Vintage Postcard: Essex Main Street 1973 by Sylvia Alberts

1973 Essex, New York painting/postcard by S. Alberts

We shared the vintage postcard above on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page last Monday and invited our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia. This postcard is a copy of an original painting by Sylvia Alberts. The painting captures the essence of Essex’s Main Street in 1973. The buildings Alberts chose to paint are not actually next to each other in reality, but she chose them for another reason—perhaps they were important to her, or they were the most well-known/busy at the time, or they were simply fun or challenging to recreate?

Take a look at the fantastic comments and conversation this image gathered to learn more:

Christine Herrmann: The artist is Sylvia Alberts, and I have one of these postcards! The buildings: the old fire station painted the way it was when I first came to Essex; the Hobby Horse (formerly the Coffee Pot and now the Neighborhood Nest); Harold Tart’s grocery store (where my young son once bought a box of Lucky Charms that was so old the marshmallows had evaporated!); the Edwards Store (corner of Main & School Sts.) which at one time was Mr. Bellows liquor store and is now a private home.

Dianne Lansing: Dog on the left is Rex Peden. Isabel Lowry is 3rd from left with a purse. Mrs. Wells with her small dog (can’t remember its name) is second from the right. Doug Peden is one of the two men on the left. I think it is Sally on the bike because she always wanted to go fast. Check out the original painting on the wall in the post office.

Patricia Gardner: I think Sally Johnson came in one day and asked if I would put it in the lobby. Said sure and it’s been there since.

Christine Herrmann: Dianne, I didn’t realize the people were “real” people. I remember Doug Peden and Mrs. Wells.

Kristen Eden: Isn’t Doug talking to Bates Lowry? And the tall old man talking to Sally is Warren Cross… I think

Martha Clark: So glad to see this wonderful postcard!

Martha Babcock McGraw: One on my favorite postcards!

Vintage Postcard: Essex Bay (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: The Old Dock Coffee House, Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: St. Joseph’s Church (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Essex Main Street Winter Scene (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Main Street Parade (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Essex, NY from Lake Champlain (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Editorial Staff

Posts published under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices, and/or they may be first-time submissions from someone/some organization without a byline of their own; if latter, then the author will be acknowledged in the post. To submit your news for publication on the Essex blog please use the Submit a Story form or contact the editors via email (blue button above).