Taking a peek at Schenectady in the ’20s

Schenectady’s bustling downtown of the 1920s included department stores, restaurants, hardware store

gallery_items:

1 of 6 - Men and women leave the General Electric Co., walking toward State Street next to the Erie Canal around the early 1920s. (Photos from the Carole Schumacher collection)

2 of 6 - Two young men stand outside the Union National Bank at 342 State St. One of their friends might have been inside, pulling a job — making a deposit or withdrawal. (From the Carole Schumacher collection)

3 of 6 - Shoppers on Schenectady’s State Street during the 1920s could visit the Carl Co., Waldorf Lunch, Gold’s women’s shop and Dr. Pletman, the dentist — among other businesses. (From the Carole Schumacher collection)

4 of 6 - A dapper gent smiles for the camera as he enters the Parker Building at 434 State St. A ghostly lad at far right might have been wishing for a reason to visit Citizen’s Trust. A little dough would have helped his summer plans during the 1920s. (From the Carole Schumacher collection)

5 of 6 - Men mad about advertising during the 1920s loved buildings at State and Clinton Streets — the ad guys’ billboards advertised Coca-Cola, Abso-fresh cakes — “No foolin’, they’re good!” — and the Beyer and Gelber fur shops. (From the Carole Schumacher Collection)

6 of 6 - State Street at Nott Terrace is seen during the early 1920s. (From the Carole Schumacher Collection)

Men and women left the General Electric Co. during the early 1920s.

Dressed in long skirts and jackets and ties, they walked past the Erie Canal. And past the City Hotel and an assortment of small stores. If they were heading into downtown Schenectady, there were other places to see.

The city’s bustling downtown of the era included department stores, restaurants, hardware stores, banks and real estate offices. People saw advertisements on tops of buildings, and learned there wasn’t a “cough in a carload” of Old Gold cigarettes. They read that new Chevrolet cars offered the “smoothest” rides in the company’s history.

An optometrist used a visual trick to attract customers — a large pair of “eyeglasses” hung near the top of the Felson building at State and Nott Terrace.

People parked their cars in front of banks such as the Union National Bank. The Citizens Trust Co., by the Parker Building at 434 State, received walk-in customers.

View Comments

Hide Comments