Two Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Costume Performing a Scene from "Peter Pan"

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Dublin Core

Title

Two Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Costume Performing a Scene from "Peter Pan"

Alternative Title

Black and White Photograph: Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids Performing "Peter Pan," c. 1971

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

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 behind the mermaids. Image was taken sometime in 1971, when the show was performed.

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

Black and white photograph of Mermaids Performign "Peter Pan"

Creator

Weeki Wachee Spring State Park
Sparky Schumacher

Source

Original black and white photograph of Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids Performing in "Peter Pan," c. 1971: Private Collection of karen Geiken.

Publisher

RICHES

Date Created

c. 1971

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original photograph: c. 1971. Scanned by RICHES team. RICHES, Orlando, Florida.

Is Part Of

Format

image/jpg

Extent

2.15 MB

Medium

B&W Photograph

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 Sparky Schumacher, owned by Karen Geiken, and published by RICHES.

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is held by Karen Geiken 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

Private Collection of Karen Geiken.

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 and Sparky Schumacher, “Two Weeki Wachee Mermaids in Costume Performing a Scene from "Peter Pan",” RICHES, accessed December 25, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/11192.

Locations

Categories