Howland Family Photographs

Florence Howland with cat
Florence Howland

Howland Family Photographs, circa 1863-2016 (bulk dates 1880-1920)


Abstract

The Howland Family Photographs collection contains photographs by Florence Howland of Conway, Massachusetts and photographs of the Francis Howland family of Conway, the Henry Clay Dickinson family of South Amherst, and the Nina Thayer family of Easthampton. Some family letters, postcards, and newsclippings are also included.
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Biographical Note


The Howland family of Conway, Massachusetts descended from John Howland (1592-1672) who emigrated from England on the Mayflower. His descendant, John Howland (1757-1843), settled in Conway, Massachusetts where he and his family would live for generations to come. His third son, William Avery Howland, was born on March 17, 1794 and grew up to marry Hannah Morton on December 9, 1819. William Avery and Hannah had nine children, eight sons and a daughter, though one son died before his second birthday. The remaining children were Edward, William, George, Henry, Allen, Eliza Sophia, Francis, and Walter Morton. Both William and George spent time in Amherst, attended Amherst College, and were later Trustees of Amherst College. William Howland (1822-1880) worked for a time in Edward Dickinson’s law office and was an acquaintance of Emily Dickinson, Edward’s daughter. He eventually settled in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Francis Howland (1838-1920) remained in Conway, Massachusetts and married Vashti Tilton (1835-1896) on October 15, 1863. They had five children: Eliza Agnes (1864-1932), George Francis (1867-1958), Charlotte Ames (1871-1935), Walter Morton (1874-1875), and Florence Reynolds (1876-1958).

The youngest child of Francis and Vashti Howland, Florence Howland was a photographer from Conway, Massachusetts who documented the rural life of her hometown and the surrounding area. Florence and her sister, Charlotte, went into the photography business together for a time with Florence taking the pictures and Charlotte printing them. Later, Florence would run the business on her own, traveling to photo-sessions in a horse-drawn sleigh or buggy and printing negatives in the family kitchen in the dark. Florence took commercial photographs commissioned by her Conway neighbors and also documented life on the Howland farm. She also took photographs of her nieces and nephews, especially the children of her brother, George Francis. On March 15, 1936, at the age of 59, she married Thomas O. Munson, who had worked as the superintendent of her farm since at least 1930. Thomas died in June 1940. Florence died on September 10, 1958 at the age of 82.

Florence’s brother, George Francis, married Kate Irene Dickinson of South Amherst, Massachusetts. Kate Dickinson Howland (1876-1959) was the daughter of Henry Clay (1843-1925) and Eleanor Andrus (1842-1926) Dickinson. Henry and Eleanor’s other children were Stella Florence Dickinson Manwell (1871-1947), Isadora “Issie” Lucy Dickinson (1873-1961), and Carl Clifton Dickinson (1879-1972). Carl C. Dickinson married Nina Thayer of Easthampton. Henry Clay Dickinson was the son of Waitstill Dickinson (1814-1884) and Mercy Dickinson (1816-1897) and the brother of Lyman Enos Dickinson (1839-1843), Joanna Thankful Dickinson (1841-1914), Julia Lyman Dickinson (1844-1868), Dwight Enos Dickinson (1846-1916), Lucy Maria Dickinson (1847-1914), Daniel Webster Dickinson (1851-1932), and George Washington Dickinson (1854-1918).

George Francis and Kate Dickinson Howland lived in Conway, Massachusetts, next to his father’s farm. Their children were Katherine Eleanor Howland (1899-1988), Willard Francis Howland (1904-1976), Julia Clark Howland (1905-1981), Walter Morton Howland (1907-1987), and Priscilla Ruth Howland Rawitsch (1913-1983).

Please note: Those persons whose names appear for the first time in bold are represented in the collection.
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Scope and Content


This collection primarily contains photographs of the Howland and Dickinson families of Conway and South Amherst, Massachusetts as well as photographs by Florence Howland. Also included are family letters, postcards, newsclippings, genealogical information, books, and ephemera. The photographs document the Howland and Dickinson families as well as life in Conway, Massachusetts. Photographs also include views of South Amherst and Easthampton. Farming and farm animals are well represented in the photographs.
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Extent

1 linear foot (2 manuscript boxes)
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Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.
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Provenance​


This collection was donated by Mark Howland Rawitsch in December 2016.
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Preferred Citation

Howland Family Photographs, Special Collections, Jones Library, Amherst, Massachusetts.
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Processing information

This collection was processed by Cynthia Harbeson in 2017.
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Related Materials

The Conway Historical Society in Conway, Massachusetts also has a collection of Florence Howland photographs and other Howland family materials.
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Arrangement

The collection is organized into 2 series:
Series 1. Florence Howland Photographs
Series 2. Howland/Dickinson
Within each series, folders are arranged first by material type with photographs followed by other materials, then alphabetically by folder title. Items were grouped into envelopes by the donor and the arrangement of these materials has been maintained through the folder titles.
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Series Descriptions


Series 1: Florence Howland Photographs, circa 1875-2016

This series contains photographs taken by or attributed to Florence Howland, a photographer from Conway, Massachusetts. Florence was related to the Howland and Dickinson families of South Amherst.
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Series 2: Howland/Dickinson, circa 1863-2016

This series contains photographs of the Howland and Dickinson families of South Amherst and Conway, Massachusetts and of the Thayer family of Easthampton, Massachusetts. Also included are letters to the Dickinsons and genealogical information on the Howland family, primarily related to the Howland brothers.
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Detailed Inventory

Series 1: Florence Howland Photographs, circa 1875-2016
Box Folder Title/Description Date
1
 1 Charlotte Howland, photographs of
 undated
1 2 Eliza Howland, photographs of
 undated
1 3 Florence Howland, photographs of, alone and with family
 circa 1880-1957
1 4 Julia Howland, photographs of
Images attributed to Florence Howland
 circa 1905-1927
1
 5 Katherine Howland, photographs of
Images attributed to Florence Howland
 circa 1903-circa 1912
1
 6 Priscilla Howland, photographs of
Images attributed to Florence Howland
 circa 1914-circa 1919
1 7 Willard Howland, photographs of
Images attributed to Florence Howland
 circa 1905-circa 1922
1
 8 Howland Children, photographs of
Images attributed to Florence Howland
 circa 1902-circa 1913
1
 9 Howland Children, photographs of
Later portraits by other photographers, not Florence Howland
 1916-1931
1
 10
 Maple Lodge, photographs of
Home of Florence Howland, Conway, Massachusetts
 undated
1
 11-13
 Photographs by Florence Howland (3 folders)
 circa 1875-1944
1
 14-15 Photographs attributed to Florence Howland (2 folders)
 circa 1900-1951
1
 16
 Genealogical Information
 2016
1
 17
 Letters from Florence Howland to Priscilla Rawitsch
 1950-1958
1
 18
 Newspaper Clippings
 1955, 1981
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Series 2: Howland/Dickinson, circa 1863-2016

Box Folder Title/Description Date
2
 1
 Carl Dickinson tintypes
Son of Henry Clay and Eleanor Andrus Dickinson, husband of Nina Thayer Dickinson
 circa 1905-1906
2
 2
 Henry Clay and Eleanor Andrus Dickinson, photographs of
 circa 1865-circa 1867
2
 3
 Julia Dickinson, photographs of
Sister of Henry Clay Dickinson
 circa 1865
2
 4
 Nina Thayer Dickinson, photographs of
Wife of Carl Dickinson
 1905
2
 5
 Stella and Issie Dickinson, photographs of
 undated
2
 6
 Waitstill and Mercy Dickinson, photographs of
Parents of Henry Clay Dickinson
 undated
2
 7
 Dickinson Family photographs
Includes photographs of Carl C. Dickinson, Stella Dickinson Manwell, and Sam Dickinson
 circa 1889-circa 1896
2
 8
 George and Kate Howland, photographs of
Kate Dickinson Howland was the daughter of Henry Clay and Eleanor Andrus Dickinson
 1897-circa 1940
2
 9
 Dickinson and Howland family photographs
Includes photographs of Henry Clay Dickinson, Eleanor Andrus Dickinson, Isadora "Issie" Dickinson, Nina Dickinson, Carl Dickinson, George Howland, Kate Howland, Walter Howland, and Priscilla Howland
 circa 1903-circa 1930
2
 10
 Howland Brothers - Allen Howland
 circa 1950s
2
 11
 Howland Brothers - Edward Howland
 circa 1863
2
 12
 Howland Brothers - Francis Howland
Father of Florence Howland
 undated
2 13
Howland Brothers - George Howland
George Howland wrote the two books included in this collection.
 undated
2
14
Howland Brothers - Henry Howland
 undated
2
15
Howland Brothers - Walter Howland
 undated
2
16
Howland Brothers - William Howland and son, Will
 circa 1870-1884
2
17
Howland Brothers - copy prints and reference notes
1997, 2016
2
18
Dickinson houses of South Amherst
circa 1885-1939
2
19
Easthampton, MA and Thayer Family Photographs
Nina Thayer of Easthampton married Carl Dickinson and moved to South Amherst
circa 1887-circa 1914
2
20
South Amherst Views
Includes Poor Farm, Common, Shays St., and South Congregational Church
 circa 1887-circa 1930
2
21
Civil War portraits from Henry Clay Dickinson
Note from original envelope: Perhaps his friends, associates in the 19th Co. Mass. Volunteers
circa 1864
2
22
Letter to Carl and Nina Dickinson from Ralph Howlett
Describes new homes in South Amherst; includes hand-drawn map and photographs
1944
2
23
Letter to Eleanor A. Dickinson from Henry, Kate, and Issie Dickinson
1884
2
24
Henry C. Dickinson Civil War reference letter
September 12, 1864
2
25
Carl Dickinson recalls South Amherst Town farm (photocopy)
 
2
26
Ephemera
Postcards of Easthampton, Northampton, and Sunderland; Souvenir booklet, "Bits of Our Berkshire"
 1901-circa 1910
2
27
Genealogical Information
2016
2
book
Little Voices by George Howland
undated
2
book
Virgil's Aeneid translated by George Howland
1884


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