns sit on the front steps of the Armsden family home off Pepperrell Road in Kittery Point, Maine, circa 1950s.
Photographer Douglas Armsden captioned this frightful night photo: Spooks!
[Douglas Armsden Transparencies, P0061_00502]
#happyhalloween #pumpkins #jackolantern #douglasarmsden #transparencies #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #Maine #seacoast❤️
We are still hanging out in the South End for another #wherewasthiswednesday🤔.
Pictured is the old Peirce Island Bridge, a wooden plank bridge that once connected the island to the city via the foot of Gates Street. Photographer Douglas Armsden captured this shot in 1940 and another view of fishermen with the bridge in the background in 1951.
In 1923, the City of Portsmouth had purchased Peirce Island for recreational purposes, but the only pedestrian/vehicular access onto the island was from an old causeway on the southern side. This tidal causeway connected Peirce to Shapleigh Island, the first island on the road to New Castle (Route 1B). [Map]
By the summer of 1924, the new Peirce Island Bridge along the back channel was under construction. According to the Portsmouth Herald, a man named Joe Haley was overseeing the workers.
For many years, this wooden bridge served the people adequately, and for decades, it was the site for Memorial Day services.
Unfortunately by 1956, the old bridge was crumbling and beyond any repairs. The city recommended traffic be restricted to only foot or bicycle.
We have included an undated color slide from Alvah C. Card, of Marcy Street, showing the bridge most likely at its end with Brewster`s wharf at left. We zoomed in to see the bridge condition and a child on a bicycle.🔎
In the Herald, the city discussed possible replacement plans. One solution involved revisiting the old Shapleigh Island causeway and replacing that with a new bridge; however, there was confusion over who now owned the causeway. Another idea was to purchase a 332 ft. steel bridge for sale in Weehawken, New Jersey.
Eventually in 1958, the Prescott Park Trustees contributed $40,000 (roughly $410,000 today) to build the present bridge on park property off Mechanic Street. In fact, the official name of the bridge is the Prescott Memorial Bridge. There is a marker on the mainland side.
👉You may recall us mentioning the Prescott Bridge a few weeks ago because the Portsmouth Yacht Club clubhouse formerly stood there.⭕️
In August 1959, the old Peirce Island Bridge was dismantled.
[P15.156 & P15.157 from #DouglasArmsden & P0054_0058 from Alvah C. Card.]
Swinging into the weekend or hanging on until Friday?🤔🤷♂️🤷♀️
Either way, we`re with you!🤪
These two unidentified youngsters are swinging from a tree in Sea Crest Village, a newly updated neighborhood in Portsmouth, circa 1965-1969.
The photograph comes from a grouping of promotional shots for Sea Crest Village by commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) of Kittery Point, Maine.
[Armsden Photograph Collection, P15.078]
Sea Crest Village replaced Wentworth Acres, a WWII-era wartime housing development built by the Federal Public Housing Authority for hundreds of workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Following the war, the neighborhood was transferred to private hands and used as rentals, which were in disarray 20 years later.
On December 4, 1964, the new Sea Crest Village advertised the following in the Portsmouth Herald:
"An open invitation to the residents of Portsmouth.
"The restoration of Wentworth Acres has been re-named. A proud old area is receiving a much deserved up-lifting. Fresh paint, new landscaping and a generous application of sincere interest and genuine concern has created a complete change of atmosphere.
"We urge everyone who has an interest in the future of Portsmouth to drive out to Sea Crest Village (nee: Wentworth Acres) and see what can be done to upgrade an area which has been allowed to crumble. Residents of Sea Crest Village are thrilled with the progress taking place. The new concept is only 4 weeks old, but you will be amazed at the transformation.
"Welcome to any and all who wish to visit Sea Crest Village."
We`ve included the half-page ad used next to this smaller ad.
This area later included Mariner`s Village. Now, it`s known as Osprey Landing & Spinnaker Point. While today you access these neighborhoods from Market Street (or Market Street Extension), before the 1980s you would have used Cutts Street off Maplewood or Granite Street off Woodbury.
👉Within the Athenaeum archives, you can learn more about the history of this area!🔍
#SeaCrestVillage #ropeswings #summerfun #DouglasArmsden #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #Maine #Seacoast❤