Postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Posing Underwater in Costume

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Dublin Core

Title

Postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Posing Underwater in Costume

Alternative Title

Color Postcard: Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Posing underwater in Costume, February 13, 1964

Subject

Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Photograph albums--1960-1970
tourism & museum
Tourism--1960-1980
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Theater--20th century

Description

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 the new underwater spectacle at the Spring of Live Mermaids, Weeki Wachee, Florida. Color Photo by Ted Lagerberg." Handwritten beneath previous text reads, "Feb 13-64."

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.

Abstract

Color postcard of Bonnie Georgiadis Performing Underwater Show

Creator

Weeki Wachee Spring State Park

Source

Lagerber, Ted. Original color postcard of Bonnie Georgiadis Underwater, February 13, 1964: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Collection.

Publisher

Date Created

1964-02-13

Contributor

Lagerberg, Ted

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original postcard: February 13, 1964. Scanned by RICHES team. RICHES, Orlando, Florida.

Is Part Of

Format

image/jpg

Extent

8.74 MB
3.46 MB

Medium

Color Postcard

Type

Still Image

Coverage

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Humanitites Teacher
Visual Arts Teacher
Theater Teacher

Provenance

Originally created by Weeki Wachee Springs, owned by Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, and published by RICHES.

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

Florida Humanities Council Community Grant Program and Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

Curator

Schwandt, Rebecca

Digital Collection

Source Repository

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park 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.
Georgiadis, Bonnie and Lu Vickers. Weeki Wachee Mermaids. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.
Hollis, Tim. Glass Bottom Boats and Mermaid Tails: Florida’s Tourist Springs. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2006.
Pelland, Dan and Maryan Pelland. Images of America: Weeki Wachee. Mount Pleasant: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
Revels, Tracy J. Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2011.
Vickers, Lu. Weeki Wachee City of Mermaids: A History of One of Florida’s Oldest Roadside Attractions. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007.

Citation

Weeki Wachee Spring State Park, “Postcard of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Bonnie Georgiadis Posing Underwater in Costume,” RICHES, accessed December 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/11187.

Locations

Categories