And at some point during that week, someone had arranged for a photographer to come to the house. Someone had posed the two girls together in the garden, had dressed them in matching white dresses, had positioned them holding hands, had told Lily to look at the camera and try not to cry. Someone had created a photograph that showed both Davey’s daughters together one final time, as if both were still alive.
Helen’s research led her to the archives of the Boston Photographers Guild where she found records of active photographers in 1895. One name appeared in connection with the Davies family. Thomas Blackwell, a photographer who specialized in memorial portraits. His business ledger preserved in the society’s collection contained an entry dated June 7th, 1895.
Davy’s Residence, 44 Beacon Street. Memorial portrait. Two subjects. Special arrangements. Payment $50. $50 in 1895 was an extraordinary sum, roughly $1,800 in modern currency, far more than a typical memorial photograph would cost. Helen searched for more information about Thomas Blackwell and found his personal diary which had been donated to the society in 1957 by his granddaughter.
She requested the diary from storage and when it arrived she carefully turned the fragile pages to June 1895. The entry for June 7th 1895 was longer than most. received urgent summons to the Davy’s household on Beacon Hill. The situation there is among the most disturbing I have encountered in 20 years of memorial photography. The younger daughter, Rose, died of scarlet fever 4 days ago.
