I just couldn’t resist this. A nearby plaque reads: “‘olde main street’. Franc Palaia, artist. Storefronts depicted in the 130′ by 16′ mural were popular and well known businesses in downtown Poughkeepsie around the turn of the century. A lengthy biography of the artist can be found here.

I loved the many pieces of whimsy: the cat sleeping in the window; the bicycle leaning against the wall; the face peeping out from behind drapes in the upstairs window; the movie projector in another window; and finally the photographer himself/herself at work behind the downstairs window – note the flash being fired.

A broader view of the painted storefronts.