Denis and Mary Lyons family photographs

Collection

Identifier: MS-1986-052

Content Description

Black-and-white photographs taken by A. H. Mellett of Wakefield, Massachusetts, of the property of the Lyons family. Includes three photographs of the house and grounds at 556 Lowell Street, Wakefield, built for Denis Lyons. Nineteen photographs are of antique automobiles from 1898-1951, presumably collected by a family member. All but four of the cars date to before 1927. According to an article in the Boston Globe, Arthur Lyons donated at least two vehicles to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC upon his death. The automobile photographs are accompanied by handwritten notes with their make and year.

Dates

Creation: after 1951

Creator

Mellett, A. H. (Alfred H.) (1911-2007) (Person)

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Biographical Note: Denis and Mary Lyons family

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Denis Lyons (1860-1927) and Mary M. (Sullivan) Lyons (1875-1960) constructed a home at 556 Lowell Street, Wakefield, Massachusetts in 1894. Denis was a wholesale liquor importer who worked for John Nagle and Company. Denis and Mary had three sons, John D. (born 1897), William (born 1899), and Arthur (born 1901), and two daughters, Mary (born 1896) and Agnes (born 1908). Denis died in 1927 and Mary in 1960.

John and Arthur both studied at Boston College (classes of 1921 and 1924), then St. John's Seminary, and were ordained priests, John in 1926 and Arthur in 1929. John served in Lynn, Newton, Wollaston, and Dedham before becoming the first pastor of St. Denis parish in Islington, where he remained until his retirement in 1962. He died in 1976. Arthur served in Brockton, Cohasset, and Lynn. He was the business manager of the Pilot newspaper, and was named archdiocesan director of cemeteries. He became pastor of Star of the Sea church in Marblehead in 1958. He died in 1964.

Sources:

"Fr. John Lyons, retired pastor in Islington." Boston Globe. May 22, 1976, pg. 26.

"John Nagle and Co. Wholesale Liquor Dealers" advertisement. Pilot, Volume 49, Number 28, 10 July 1886.

"Lyons Will Remembers Charities." Boston Globe. Sep 17, 1964, pg. 7.

"Mrs. Mary Lyons, Mother of 2 Priests, Dies in Wakefield." Boston Globe. Apr 18, 1960, pg. 27.

"Msgr. Lyons: Pastor in Marblehead." Boston Globe. Aug 4, 1964, pg. 23.

Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note: A. H. Mellett

Alfred H. Mellett was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts on March 22, 1911 to Arthur W. and Emma L. (Edwards) Mellett. He worked in construction project management for the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, Metcalf & Eddy, and Charles T. Main in New England. He then supervised construction of a hydroelectric system in Turkey and electrification facilities in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Dominican Republic. Mellet was also a photographer, and he took photographs throughout his travels, as well as at home in Massachusetts. He died in 2007 in Salem, Massachusetts.

Source:

"Alfred H. Mellet" obituary. WickedLocal.com, September 24, 2007. Accessed on January 6, 2026.

Full Extent

.25 Linear Feet (1 container)

Language of Materials

No linguistic content; Not applicable

Additional Description

Abstract

Black-and-white photographs of property owned by the family of Denis and Mary Lyons in Wakefield, Massachusetts in the early 1950s. Includes a collection of automobiles and the family home.

Provenance

Because the current accessioning system was not used until January 1986, it is not possible to know exactly the dates of acquisition of materials received before that time. However, notes with the automobile photographs are on St. Denis Rectory letterhead, suggesting that Boston College alumnus John Lyons may have been the source.

Related Materials

For photographs belonging to another Boston-area business family, see:

John Donnelly & Sons records, MS.2012.004, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

For more vehicle-related photographs, see:

Boston Elevated Railway Company photograph album, MS.2016.041, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Processing Information

The notes with makes and years of automobiles were loose between the photographs. There is the possibility of that some were out of place when they were paired with the photographs. Note that Denis Lyons's name is variously spelled "Dennis" in some sources.