Weeki Wachee Collection

Dublin Core

Title

Weeki Wachee Collection

Alternative Title

Weeki Wachee Collection

Subject

Weeki Wachee (Fla.)
Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Springs--Florida
Parks--Florida

Description

Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.

Contributor

Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"

Is Part Of

Language

eng

Type

Collection

Spatial Coverage

Weeki Wachee Springs, Spring Hill, Florida

Contributing Project

Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project

Curator

Schwandt, Rebecca

Digital Collection

External Reference

"History of Weeki Wachee Springs." Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. http://weekiwachee.com/about-us/history-of-weeki-wachee-springs.html.
Pelland, Maryan, and Dan Pelland. Weeki Wachee Springs. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2005.
Vickers, Lu, and Bonnie Georgiadis. Weeki Wachee Mermaids: Thirty Years of Underwater Photography. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.

Collection Items

Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Staged Underwater Dining Scene
Photograph of three Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are eating watermelon and breathing using air hoses while sitting at a table placed on the bottom of a body of…

Exterior of the Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Exterior photograph of the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving…

Newton "Newt" Perry in Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with three men in an underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. One of the men is holding a movie camera. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family…

Weekiwachee's Underwater Ballet
Clipping of newspaper article about Weeki Wachee Springs State Park published in an unidentified newspaper around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of…

Mermaids Performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of mermaids performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The three mermaids sit on boards in the water. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a…

Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Underwater Theater
Photograph of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving…

Visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of a line of visitors to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park outside the underwater theater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the…

Fish Swimming in Front of an Underwater Filming Tank
Photograph of a fish swimming in front of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater…

Underwater Filming Tank Designed by Newton "Newt" Perry
Photograph of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton "Newt" Perry was…

Mermaid Underwater with Air Hose
Underwater photograph of a mermaid wearing goggles and holding an air hose at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (February 23, 1957)
A letter from the manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated February 23, 1957. Colson expresses her belief that the upcoming tourist season would be one of the best yet, for both Weeki…

Letter from John M. May to Joe D. Seltzer (July 7, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of Weeki Wachee Springs, Joe D. Seltzer. In the letter, May tentatively agrees to Seltzer's plan to create another walkway to the museum, but expresses hesitation…

Letter from Joe D. Seltzer to John M. May (June 17, 1959)
A letter from the manager of Weeki Wachee Springs, Joe D. Seltzer, to the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, dated June 17, 1959. In the letter, Seltzer expresses his and his company's wish to build a new walkway and parking lot…

Letter from John M. May to John T. Creighton (November 20, 1963)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to University of Florida entomology professor John T. Creighton, dated November 20, 1963. May extended a warm invitation to Creighton and his colleagues to visit the May Museum,…

Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (May 7, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated May 7, 1959. In the letter, May apologizes to Colson for not informing her sooner about how to handle counting groups of…

Letter from Charles P. Kimball to John M. May (June 7, 1957)
A letter from entomologist Charles P. Kimball to the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, dated June 7, 1957. In the letter, Kimball details an insect trap design that utilizes thin plastic instead of glass, to allow more sunlight…

Weeki Wachee Springs Memo (February 21, 1963)
A memo from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park manager T.P. Brinzo, circulated to all departments, dated February 21, 1963. The memo informed the entirety of the Springs that new equipment had been acquired for the underwater mermaid shows to help…

Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (January 14, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated January 14, 1959. May expresses his hopes that Colson is feeling better, as she recently had the flu, and informs her that his…

Letter from John M. May to the Employees of the May Museum of the Tropics (January 8, 1959)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the employees of the museum, dated January 8, 1959. May asks his employees to water the plants around the outside of the museum to ensure they don't wilt or die, and hopes that…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (March 1, 1959)
A letter from the manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated March 1, 1959. The letter celebrates the recent high number of visitors that the Museum had. Additionally, the letter informs…

Newt Perry Announcing a Mermaid Show at Weeki Wachee Spring's Underwater Theater
Newt Perry announcing a mermaid show in the first underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs. There are 15 guests watching the performance, sitting on fruit crates. This image was taken sometime between 1948 and 1960.

Newton "Newt" Perry was born…

Newt Perry and Weeki Wachee Mermaid Performing Show
Newt Perry and a Weeki Wachee mermaid posing underwater, performing a show. The two are swimming near a prop that resembles a castle.

Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922.…

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Sitting in a Circle
20 Weeki Wachee mermaids posing for a photograph by sitting in a large circle. The photograph was taken sometime in the 1950s.

Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Posing Underwater in Costume Tail
Weeki Wachee Springs

Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida. Perry earned the nickname "The…

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Eating Watermelon Underwater
Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids eating watermelon underwater. Before the mermaids performed plays, their shows consisted of underwater ballet, a deep dive into the depths of the spring, and other stunts. A common stunt the mermaids performed was to eat…

Weeki Wachee Springs Swimming Area, c. 1950s
Early image of Weeki Wachee Springs swimming area and parking lot, taken sometime between 1948 and 1960.


Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the…

Weeki Wachee Springs Brochure, c. 1950s
Trifold brochure of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park highlighting the park's attractions in the 1950s, such as the May Museum of the Tropiscs. For a little over a decade, the May family of Colorado displayed some of their family's private collection…

Two Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Costume Performing a Scene from "Peter Pan"
Kodak Safety Film Strip consisting of two images. These images show two Weeki Wachee mermaids performing a scene from "Peter Pan." One mermaid is in a Captain Hook costume and the other is in an alligator costume. A prop pirate ship is pictured…

Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater Postcard
Color postcard with an image of Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids posing on top of the newly constructed underwater theater. Text on the back reads, "Weeki Wachee, Florida's underwater grand canyon presents a new million dollar underwater aqua-theatre…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Feeding a Fish Underwater
Mermaid Rita King feeding a fish underwater. In one hand she is holding food and the other hand is holding an air hose. She is kneeling on the spring floor. Photograph taken in the 1960s. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki…

Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids Performing on the Hydraulic Lift
A Weeki Wachee Springs underwater performance. The image shows two Weeki Wachee mermaids standing on the hydraulic lift that ABC installed in the springs in the 1960s. There is a third mermaid mid-pose in front of the bydraulic lift. As the picture…

Holiday Inn Staff Posing in Front of Hotel Sign in Celebration of 9th Anniversary
The staff of the Weeki Wachee Holiday Inn standing in front of the hotel's iconic sign. The marquee on the sign reads, "Our 9th Anniversary June 5 1975." This Holiday Inn was located directly across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs and opened in…

Postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Posing Underwater in Costume
Color postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in a costume, mid-ballet move during an underwater performance. Text on back of postcard reads, "The underwater acrobatic butterfly ballet is just one of eight big scenes produced for…

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Sitting in Front of Hercules Beetle Statue
Color postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids sitting in front of a Hercules Beetle Statue and the May Museum of the Tropics. For a little over a decade, the May family of Colorado displayed some of their family's private collection of tropical…

Weeki Wachee Tourist Standing Near Sign Advertising Mermaid Positions
Color photograph of a tourist visiting Weeki Wachee Springs in 1964. The tourist is standing beside a sign that reads, "Openings for Mermaid Training School Apply Here." Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Posing Underwater with a Welcome Home Sign for Her Parents
Weeki Wachee mermaid Rita King posing underwater with a handmade sign, dressed in a mermaid tail. The sign reads, "Welcome Home Mom, Dad Your Mermaid Missed You!" Rita surprised her parents with this sign at the beginning of the first mermaid show…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Lydia Dodson Posing Underwater
Lydia Dodson posing underwater in June of 1970. Lydia Dodson was a Weeki Wachee Mermaid in the 1970s and more recently joined ranks of the Legendary Sirens.

Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Performing at a Mermaid Reunion
Rita King, a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, in costume, performing an acrobatic routine. This event was one of the many mermaid reunions that Weeki Wachee Springs hosted, where they invited former mermaids to attend special events. This particular…

Mermaid Geanie L.W. Brooks Dressed as a Witch Posing Underwater
Mermaid Geanie L. W. Brooks dressed as a witch posing underwater at Weeki Wachee Springs. In the background is a sign in the shape of a jack-o-lantern in a tophat. On the tophat are the words "Weekii Wachee Witches." Geanie learned how to weld…

Geanie L.W. Brooks with her Four Children in Front of Weeki Wachee's Mermaid Villa
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Geanie L. W. Brooks and her four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, sitting under a Weeki Wachee Sign outside of the Mermaid Villa. Geanie learned how to weld andoperate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War…

Geanie L.W. Brooks in Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Uniform Operating a Caterpillar D-7 Bulldozer
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Weeki Wachee uniform (a swimsuit) operating a Caterpillar D-7 bulldozer. Geanie learned how to operate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War II. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio…

Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Welding Uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard in Tampa during WWII
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her welding uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard. Geanie learned how to weld and work with heavy machinery at this shipyard during World War II. McCloskey Shipyard paid welding trainees 63 cents and hour to train there and 17% of…

Bonnie Georgiadis at an Archeological dig at Weeki Wachee Springs, July, 1970.
Bonnie Georgiadis assisting an archeological dig of a Native American burial mound at Weeki Wachee Springs in July of 1970. She is using archeological tools to uncover a vase. The dig was conducted by the University of Florida. Along with a group of…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Announcing a Show
Mermaid Bonnier Georgiadis sitting on the edge of the underwater theater's windows holding a microphone, announcing a show. Two mermaids are pictured behind her in mid pose. Bonnie Georgiadis worked at Weeki Wachee for a total of 37 years. 13 years…

Bonnie Georgiadis Releasing Rehabilitated Bald Eagle
Weeki Wachee Springs Bird Department Manager Bonnie Georgiadis about to release one of the two bald eagles she helped rehabilitate. She rehabilitated an eagle in 1985. The eagle got caught in some barbed wire and broke its collarbone at a cattle…

Mermaid Trainer Bonnie Georgiadis Displaying Proper Form for 6 Trainees
Mermaid Trainer Bonnie Georgiadis training six mermaids on proper form of a position for a publicity photo. Bonnie Georgiadis worked at Weeki Wachee for a total of 37 years. 13 years as a mermaid and trainer, 7 as a show producer and choreographer,…

Bicentennial Edition of Weeki Wachee Springs' Trifold Brochure, Featuring Mermaid Rebecca Young
Bicentennial edition of Weeki Wachee Springs' trifold brochure, c. 1976. The mermaid mock playing the flute is Rebecca Young (previously Stahlhut). This photoshoot is the one she is most proud of from her time as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The…

Letter from Dorothy Gray, Ltd. Publicity Director Mayreen Logan to Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rebecca Stahlhut Thanking Her for Modeling Their Products
Letter written by Dorothy Gray, Ltd. Publicity Director Maureen Logan to Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rebecca Stahlhut (later Rebecca Young). The letter was written on April 24, 1975. In the letter Maureen thanks Rebecca for modeling Dorothy Gray products,…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb Drinking an RC Cola Underwater
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb drinking an RC Cola underwater in the 1960s. Florence is kneeling on some seagrass, holding the airhose to her side. Weeki Wachee mermaids drank soda and ate bananas during their shows, before the mermaid shows…

Weeki Wachee Springs Gift Shop
Black and white photograph of a portion of Weeki Wachee's gift shop, taken in the 1960s. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming…

Map of Weeki Wachee after ABC Bought the Attraction
This map is a part of a booklet about Weeki Wachee Springs. The booklet was made sometime after the corporation American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased the park. The map also shows the underwater theater, labeled D, as having a flat roof. This…

Weeki Wachee Company Van
Photograph of the Volkswagen van that Weeki Wachee used to bus employees to the springs. The van is parked in from of the Weeki Wachee entrance sign.Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of…

Three Weeki Wachee Mermaids Performing Underwater
Postcard depicting three Weeki Wachee Mermaids performing in a show. Two of the mermaids are dressed up in leis and hula skirts and the other is wearing a Hawaiian shirt playing a ukelele. Mermaids are standing on a metal platform that is a hydraulic…

Weeki Wachee Springs' Original Underwater Theater
Weeki Wachee's original underwater theater. Photogrpah taken in 1959.Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel Speaking to Guests
Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis in uniform (wearing an Alix of Miami Swimsuit) speaking to guests in the lobby of the Mermaid Motel. Behind Bonnie are rows of guest books, one for each state for visitors to the motel to sign into. The…

Business Card of E. D. Gothberg, Owner of Weeki Wachee Motor Lodge
Business card of E. D. Gothberg, owner and operator of Weeki Wachee Motor Lodge and Mermaid Motel. The Weeki Wachee Motor Lodge was located near the attraction and the motel was directly across from Weeki Wachee Springs. Many mermaids lived in the…

Florence and Charles McNabb Holding Trophies won During a Diving Competition
Photograph of Florence and Charles McNabb holding trophies they won at an amateur skin diving competition at Rainbow Springs. The couple both worked at Weeki Wachee Springs, and would often participate in swimming competitions. In this competition,…

Florence McNabb, Charles McNabb, and Their Two Sons, David and Michael, Leaving Church
Black and white photograph of Florence McNabb, husband Charles McNabb, and their two sons, Michael and David, leaving church. Florence is shaking their minister's hand. Florence McNabb was a Weeki Wachee Mermaid in the 1950s. Her husband also worked…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Florence McNabb Posing Underwater in Costume
Photograph of Florence McNabb posing underwater in a mermaid costume at Weeki Wachee Springs in the 1950s. Florence was the daughter of Ed and Vera Gothberg, who owned the Mermaid Motel that was across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs until 1966.…

Lauren Dodson Posing in her Mermaid Uniform at the Weeki Wachee Springs Docks
Weeki Wachee Springs mermaid Lauren Dodson in costume with a mermaid tail on posing on the dock of the spring. Lauren Dodson was a mermaid from 2007 to 2012 and is the daughter of Lydia Dodson, who was a Weeki Wachee mermaid in the 1970s. Along with…

Recap of Weeki Wachee Spring's 1969 Annual Mermaid Reunion
"Weeki Wachee Calling" is a 4-page pictoral report of the 9th annual Weeki Wachee Spring's Mermaid Reunion. The first page is written as if it is a telegram and thanks guests for attending as well as informing them of the next reunion in 1970. Over…

1969 Weeki Wachee Springs Annual Mermaid Reunion Schedule
For many years, Weeki Wachee Springs held an annual reunion with their former mermaids. The 1969 reunion schedule gives an overview of the events held throughout these reunions, including a swimming race across the spring, an underwater show…

Document Detailing the Acrobatic Routine Performed by Rita King at a Weeki Wachee Mermaid Reunion
This document lists the choreography of the acrobatic routine Rita King (then Rita McKenna) performed at one of the Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Reunions. This event was one of the many mermaid reunions that Weeki Wachee Springs hosted, where they…

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Rita King Performing at a Mermaid Reunion
Photograph of Rita King, a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, dancing on a platform as a band plays. This event was one of the many mermaid reunions that Weeki Wachee Springs hosted, where they invited former mermaids to attend special events. This…

Arlene Brooks Practicing Ballet in the Mermaid Villa
Three strips of safety film with twelve photographs showing Arlene Brooks in several ballet positions. The photographs are assumed to be taken by Weeki Wachee's resident photographer, Sparky Schumacher. These photos were taken in the 1960s.…

New Basis of Pay for Mermaids Effective August 1, 1956
A three-page document given to mermaid Geanie Brooks detailing updated pay rates for Weeki Wachee Mermaids, effective August 1, 1956. The document expresses that the pay increase was made in order to attract better performers and better retain…

Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Performance Evaluation Sheet
Performance evaluation of Geanie Brooks. The text reads: "Geanie 1. Dive 2. Introduction – Not long enough 3. Length of time replacing face mask 4. Back Dolphin – Not centered 5. Surface to Limb – check mark 6. Swim to buoyancy position – okay check…

Hand-written Note Admitting Becky Young into Weeki Wachee Springs for Interview
Hand-written note from mermaid manager Genie Young to Pat, requesting Becky Young's addmitance into Weeki Wachee Springs. The note reads, " Pat, Please admit Becky- She is a try-out and hopefully trainee." Becky was interviewing to become a mermaid.…

Newspaper Article Announcing the Employment of Rebecca Young as a Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid
A newspaper article published on February 22, 1973, in the Marshalltown Times-Republican announcing Rebecca Young's (then Rebecca Stalhhut) employment as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The article reads, "Becky Stahlhut, a mid-term graduate of Marshalltown…

Courtesy Admission Ticket to Weeki Wachee Springs
A courtesy admission ticket to Weeki Wachee Springs, good for one free viewing of an underwater show. The ticket was given to Rebecca Young (then Rebecca Stalhart) on the day of her pre-employment interview and water test, February 20, 1973. Rebecca…

Note from Manager of Weeki Wachee to Becky Young Requesting Interview
A typed note on card stock the size of a business card sent to Rebecca Young from Weeki Wachee Springs, requesting her to come by for an interview. Text reads, "Rebecca: Come up as soon as you can for water test and pre-employment interview." The…

Stock Letter for Those Interested in Becoming Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids, sent to Becky Young in 1972
A typed stock letter sent to Becky Young in 1972 alongside an application for a position as a mermaid. The letter is typed on Weeki Wachee letterhead, which has an image of two performers in a pose underwater as the background. Signed by the Mermaid…

Newton "Newt" Perry Filming Underwater
A photograph of an underwater filming scene showing Newton "Newt" Perry in a diving helmet at an underwater camera, some time between 1950 and 1970. This photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's…

Swimming Area at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
A photograph of a swimming area with bathers in front of a building at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Florida, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a…

Underwater Diver in Diving Suit
Photograph of underwater diver in diving suit with a sunken treasure chest, some time between 1950 and1970. The photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an underwater filmmaker. Newton…

Mermaid Swimming in Front of an Underwater Filming Tank Designed by Newton "Newt" Perry
A photograph of a mermaid swimming in front of an underwater filming tank created by Newton "Newt" Perry some time between 1950 and 1970. The photograph may be either from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or from Newton "Newt" Perry's career as an…

Exterior of Underwater Theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
An exterior photograph of the underwater theater at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Florida, around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming…

Eileen Perry Hogshead
A signed photograph of Eileen Perry Hogshead, the daughter of Newton "Newt" Perry, aged fourteen, as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid. The photograph was taken by Newton Perry around 1950. On the reverse of the photograph is a hand-written caption by Newton.…

Weekiwachee Spring
Advertising card for Weekiwachee Spring from around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was a member of the swimming and diving teams at the University of Florida.…

Letter from Val Darling to Newton "Newt" Perry (March 26, 1981)
A letter dated March 26, 1981, from the Acting Chairman of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Val Darling, to Newton "Newt" Perry, informing Perry of his selection to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame for his "immense contributions to the world of…

Letter from Gaye Guinta to Delee Perry (March 31, 1997)
A letter dated March 31, 1997, from the director of the Museum of Florida History, Gaye Guita, to Delee Perry. In the letter, printed on Florida Department of State letterhead, Gaye Guita invites Delee Perry to attend the opening reception for an new…

Weeki Wachee Live Mermaids
A small poster for Weeki Wachee Springs. The background of the poster is black, featuring a cartoon mermaid and three fish. The text reads, "Weeki Wachee Live Mermaids. U.S. 19 and Florida 50." Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in…

May Museum Exhibit
The original interior of the May Museum of the Tropics. The May Natural…

Letter from John May to Joe and Martha Seltzer (February 25, 1962)
A letter from John May to Joe and Martha Seltzer, the management of Weeki Wachee Springs. The letter details May's sadness that Seltzer was resigning. May expresses that he hopes to remain in contact and that Seltzer and his wife can leave their…

Inside the May Museum of the Tropics
The original interior of the May Museum of the Tropics in the 1950s. In the months following the photograph, several specimen began to droop and wilt in the cases due to humidity. The owner, John May, was forced to hand make new display cases out of…

Entrance to the May Museum of the Tropics
The entrance of the May Museum of the Tropics. Faux thatched roof, tiki sculptures, and a list of countries the insects in the collection came from adorn the space, giving it an exotic feel. …

Construction of Hercules Beetle Sculpture at Weeki Wachee Springs
A team of people guide the placement of a Hercules beetle sculpture in the 1950s. A crane lowers the sculpture in place near the May Museum of the Tropics at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida. The large beetle sculpture served as an advertisement to…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John May (February 11, 1961)
A letter from the manager of the the May Museum of the Tropics, Myrtle Colson, to the owner of the museum, John May. The letter details concerns that the manager was having with an employee as well as her complaints about being excluded from certain…

Employee Rules and Regulations for the May Museum of the Tropics
Six pages of the May Museum of the Tropics employee handbook. The owner of the museum, John May, created the handbook for his employees to follow in the 1960s. The table of contents on the first three pages gives insight to what is included in the…

Sunbathing at Weeki Wachee Springs
A postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs sometime in the late 1950s. Louise Nan Steer mentions this postcard in her oral history interview because the blonde girl in the pink bathing suit in the center of the postcard is her twin sister, Lynda. The rest of…

John May Building the May Museum of the Tropics
John May at the foundation of the May Museum of the Tropics at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida. The date written on the photograph is November 20th, 1953. …

Orchid Gardens at Weeki Wachee Springs
Orchid Gardens at Weeki Wachee Springs. The hothouse, which allowed visitors to view a variety of orchids, was one of the original attractions to join the mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs. …

Letter from John M. May to Myrtle Colson (September 27, 1958)
A letter from John M. May, owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the manager of the museum, Myrtle Colson, dated September 27, 1958. May reassures Colson that she is doing fine, expressing remorse for the losing an employee and hope that their…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (June 1, 1958)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated June 1, 1958. Colson tells May about the increasing sales to the museum due to efforts of the new owner of Weeki Wachee Springs, and…

Letter from John M. May to John T. Greighten (November 20, 1963)
A letter from John M. May, owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, to John T. Creighten, an employee of the Department of Entomology at the University fo Florida, dated November 20, 1963. replying to Mr. Creighten's interest in the museum and its…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (February 25, 1959)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated February 25, 1959. Colson discusses a surprise audit from the owners of Weeki Wachee, The Florida Chain of Theaters. She writes that…

Letter from Myrtle Colson to John M. May (March 28, 1956)
A letter from Myrtle Colson, manager of the May Museum of the Tropics, to the owner of the museum, John M. May, dated March 28, 1956. Myrtle writes that earlier in the day, she allowed an African-American couple to enter the museum, as he had…

Letter from John M. May to Directors of St. Petersburg Springs Co (January 28, 1957)
A letter from the owner of the May Museum of the Tropics, John M. May, to the directors of the St. Petersburg Springs Co., owners of Weeki Wachee Springs, dated January 28, 1957. May discusses his concerns with management and inquires about…

General Company Rules for Mermaids, Swimmers & Trainees
Weeki Wachee Springs employee handbook for mermaids, swimmers and trainees. The first four pages detail scheduling rules, dress code and rules of conduct. Some of the rules for mermaids cover what makeup to wear in and out of the water, where to keep…

Bonnie Georgiadis
Bonnie Georgiadis assisting an archeological dig of a Native American burial mound at Weeki Wachee Springs in July of 1970. She is using archeological tools to uncover a vase. The dig was conducted by the University of Florida. Along with a group of…
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