Calvert, Mary (1904 - 2000)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Mary R. Calvert was born in Madison, ME and graduated from Madison High School. She married French ex-patriate and WWI veteran Francis Calvert in 1924 and they travelled all over the United States, first while he worked for General Electric, then as they founded several of their own companies. She learned photography to take photos of their products and continued it as a hobby, specializing in nature photography, winning several awards. She published three books of her collections of photographs. From photographing the Arnold Expedition Re-enactment in 1975 and the last of the Kennebec River log drive in 1976, she became interested in the history of Maine and started writing about it. She was a member of the Photographic Society of America, past president of the Woman's Photography Society of Cleveland, a member of the National League of American Penwomen, the Lincoln County Camera Club, the New England Wildflower Society, the Maine Society of Mayflower Descendants and the DAR, Pemaquid Chapter, and a life member of the Arnold Expedition Historical Society. She received the Deborah Morton Award at the 1983 commencement exercises at Westbrook College for her photography and writing. At the dedication of the Westbrook College Library, the Maine Women in History Room was named in her honor and a collection of her books and photographs is housed in the room named after her in the Katz Library at the University of Maine, Augusta.

Selected Bibliography

  • Maine Captured in Color (1980)
  • Nature Trails Captured in Color (1982)
  • Dawn over the Kennebec (1983)
  • The Kennebec Wilderness Awakens (1986)
  • Children (1988)
  • Black Robe on the Kennebec (1991)
  • The First Maine Cavalry (1997)