Left: postcard of Haines Falls. Right: watercolor of the same view by Karen Rhodes.
Revisiting Our Landmarks T
he Windham Arts Alliance and the Main Street Community Center are very excited to host a very special Opening and Reception of the Revisiting Our Landmarks Show on September 9, 2023. From 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm Dede Thorpe and Larry Tompkins will discuss the history of the postcard sites. Larry, a local historian and past president of the Mountaintop Historical Society, has worked to preserve the history, warmth and charm of Windham with his large collection of postcards, photos and stories. Hunter historian Dede Thorpe says, “I enjoy researching the Mountain Top’s amazing history. I’m looking forward to joining others in the upcoming postcard and history on September 9. The more we learn about our history, the more we love where we live.” It is a special treat to be able to combine the artistic works from members of our community with a presentation on the historic sites that these artists have explored and other local landmarks on the Mountaintop and in the surrounding communities. Mara Lehmann will lead a discussion of the artwork. For the past 25 years Mara has been a well-known landscape painter of mountaintop scenes. She says “I am delighted to see other artistic interpretations of the same landmarks that have inspired my own paintings. From 2:30 to 3:00 pm visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the works of art and speak to the artists at a Meet and Greet. From 3:00 to 5:00 pm we are excited to have a perfor-
mance by Lizzy G. & Oly, a female duo featuring the eclectic music of guitarist and singer Lizzy Gross, and percussionist Olympia Avignone, versed in a range of global drumming traditions, including North & West African, Latin American, and Caribbean grooves. Together, as one fan put it, “they take songs we all know and turn them into an experience.” Everyone is welcome and the event is free. This show, Revisiting Our Landmarks, will combine the history of our beautiful communities with art of the present. Using historical postcards or old photos as a basis for investigating how life was in the past, the artists, using a medium of their choice, will show what the place is like today. Both the old and new scenes will be hung together. There were many surprises as we looked at the old post cards and realized how vibrant and busy the Mountaintop communities were in the past. I got a particular chuckle out of seeing more than 100 people watching television in front of what was Harry Miller’s department store and Red Bailey’s Electronics store in 1948. The store was on Main Street in Windham, where the Tap House is today. A second image of the Miller’s Store from 1906 was chosen by Carol Tenerowicz as the subject of her lithograph. Carol says, “I chose this image because the Millers were my grandmother’s family. When she arrived from Lithuania, Elka Schenedovich was given an Ellis Island name. Thus, she became September 2023 • GUIDE 69