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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…
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.…
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 1991
Members of the Cepero family at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1991. Photographed from left to right are Dennis Cepero (b. 1986), Ray (née Raúl) Cepero (b. 1947), David Cepero (b. 1978), Laura Lynn Cepero (b. 1987), and Alicia Lynn Cepero (b.…
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…
Weeki Wachee Spring on Florida's Gulf Coast Postcard
A postcard featuring an underwater mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1949. Weeki Wachee, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida, is best known for its famous tourist attraction, Weeki Wachee Springs. The attraction…
Weeki Wachee Mermaids with Boar on Leash
Two mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs walking a young boar on a leash.
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 Mermaids Reunion Event
Photograph of a Weeki Wachee Mermaids reunion event somewhere between 1950 and 1955. Newton "Newt" Perry looks on as two mermaids cut a cake with the messages "Welcome Mermaids" and "5th Annual Reunion" written on it in icing. Newton "Newt" Perry was…
Weeki Wachee Mermaids Posing in a Circle on the Shore
Photograph of Weeki Wachee Mermaids posing in a circle on the shore at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are wearing swimsuits rather than fins. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his…
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…
Weeki Wachee Mermaid with Report Card
A Weeki Wachee Springs mermaid posing underwater with a report card. The card includes grades for bathing, ballet, breathing and boys.
Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a…
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Reunion Event
Group photograph of participants at a Weeki Wachee mermaid reunion event from May 13 to 15, 1983. 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…
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Entering Water Tank
Photograph of an unidentified Weeki Wachee mermaid standing on a ladder in preparation to enter a water tank 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…
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…
Waterfront Park at the Sanford House Hotel
This photograph is of the waterfront on Commercial Street in Sanford, Florida. The Palm Avenue Dock is in the distance and the foreground is the park at the Sanford House Hotel. There is a century plant in the center of walkway in the park.The…
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…
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…
Underwater Filming Tank
Photograph of four men preparing to enter an underwater filming tank. Two of the men hold cameras.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…
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…
Underwater Air Station
Photograph of one man and two women free diving underwater. An air supply tank labeled "Air Station No. 3 - 24 Ft" rests on the floor. The photograph was taken some time between 1950 and 1970Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908,…
Trained Raccoon
A trained raccoon opening a gift from an employee of Weeki Wachee Springs in the 1950s. For several years, Weeki Wachee offered a "covered wagon" ride through the forest as one of the park's attractions. Along the sides of the forest were a variety…
Three Mermaids Posing on the Beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Photograph of three mermaids posing on the beach at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The exterior of the underwater theater is visible in the background. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family…
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…
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…
Sugar Mill Ruins Brochure
A brochure for the New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins, located at 600 Old Mission Road in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. For many years, the site, also known as the Cruger and DePeyster Sugar Mill, was mistaken for the ruins of a Spanish mission with origins…
Staged Underwater Footrace Scene
Photograph of a staged underwater footrace scene some time between 1950 and 1970. Three men crouch in a starting position on the floor of a body of water as a fourth man prepares to shoot a starting pistol. One woman appears to yell through a…
Staged Underwater Dining Scene
Photograph of a staged scene of two men and two women dining underwater, seated at a table and chairs some time between 1950 and 1970.Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He…
Staged Underwater Dining Scene
Photograph of a man and two women seated at a table on the floor of a body of water some time between 1950 and 1970. A standing man wearing a diving helmet appears to direct the scene participants. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in…
Staged Underwater Dining Scene
Photograph of a staged scene of four men eating watermelon underwater while seated around a table somewhere between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He was…
Sinclair Gas Station
A postcard featuring the dinosaur-shaped Sinclair Gas Station in Weeki Wachee Springs. A handwritten note by Bonita Colson accompanies the postcard, describing a mobile home rental park across the street from the gas station that Weeki Wachee…
Silver Springs: Nature's Underwater Fairyland Postcard
A color postcard featuring a model posing next to a horseshow palm at the Silver Springs State Park, formerly located at 1425 Northeast 58th Avenue in Silver Springs, Florida, in 1949. Silver Springs was originally settled by the Timucuans in the…
Silver Springs State Park, 1999
Ray (née Raúl) Cepero (b. 1947) and his wife, Nancy Lynn Cepero (b. 1954), at the Silver Springs State Park, formerly located at 1425 Northeast 58th Avenue in Silver Springs, Florida, in 1999. Silver Springs was originally settled by the Timucuans in…
Rita King with Juvenile Alligators
Rita King, mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, holding two juvenile alligators.
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…
Perry Family
Photograph of Perry family members in swimming costumes at Hampton Springs, Florida, in 1912. On the back of the photograph is a handwritten caption that partially reads "Kate Perry" and "Augusta Lee". Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta,…
Oviedo's Plan: A Variety of Rules on Everything from Roads to Recreation
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article describes the Oviedo Comprehensive Plan developed by the Local Planning Agency (LPA). Plans include rules and regulations for land use, natural resources, housing,…
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. …
Oral History of Richard Tobias Sloane
An oral history interview of Richard Tobias Sloane (b. 1934), who served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1969, during the Vietnam War. Sloane was born in Queens, New York City, New York, on March 4, 1934. In August of 1964, he was commissioned into the…
Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry, Johnny Sheffield, and Johnny Weissmuller during filming of "Tarzan Finds a Son" at Silver Springs in 1938. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in…
Newton "Newt" Perry with Sea Turtle
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry with a sea turtle some time between 1950 and 1970. Perry is embracing the turtle, which is resting on a floating platform.Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala,…
Newton "Newt" Perry Underwater With Female Swimmer and Air Station Postcard
Original printed postcard showing an image of Newton "Newt" Perry underwater with a female swimmer some time between 1950 and 1970. Perry is partially seated inside a glass air supply tank. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908,…
Newton "Newt" Perry Repairing Underwater Film Set
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and man repairing an underwater film set some time between 1950 and 1970. 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…
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…
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…
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus with Mary Darlington
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus with a Weeki Wachee Mermaid named Mary Darlington 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…
Newton "Newt" Perry Dressed as Santa Claus Decorating an Underwater Christmas Tree
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as Santa Claus decorating an underwater Christmas tree 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…
Newton "Newt" Perry Diving from Platform
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry diving off a diving platform some time between 1950 and 1970.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 Bartending Underwater
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry dressed as a bartender, standing at a bar underwater, and shaking a cocktail shaker some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala,…
Newton "Newt" Perry and Woman Dancing Underwater
Photograph of Newton "Newt" Perry and a woman dancing underwater, as a second woman looks on and claps while seated at a table some time between 1950 and 1970. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to…
Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater
Photograph of "Newt Perry's Aquatic Theater," showing Newton "Newt" Perry standing on a stage and speaking into a microphone, flanked on each side by two women in swimsuits somewhere between 1950 and 1960. A large glass tank stands behind the group.…
Nancy Tribble as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid
Photograph of Nancy Tribble taking a breath from an air hose while seated underwater in costume as a Weeki Wachee Mermaid around 1948. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to Ocala, Florida in 1922. He…
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…
Mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 1974
Mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in 1974. Weeki Wachee, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Florida, is best known for its famous tourist attraction, Weeki Wachee Springs. Weeki Wachee Springs features performances by underwater…
Mermaid Villa
The Mermaid Villa building at Weeki Wachee Springs. Mermaids used the building to change into their costumes for their underwater performances, shower after their performances, and lounge while on break.
Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry…
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…
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…
Mermaid Motel
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…
May Museum Exhibit
The original interior of the May Museum of the Tropics.
The May Natural…
Map of Lake Charm
A map of Lake Charm, a 19-acre lake located in the Lake Jesup Watershed of Oviedo, Florida, sometime between 1865 and 1870. The map shows mostly orange groves and farmland owned by a handful of individuals: Walter Gwynn, Dr. Henry Foster, Mary E.…
Map of City of Sanford and Environs, 1926
Created in October of 1926 by Sanford’s city engineer, Fred T. Williams, this surveyor's map depicts the City of Sanford, Florida, and its environs. During his tenure as city engineer from the 1920s through the early 1940s, Williams created multiple…
Man with Advertising Posters
Photograph of a man standing in front of advertising posters on the exterior of a building some time between 1920 and 1930. One poster is for the film "Captain Fly By Night," which was released in 1922. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta,…
Man and Mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs
Photograph of a man wearing diving goggles and fins handing an air hose to a Weeki Wachee Mermaid in a swimsuit and fins who is posing underwater around 1950. Newton "Newt" Perry was born in Valdosta, Georgia in 1908, and moved with his family to…
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 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…
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 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…
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 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 (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 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…
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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…
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 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…
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…
Letter from Arthur W. Sinclair to C. W. Sheffield (December 22, 1967)
A letter from Arthur W. Sinclair, executive manager of the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, to C. W. Sheffield, chairman of the Technical Committee. The committee was formed by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. (1926-2011) to develop plans for…
Lake Lucerne Postcard
Lake Lucerne is one of two primary lakes connected with the earliest days of the city of Orlando, Florida. Along with Lake Eola, it defined one of the natural borders of the young town in the 1860s and 1870s. Lake Lucerne sits at the southern end of…
Juniper Springs Recreation Area, 1997
The Juniper Springs Recreation Area, located at 26701 Florida State Road 40 in the Ocala National Forest in Silver Springs, Florida, in 1997. In the first photograph, Dennis Cepero (b. 1986) can be seen on the far right. In the second photograph, the…
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. …
John Hamlet with Boar
John Hamlet, naturalist, placing his hand into a trained boar's mouth as part of an attraction at Weeki Wachee Springs.
Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside…
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…
Greetings from Weeki Wachee, Florida
A postcard depicting several Weeki Wachee mermaids lounging around the pool of the local Holiday Inn with the words "Greetings From Weeki Wachee, Florida" printed on the front. The back of the postcard features an ad for the Holiday Inn that lists…
Gourd Neck Springs Report
This report by Gary I. Sharp lists information related to the Gourd Neck Springs area of Lake Apopka and a potential purchase of the area by the State of Florida through the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. The report aims to show why…
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…
Fountain in Lake Eola Park Postcard
Postcard, posted in 1951, showing the Sperry Fountain on the southern shore of Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The fountain was named in honor of Frank Sperry, a mayor of Orlando. Lake Eola and the surrounding park are one of the unusual…
Fountain at Eola Park, Orlando: "The City Beautiful" Postcard
A postcard showing the Sperry Fountain on the southern shore of Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The fountain was named in honor of Frank E. Sperry (1843-1916), Mayor of Orlando from 1913 to 1916. Lake Eola and the surrounding park are one of…
Football Players
Photograph of two men wearing football equipment some time between 1920 and 1940. 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…
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…
Fifth Avenue at 59th Street from Central Park Postcard
A postcard depicting a view of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street from Central Park in New York City, New York. Two hotels, the Savoy-Plaza Hotel and The Sherry-Netherland, are featured in the image.This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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.…