Mermaid Motel

mermaid.jpg
mermaid2.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Mermaid Motel

Alternative Title

The Mermaid Motel

Subject

Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Mermaids--Florida
Hotels--Florida
Buildings--Florida

Description

A postcard showcasing the lobby of the Mermaid Motel, which was located directly across the street from Weeki Wachee Springs. Two cars are parked under a pavilion next to the building. The back of the postcard features an add that describes the amenities of the motel, including comfortable rooms and a restaurant.

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.

Creator

Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"
Florida Natural Color
Mermaid Motel

Source

Original color postcard by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher, Florida Natural Color and Mermaid Motel: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.

Publisher

Date Created

ca. 1950-1959

Date Copyrighted

ca. 1950-1959

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original color postcard by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher, Florida Natural Color and Mermaid Motel.

Is Part Of

Weeki Wachee Collection, Hernando County Collection, RICHES.

Format

image/jpg

Extent

13.7 MB

Medium

color postcard

Language

eng

Type

Still Images

Coverage

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Brooksville, Florida

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Humanities Teacher

Provenance

Originally created and published by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher, Mermaid Motel and Florida Natural Color, Inc.

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is held by Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.

Contributing Project

Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project

Curator

Schwandt, Rebecca

Digital Collection

External Reference

Allman, T.D. Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2013.
Ammidown, Margot. "Edens, Underworlds, and Shrines: Florida’s Small Tourist Attractions." The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts 23, 1998, 238-259. Accessed November 9, 2018. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1504171?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
Georgiadis, Bonnie and Lu Vickers. Weeki Wachee mermaids: thirty years of underwater photography. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.
Mermaid Tails: Florida's Tourist Springs. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2006.
Pelland, Maryan. Weeki Wachee Springs. Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2006. .
Revels, Tracy J. Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2011.
Vickers, Lu, and Sara Dionne. Weeki Wachee, City of Mermaids: A History of One of Florida's Oldest Roadside Attractions. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007.

Citation

Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky", Florida Natural Color, and Mermaid Motel, “Mermaid Motel,” RICHES, accessed December 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/10485.

Locations

Categories