Swift, Joanne Collection

SummaryThe Joanne Swift Collection consists of 9 reels of amateur 8mm and 2 reels of super 8 shot primarily by Joanne Swift between 1957 and 1968 and by her father Donald Taylor between 1938 and 1955. The films document Joanne and her twin sister Susan's childhood in Maine, and continue with Joanne's family after she is married and had children. They take place mostly in Portland, Stockton Springs, Bangor, and on boating and camping trips along coastal Maine, Moosehead and Sebago Lakes. Of particular interest are reels documenting local events, including the 1938 hurricane damage in Cape Elizabeth and the Bucksport pier fire circa 1946.

Biographical/Historical NotesDonald R. Taylor and Rubye G. McKean were married in Bangor in 1932. They had twin girls circa 1937, Joanne and Susan. Donald owned a hardware store called Taylor-Berry in Bucksport (now the Nicholson Building across from Bookstacks). Other than the twins there are two other prominent figures in the earlier films. These are the girls' cousin George Martens III, called "Buzz," and the family dog “Bos’n.” Susan married Barney Jackson in 1957 and Joanne married Calvin T. Swift in 1959. Joanne and Calvin had two daughters, Janet and Pamela.

RepositoryNortheast Historic Film

AvailabilityThe Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and UseAuthorization to reuse and/or reproduce must be obtained from Northeast Historic Film. See http://oldfilm.org/content/stock-footage-licensing for more information.