Born Elizabeth Hannah Townend, Meltham, West Yorkshire, England, second oldest of 7 children to farm hand Henry and Sarah Senior Townend. She calls herself “Annie” throughout her life.

Works in Meltham textile mill

Buys photography setup, probably at neighbor’s bankruptcy auction and partners in“Studio of John Powell”. Artistic photos of farm workers housed at Kirklees Local Studies Library are likely hers. Articles explaining the preponderance of evidence are forthcoming.

Couple follows her uncle (Joseph Senior), sister and brother-in-law (Mary Ann and Wright Whiteley) to Lowell, MA. They had been established for several years as weavers and entrepreneurs. They form “Whiteley and Powell” photo studio on 76 Agawam St. near the Concord River. Likely, partnership included the sisters.

Works as uncredited subcontractor documenting worksites for Lowell City Engineers. Collection is part of UMass Lowell archives.

Annie shoots many uncredited photos of tenements for landmark social sciences book, “The Record of a City” by George Kengott. Some of the originals are stored at Harvard University. Articles explaining the preponderance of evidence are forthcoming.

Enumerator in decennial census. Significantly, she canvassed Portuguese neighborhoods. Articles explaining the preponderance of evidence are forthcoming.

Powells lose their mortgage. They leave their house and business. Wright Whiteley assumes ownership of the property.

John and Annie live separately, she probably with siblings before moving to her own tenement room about 1912. John ventures into various businesses, settling on eyeglass fitting. Annie’s photo career eludes the public record.

Shoots series of Portuguese-American photos at Appleton Mill and Lowell’s Back Central neighborhood. These are stored as the Camara Collection at UMass Lowell and are artistically and culturally significant. Several images are also stored at Cornell University. Articles explaining the preponderance of evidence are forthcoming.

John dies of a stomach ulcer at 71.

Dies at 92 of bronchopneumonia. Annie and John are buried in an unmarked family plot at Edson Cemetery, a few steps from the grave of Jack Kerouac.

Bernie Zelitch contacts her descendants and helps identify her final effects.
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