Dan Dixey was eating breakfast at the Driftwood with his grandson a few weeks ago when Thomas Underwood spotted him and approached. Underwood had discovered a new trove of old Marblehead photos, and he knew Dixey was the right person to preserve them.
Dixey has become the unofficial keeper of old Marblehead photos. He’s collected thousands of photographs, negatives, slides and even stereocards of Marblehead, dating back to the 1860s.
Where does he get them all? Dixey scours estate sales and collections. And people like Underwood approach him with their old family photos because they know how much he values them.
Once a photograph lands in his care, Dixey’s real work begins. He researches when and where each image was taken, poring over old newspaper articles, archival records, old insurance maps and even Google Earth. He also turns to the public, posting images on social media and asking followers to help identify people, places and moments frozen in time.
One of Underwood’s photos shows a young boy standing with a dog, Abbot Hall visible in the distance. Dixey posted the image to Facebook, hoping someone might recognize the scene.
Marblehead delivered.
“I posted the photo today of the boy with the dog, only identified as ‘Kenny, age 11,’” Dixey told the Current. “A family member recognized the boy and the dog. Kenny — Kenneth MacAskill — just passed away in November at age 90. They also think the photo was taken a block from his home on Roosevelt Avenue. I’ll walk around that area tomorrow to see if I can pinpoint the exact yard. Love it when information comes out.”
Another image from the Underwood collection shows a group of girls holding a basketball while sitting on what appear to be school steps. Dixey leaned in to study the black-and-white photo, looking for clues.
“A lot of these had the year stamped on the ball,” he said. “Oh, shoot — they didn’t on this one. So this might be a little older. I’ll have to look at the doors and see if this was even at the high school. It might have been at the Academy building on Pleasant Street.”
For Dixey, unraveling each mystery is part of the appeal — especially when every photograph ties back to the town he calls home.
“It’s a lot of detective work,” he said with a laugh.
Over the years, Dixey has built detailed databases cataloging local landmarks, retailers, parades, views and more, complete with dates and notes. He uses them as cross-references to help identify new discoveries — and to ensure Marblehead’s visual history is preserved, one photo at a time.
Dixey has published four books about Marblehead. His latest, “Marblehead Facts, History & Old Photos,” is packed with 200 pictures and stories from around town. Photos date back to the 1860s; the stories go back to 1629. Dixey also shot and produced a documentary about lobstering in town. Learn more at his website, marbleheadimages.com.
