Every week we share a different image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia. The last image we shared is shown above.

Check out this old print! When do you think it dates to? See any recognizable landmarks to help identify the location on the lake? What type of ships are pictured? Can you tell us anything about the possible history of what is shown in any of these scenes? Please click on the image to enlarge and better see the details!

The caption under the central print reads: “Timber Raft on Lake Champlain.” Near the bottom is the text “J. & F. Tallis, London & New York” — perhaps that was the publisher and/or distributor of the print?

Here’s just a bit of what the community already had to say about the image:

Dianne B Lansing: Before my time!

And the scenes are before any of our lifetime! Hundreds of years ago according to a date that appears in two places…

On the bottom left and right of the main print there are smaller sketches with the caption: “Naval engagement on Lake Champlain. 1776.” So that was during the Revolutionary War and is likely the colonists vs. the British. One image shows ships alight with flames and the other has cannon balls firing.

At the top of the central print is another smaller sketch, although this one is a peaceful scene of what looks like 3 smaller sailboats. I’m not well-versed in ship types. What do you think?

As for the central print itself, that features the timber rafts on the lake along with some type of sail boat. The rafts themselves seem to have paddles and sails and even a little hut with a fire (smoke is rising from). They don’t seem to be transporting anything, although there are several people aboard each raft.

Do you have any other thoughts to share? Please leave a comment below!

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (also brochures, postcards, menus, tickets, artifacts, etc.) on the blog please email us at editor [AT] essexonlakechamplain [DOT] com.