'I Love Lucy' in Jamestown, NY

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Photo and story by Jason Dozier

Some of the most unique photos I’ve taken have been the result of unplanned or accidental situations. One such occassion was a delivery I was making to a small, upstate New York town of Lakewood. My plan was to arrive late at night, drop off a delivery, and head back to Indianapolis, where I could complete my round trip in a little over 14 hours. It was cold and rainy so I assumed there would be few, if any, photo opportunities on this trip.

The delivery took longer than expected, and I had to stay over in a Red Roof Inn in nearby Falconer, New York. I was back at my delivery location well before daybreak the next morning, then was prepared to head back to Indy.

That’s when the unexpected photo opportunity popped up in the form of a painted mural on the side of a building in downtown Jamestown, New York that featured a scene out of an “I Love Lucy” episode. Jamestown has a small downtown area with a nostalgic look and feel, but it’s unique claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of the late actress/comedian Lucille Ball.

The town celebrates her and her husband Desi Arnaz’s legacy with references throughout the town, including a museum. The Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy has exhibits that include photos, original costumes, and recreated sets from the most famous show in television history, and one of my favorite childhood shows from the age of only four television channels to choose from.

These sort of photo opportunities are hard to plan, but very satisfying when photographed. After a few trips around the small downtown area I was back on the road headed for home.