Known to many as "Doc," Doris Marie Leeper was a trailblazing abstract painter and sculptor based in Eldora, Florida, near New Smyrna Beach. Originally from North Carolina, Leeper found an artistic oasis in Central Florida. The region provided her with the space to buy a house and work in relative isolation, but also augmented her interest in natural preservation. Today, the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve remains a testament to her environmental dedication. Leeper’s impact on Central Florida also became apparent through her support for institutions; for example, she was a founder of the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. Leeper’s local legacy manifests itself most profoundly through her artistic production. Her bold lines, strong color palette, and propensity for clean lines aesthetically aligned her with minimalism. Leeper’s painting evolved from representational to non-objective over time. She embraced a language of abstraction more typical of the prevailing New York art world in the 1960 and 1970s, as opposed to the dominant aesthetic in Florida during the same time period. She showed her work locally and regionally with regularity. Her work was celebrated by significant solo exhibitions at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. The process of mining local histories yields the legacies of talented artists who have often been discarded from mainstream narratives. When one engages deeper with Leeper’s work, it is not difficult to conclude that her myriad two- and three-dimensional works are worthy of not only a local, but a national story.
Original black and white photograph: Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, Florida.
Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Smith, J. André (Jules André), 1880-1959
Jules André Smith sitting in the courtyard outside his art studio on the Research Studio campus (now the Maitland Art Center) around the 1940s or 1950s. Born in 1880 to American parents in Hong Kong, raised in New York and Connecticut, and educated at Cornell University, J. André Smith worked for several years as an architect, never giving up on his first love of art. His early passion was printmaking, specifically etching. In 1915, he was awarded a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California. During World War I, Smith continued to work in both drawing and printmaking, selected as one of eight artists by the U.S. government to go to France in 1918 to record military activities. He would later publish those works in a book titled In France with the American Expeditionary Forces. While travelling to Miami in the 1930s, Smith made an unplanned stop in Maitland, Florida. Having experienced a stunning sunset on nearby Lake Sybelia, he decided to travel no further and would go on to build his winter home and studio here, which is now the Maitland Art Center. Frustrated and disappointed with the area’s lack of support for contemporary art, Smith began plans for a residential "Lab-Gallery" that would encourage artistic exploration and experimentation in a sheltered studio environment. The studio compound, later known as The Research Studio, was the winter residence of prominent American artists such as Ralston Crawford, David Burlick, Ernest Roth, Milton Avery, Arnold Blanch, Doris Lee, and Hal McIntosh. André Smith’s vision continued to thrive for over two decades under the generous financial support from his patron, philanthropist Mary Curtis Bok. Smith’s legacy is alive and well today at the Art & History Museum’s Maitland Art Center through its residency programs and exhibitions.
Original black and white photograph: Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
Atillio Banca and Bill Orr (1925-) at the Maitland Art Center in Maitland, Florida. Banca, photographed on the left, was the Gallery Director of the Research Studio and a close, personal friend of artist Jules André Smith. The painting in the photograph is a portrait of Smith. The portait was painted by Orr, who is photographed on the right. Growing up in Michigan, Orr worked breaking in mustang ponies. When World War II broke out, Orr joined the U.S. Army and was a member of the cavalry regiment. Later seeing action on Okinawa in the Pacific Theater, he was among the first servicemen to serve in Japan after the war. Orr found his way to the Research Studio in 1961 after applying for a position through a newspaper advertisement. Orr, along with Maury Hurt, was instrumental in leading the movement to save the Art Center from developers in the 1960s. As an artist he made a living doing life-size portraits of horses. He would go on to establish himself as a leading equine artist, a tribute to his lifetime love of horses.
Original black and white photograph: Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
Mary Louise Curtis Bok and Jules André Smith
Zimbalist, Mary Louise Curtis Bok, 1876-1970
Mary Louise Curtis Bok (1874-1970) with Jules André Smith (1880–1959) in the main garden of the Research Studio (now the Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, in the 1940s or 1950s. Born in 1874, Bok was the only child of wealthy Philadelphia-based businessman Cyrus H. K. Curtis and Louisa Knapp Curtis, whose Curtis Publishing Company produced two of the most popular magazines in America: The Saturday Evening Post and The Ladies' Home Journal. Bok's early interests included music and writing for the magazine her father founded under the pen name of Mary L. Knapp. Recognized for countless philanthropic pursuits, Mary Louise Curtis Bok provided J. André Smith with sufficient patronage to establish The Research Studio in the early 1930s. As heiress to the Curtis Publishing Company, she is noted for establishing the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, funding the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College in Winter Park, and the construction of Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales, along with her husband Edward W. Bok. After Edward Bok’s death in 1930, Mary Louise married Efrem Zimbalist and was thereafter known as Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist. Born in 1880 to American parents in Hong Kong, raised in New York and Connecticut, and educated at Cornell University, Smith worked for several years as an architect, never giving up on his first love of art. His early passion was printmaking, specifically etching. In 1915, he was awarded a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California. During World War I, Smith continued to work in both drawing and printmaking, selected as one of eight artists by the U.S. government to go to France in 1918 to record military activities. He would later publish those works in a book titled In France with the American Expeditionary Forces. While travelling to Miami in the 1930s, Smith made an unplanned stop in Maitland, Florida. Having experienced a stunning sunset on nearby Lake Sybelia, he decided to travel no further and would go on to build his winter home and studio here, which is now the Maitland Art Center. Frustrated and disappointed with the area’s lack of support for contemporary art, Smith began plans for a residential "Lab-Gallery" that would encourage artistic exploration and experimentation in a sheltered studio environment. The studio compound, later known as The Research Studio, was the winter residence of prominent American artists such as Ralston Crawford, David Burlick, Ernest Roth, Milton Avery, Arnold Blanch, Doris Lee, and Hal McIntosh. André Smith’s vision continued to thrive for over two decades under the generous financial support from his patron, philanthropist Mary Curtis Bok. Smith’s legacy is alive and well today at the Art & History Museum’s Maitland Art Center through its residency programs and exhibitions.
Original color photograph: Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums - Maitland, Maitland, Florida.
Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Annie Russell Theatre, Winter Park, Florida
Receptualistic Pyramid by Johann Eyfells
Receptualistic Pyramid, a sculpture by Johann Eyfells. Eyfells was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1923. Eyfells works with a variety of media, including metal, wood, paper, plastic, and cloth, in an effort to document the interaction between time, space, and gravity. Many of his sculptures are minimal and non-objective, resembling lava or geological formations. In the 1960s, he developed the concept of Receptualism, the practice of portraying original ideas visually using non-representative and abstract forms. Eyfells considers himself more of an experimental chemist than a sculptor. Eyfells worked as an architect, artist, and teacher in Iceland before relocating to the United States. During his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Eyfells met Kristin Halldorsdottir, a former Icelandic model and dress designer. They married in 1949 and moved to Florida together to complete their studies in 1969. Eyfells finished his degree in architecture in 1953, and in 1964, he earned a master’s degree in fine arts. In 1969, he joined the art department of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) and taught there for over 30 years. On retirement, he moved to Fredericksburg, Texas.
Original color photograph: Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park.
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Johann Eyfells was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1923. Eyfells works with a variety of media, including metal, wood, paper, plastic, and cloth, in an effort to document the interaction between time, space, and gravity. Many of his sculptures are minimal and non-objective, resembling lava or geological formations. In the 1960s, he developed the concept of Receptualism, the practice of portraying original ideas visually using non-representative and abstract forms. Eyfells considers himself more of an experimental chemist than a sculptor. Eyfells worked as an architect, artist, and teacher in Iceland before relocating to the United States. During his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Eyfells met Kristin Halldorsdottir, a former Icelandic model and dress designer. They married in 1949 and moved to Florida together to complete their studies in 1969. Eyfells finished his degree in architecture in 1953, and in 1964, he earned a master’s degree in fine arts. In 1969, he joined the art department of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) and taught there for over 30 years. On retirement, he moved to Fredericksburg, Texas.
Original color photograph: Orange County Commission Chambers, Orlando, Florida.
The Power of Passage, a sculpture created by Johann Eyfells in 1987. Eyfells was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1923. Eyfells works with a variety of media, including metal, wood, paper, plastic, and cloth, in an effort to document the interaction between time, space, and gravity. Many of his sculptures are minimal and non-objective, resembling lava or geological formations. In the 1960s, he developed the concept of Receptualism, the practice of portraying original ideas visually using non-representative and abstract forms. Eyfells considers himself more of an experimental chemist than a sculptor. Eyfells worked as an architect, artist, and teacher in Iceland before relocating to the United States. During his studies at Berkeley, Eyfells met Kristin Halldorsdottir, a former Icelandic model and dress designer. They married in 1949 and moved to Florida together to complete their studies in 1969. Eyfells finished his degree in architecture in 1953, and in 1964, he earned a master’s degree in fine arts. In 1969, he joined the art department of the Florida Technological Institute (present-day University of Central Florida) and taught there for over 30 years. On retirement, he moved to Fredericksburg, Texas.
Original color photograph: University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Born in 1927, Hal McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution’s youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh’s influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh’s signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original black and white photograph: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida.
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Oviedo
The Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, located at 311 East Broadway Street in Oviedo, Florida, sometime between 1875 and 1950. In 1875, members of the African-American community came together to build a small place of worship. Adjacent to the church was a traditional one room "Red School House." By 1913, another room was added due to the increase in students. In the "little room," first through fourth grades were taught, while fifth through eighth grades were taught in the "big room." By 1923, the building had begun to deteriorate and $2,000 were appropriated to renovate. However, plans were made to purchase a building that was formerly used for white students on South Division Street. For 10 years, three teachers taught with little to no resources. By 1950, a number of classrooms were added and the ninth and tenth grades were added to the school. During the 1950s, all of the Oviedo area colored schools were consolidated. A new site was built where the younger grades were held, while the older grades remained at the old site. The school went through a variety of names: Orange Academy, Seminole Academy, Oviedo Junior High School, and Oviedo Elementary School. On December 8, 1961, the Seminole County School Board officially approved the name chosen by students and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members: Jackson Heights.
Original black and white photograph: The World Outside Reunion, "A Written and Pictorial History of the Oviedo Area Colored Schools": Judith Smith Publishing: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Oviedo, Florida
Gargamel! at the Philips-Osbourne Wedding, 2006
Gargamel! performing live at the wedding of Adam Phillips and Becky Osborne on October 29, 2006. Phillips is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and Osborne is a vocalist and washboard player, as well as a visual artist from Orlando, Florida. The first photograph features Chuck Ellis on vocals and Wayne Larsen on keyboard. The second photograph features Ellis alone on vocals and the third photograph features Ellis dancing with a wedding guest. The fourth photograph shows Ryan Dailey on guitar, Larsen on keyboards, and Ellis on vocals. Gargamel! was formed in 1992 in Orlando, consisting of Chuck "Mandaddy" Ellis on vocals, John "Webb" Webber on drums, Matt "Boy Howdy" Lapham on bass, Darin "Skyjak" Bridges on guitar, and Pat “Headless Spawn” McCurdy on guitar. In 1995, Lester “Crazy Hector” Stover replaced Lapham on bass, and Wayne “Servo Beonic Man” Larsen joined on keyboards. Ray "El Diablo Guapo" Rivera joined on guitar in 1996, and was replaced by Ryan "Professor Knuckles" Dailey in 2000. Webber was replaced by Andy Mas on drums in 2006, and Mas was replaced by Kevin "Heavie Kevie" Collado in 2011. The band is rooted in funk metal, but their music combines elements of experimental rock, jazz, funk, Latin, ska, hip hop, and reggae. Known for their offbeat sense of humor and the stage antics of lead singer, Mandaddy, who named the band after a character from the animated children’s television show, The Smurfs, and who wears a black and orange outfit modeled after the cartoon villain, the band often incorporates surprising covers, such as Billy Joel songs. They have shared the stage with such national artists such as GWAR, Anthrax, Dog Fashion Disco, Tub Ring, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Genitorturers, Mushroomhead, Nonpoint, Bad Acid Trip, Skindred, and Skeleton Key.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, October 29, 2006: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Gargamel! performing live at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 31, 2003. The first photograph features, from left to right, Wayne Larsen on keyboards, Ryan Dailey on guitar, Chuck Ellis on vocals, John Webber on drums, and Lester Stover on bass. The second photograph features Ellis. Gargamel! was formed in 1992 in Orlando, consisting of Chuck "Mandaddy" Ellis on vocals, John "Webb" Webber on drums, Matt "Boy Howdy" Lapham on bass, Darin "Skyjak" Bridges on guitar, and Pat “Headless Spawn” McCurdy on guitar. In 1995, Lester “Crazy Hector” Stover replaced Lapham on bass, and Wayne “Servo Beonic Man” Larsen joined on keyboards. Ray "El Diablo Guapo" Rivera joined on guitar in 1996, and was replaced by Ryan "Professor Knuckles" Dailey in 2000. Webber was replaced by Andy Mas on drums in 2006, and Mas was replaced by Kevin "Heavie Kevie" Collado in 2011. The band is rooted in funk metal, but their music combines elements of experimental rock, jazz, funk, Latin, ska, hip hop, and reggae. Known for their offbeat sense of humor and the stage antics of lead singer, Mandaddy, who named the band after a character from the animated children’s television show, The Smurfs, and who wears a black and orange outfit modeled after the cartoon villain, the band often incorporates surprising covers, such as Billy Joel songs. They have shared the stage with such national artists such as GWAR, Anthrax, Dog Fashion Disco, Tub Ring, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Genitorturers, Mushroomhead, Nonpoint, Bad Acid Trip, Skindred, and Skeleton Key.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, July 31, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at The Xfinity Center, 2014
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers (Musical group)
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers performing live at Vans Warped Tour at The Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on July 13, 2014. From left to right, the photograph features saxophonist Eric Christian, an unidentified person dressed in a hot dog costume, kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs, bassist Levon White, and guitarist Jeremy Lovelady. Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, July 13, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Massachusetts
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at The Beacham Theater, 2013
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at the group's CD release party at The Beacham Theater in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on . The first two photographs feature kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs and the third photographs shows bassist Levon White. Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, May 30, 2013: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Beacham Theater, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at Hard Rock Live Orlando, 2011
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers performing live at Hard Rock Live Orlando in Orlando, Florida, on April 1, 2011. The first photograph features bassist Levon White and kazoo player and vocalist Michelle Beebs and the second photographs shows saxophonist Eric Christian Led by Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 1, 2011: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Hard Rock Live Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O in Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. These photographs feature vocalist Kaleigh Baker of The Downgetters, an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, saxophonist/keyboards Nathan Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Sunny Raskin at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Sunny Raskin, also known as SUNNY, performing live at E.L.L.A. Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. SUNNY is a professional dancer, musician, vocalist, actress, and costume designer in Orlando, who is also a co-host at Ibex Puppetry and Director at Raskin Dance Studio and Music School. As of 2015, she has composed, performed, and engineered five albums.
Two original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012s: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Meka, also known as Ms. Meka, performing live with Meka Nism at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. Formed in 2006 in Orlando, Florida, Meka Nism is a female-fronted metal band that originated as Meka Nism and Her Rusty Tears. The band recorded their first album, Mad to Love, on Florida-based Hidden Records that same year. "Break," the second track from the album, won the Songwriter's Showcase of America's (SSA) Best Experimental Song of the Year, and Meka was named SSA's Solo Artist of the Month in January 2007. While the group has always consisted of Meka on vocals, in 2010, after she returned from a Japanese tour of over 150 shows, Reed Tyack was added on drums, Alvin Bauer on bass, and Bobby Keller on guitar. In 2014, Tyack moved to guitar and Jeremy Mansfield was added on drums.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. This photograph features saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson and vocalist Kaleigh Baker of The Downgetters, an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 3, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Milkanette "Milka" Ramos performing live with MILKA at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. MILKA is a rock band formed in Orlando, consisting of Ramos on guitar and vocals, Tony Roman on bass, and Troy Garfield Goins on drums. The combination of bilingual feminist front-woman Ramos and the Latin-influenced percussion creates a unique hard rock sound that transcends genres. The band released an album in 2002, entitled, Fire in the Sky.
Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at E.L.L.A. Music Fest, 2012
Michelle Beebs performing live with Beeb$ and Her Money Makers at E.L.L.A. Music Fest at H2O Live!, located at 100 West Livingston Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 2012. The E.L.L.A. Music Festival, which stands for Elevate.Listen.Love.Appreciate, was created in 2007 by Orlando musician, promoter, and producer Robert Johnson to celebrate the heart, talent, and contributions that Florida female artists give to their communities. In its fifth year in 2012, the female-centric festival added spoken word artists, visual artists and local vendors to the stacked musical lineup. Led by Michelle Beebs, this Orlando-based band combines ska, rock, funk, and soul, gaining notoriety through their high-energy performances and unapologetically ridiculous media content. The group consists of Beebs of kazoo and vocals, Jeremy Lovelady on guitar, Levon White on bass, Paul Brisske on drums, Bunky Garrabrant on trumpet, and Eric Christian on saxophone and flute. The band was discovered by legendary promoter Kevin Lyman and asked to join the Vans Warped Tour in 2013. They were filmed for the second season of the show Warped Roadies on the FUSE Network, and returned to the Warped Tour in 2014, performing on a larger stage. The band has since toured with notable bands such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Five Iron Frenzy, Beautiful Bodies, and This Magnificent, and has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Cypress Hill, The Original Wailers, Zach Deputy, Keller Williams, The Lee Boys, BadFish, Dumpstaphunk, 100 Monkeys, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, and Perpetual Groove. Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett also produced their EP and their full length album. They were also featured on an episode of Travel Channel's RV Kings.
JunkieRush at the House of Blues Orlando, 2012
JunkieRush "In the Morning" performing live with Dominic Maresco of The Supervillain at JunkieRush's reunion show at House of Blues Orlando, located at 1490 East Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on August 8, 2012. The first photograph features Bobby Koelble and Dominic Maresco of The Supervillains. The second photograph shows Koelbe with his infant daughter. The third photograph features Nathan Anderson playing the saxophone. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, August 25, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
House of Blues Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
JunkieRush at a sold-out show at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando on July 30, 2007. This photograph features drummer Bobby Koelble. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, July 30, 2007: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A crowd lined up down the street for a sold-out JunkieRush show at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 30, 2007. The Social is an Indie music venue in Downtown Orlando that hosts international, national, and local acts. With a mere 400-person capacity, the intimate setting has made the venue a staple in the Orlando music scene. Originally called The Downtown Jazz & Blues Club, it became Sapphire Supper Club in April 1995, and during its six-year run under that name, the venue showcased an A-list of indie-rock, swing, and folk acts and nurtured the budding careers of musicians that would rise to broader fame in bands, such as Seven Mary Three, My Friend Steve, and Matchbox Twenty. The venue became The Social in 2002, and has remained one of the most popular venues in Orlando. Neighboring Bar BQ Bar, at 64 North Orange Avenue, also appears in the photograph.
JunkieRush performing live at Will's Pub in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 2003. Thie first photograph features, from left to right, Aaron O'Riley on bass guitar, Bobby Koelble on electric guitar, Matt Hughen on drums, and Marc Clermont on percussion. The second photograph shows Koelble playing an acoustic guitar, and the third features Koelble playing an electric guitar, using a Rolling Rock beer bottle as a slide. Formed in 2000 by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bobby Koelble, who was also a member of the seminal metal band Death, JunkieRush is an Orlando-based rock band that combines elements of funk, punk, Latin, reggae, ska and world music into a unique original sound. The band has gained a reputation for its live shows, performing up the east coast from Florida to New York, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although quite a departure from his metal roots, JunkieRush still features the strong guitar work that Koelble is known for. The original lineup consisted of Koelble on vocals and guitar, Chris Charles on saxophone and keyboard, Aaron O'Riley on bass, Marc Clermont on percussion, and Matt Hughen on drums. As of 2015, the lineup consisted of Koelble, bassist/vocalist Matt Gallagher, saxophonist/flutist/vocalist Nathan Anderson, drummer Thatcher on drums, and percussionist George "Ito" Colon. The band's albums include Junkie Rush (2000), II (2004), Live (2006), and Musica (2009).
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at The Beacham Theater, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The photograph features, from left to right, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, drummer Mark Janssen, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Mike Kossler, and guitarist Jeff Nolan. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, Chodorcoff, Nolan, Kossler, saxophonist/keyboards Nathan Anderson, and Janssen. Ralphfest is an annual concert festival in Downtown Orlando, Florida, that celebrates the memory and musical influence of Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Ameduri was an Orlando musician who was murdered on September 10, 2011, in a robbery attempt on a patio behind Jessie's Bar, a Winter Haven music club where he was filling in for a member of local band, Thomas Wynn & the Believers. The inaugural concert was arranged to cover his funeral expenses and, since then, proceeds from the events have gone to the Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Music Scholarship Fund, which operates through the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, awarding a musical instruments to graduating high school students. Ralphfest 2 took place on November 24, 2012, on three different stages: one at The Beacham Theater, one at The Social, and one at The Outside Elixir Stage on Washington Street. The benefit features 26 bands that Ameduri was part of, worked with, had close ties to, or enjoyed, as well as multiple DJs. Some of the performers included Thomas Wynn & the Believers, The Ludes, Music's Milka Ramos, SUNNY, The Downgetters featuring Kaleigh Baker, Riverbottom Nightmare Band, The Legendary JC's, funkUs, and The Woolly Bushmen. Ralphfest 2 raised $10,000.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at House of Blues Orlando, 2012
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at House of Blues Orlando, located at 1490 East Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on August 25, 2012. This photograph features guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Erin Nolan, and saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen.
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters at Orlando Calling, 2011
Kaleigh Baker and the Downgetters performing live at the Orlando Calling music festival at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, located at 1 Citrus Bowl Plaza in Orlando, Florida, on November 12, 2011. Orlando Calling was a two-day music festival that showcased local as well as popular international artists. The 2011 headliners included Bob Seger, The Killers, The Raconteurs, Kid Rock, The Pixies, Blake Shelton, The Doobie Brothers and The Roots. The festival would not return the next year due to poor ticket sales. The first photograph features guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, an unidentified drummer, and bassist Erin Nolan. The second photograph shows Anderson and Baker. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring Baker, vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, guitarist Jeff Nolan, bassist Mike Kossler, Anderson, and drummer Mark Janssen.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, November 22, 2011: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Florida
The Legendary JC's performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The Legendary JC’s, also known as The Joint Chiefs, are an R&B/soul/funk/blues band that was formed by lead vocalist Eugene Snowden in 2000, consisting of an alternating lineup of all-star Central Florida musicians. This photograph features, from left to right, an unidentified guitar player, Roland Simmons, an unidentified harmonica player, Eugene Snowden, Craig Cobb, Katie Burkess, Michael Lashinsky, and an unidentified keyboardist.
Kaleigh Baker and The Downgetters at Ralphfest 2
Kaleigh Baker and The Downgetters performing live at Ralphfest 2 at The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. The Downgetters is an all-star band from Orlando, featuring, from left to right, guitarist Brian Chodorcoff, drummer Mark Janssen, vocalist Kaleigh Baker, bassist Mike Kossler, and guitarist Jeff Nolan. The band also includes vocalist/guitarist Joseph Martens and saxophonist/keyboardist Nathan Anderson, neither of whom appear in the photograph. Originally from Western New York, Kaleigh Baker is a jazz/blues/rock singer-songwriter based out of Orlando. Known for her soulful vocal delivery and incredible range, Baker tours relentlessly, sharing the stage with notable performers such as B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty, Tony Hall, Kevn Kinney, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Boz Scaggs, Juliette Lewis, and Terri Binion. Baker played Janis Joplin in a play entitled, "Janis Joplin, Little Girl Blue," at the 2015 Orlando International Fringe Festival, winning several audience choice awards, including Best of the Fest, Best Female Performer, and Best Show in the Gold Venue.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Milkanette "Milka" Ramos performing live with the band, MILKA, at Ralphfest 2 at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 24, 2012. MILKA is a rock band formed in Orlando, consisting of Ramos on guitar and vocals, Tony Roman on bass, and Troy Garfield Goins on drums. The combination of bilingual feminist front-woman Ramos and the Latin-influenced percussion creates a unique hard rock sound that transcends genres. The band released an album in 2002, entitled, Fire in the Sky.
Original black and white photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 24, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, during Ralphfest 2. Ralphfest is an annual concert festival in Downtown Orlando, Florida, that celebrates the memory and musical influence of Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Ameduri was an Orlando musician who was murdered on September 10, 2011, in a robbery attempt on a patio behind Jessie's Bar, a Winter Haven music club where he was filling in for a member of local band, Thomas Wynn &amp
the Believers. The inaugural concert was arranged to cover his funeral expenses and, since then, proceeds from the events have gone to the Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Music Scholarship Fund, which operates through the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, awarding a musical instruments to graduating high school students. Ralphfest 2 took place on November 24, 2012, on three different stages: one at The Beacham Theater, one at The Social, and one at The Outside Elixir Stage on Washington Street. The benefit features 26 bands that Ameduri was part of, worked with, had close ties to, or enjoyed, as well as multiple DJs. Some of the performers included Thomas Wynn &amp
the Believers, The Ludes, Music's Milka Ramos, SUNNY, The Downgetters featuring Kaleigh Baker, Riverbottom Nightmare Band, The Legendary JC's, funkUs, and The Woolly Bushmen. Ralphfest 2 raised $10,000.
The stage times for Ralphfest 2. Ralphfest is an annual concert festival in Downtown Orlando, Florida, that celebrates the memory and musical influence of Ralph Ameduri, Jr. Ameduri was an Orlando musician who was murdered on September 10, 2011, in a robbery attempt on a patio behind Jessie's Bar, a Winter Haven music club where he was filling in for a member of local band, Thomas Wynn &amp
Original 1-page schedule, November 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Bloody Jug Band at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, during the Florida Music Festival on April 26, 2014. The Florida Music Festival, or FMF, was founded by aXis Magazine & Promotions in 2002 as a three day music festival and conference that showcases unsigned artists while promoting major national acts. The Bloody Jug Band is an eight-piece band that formed in Orlando in 2009, whose music combines elements of folk, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, and Americana. Drawing inspiration from historic jug bands of the 1920s and 1930s, the group employs traditional jug band instruments, such as a washboard, washtub bass, cajón, spoons, mandolin and harmonica, and incorporates acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums. The band consists of John Theisen (Cragmire Peace) on vocals and washboard, Stormy Jean Casselman (Stormy Jean) on vocals and cowbell, Brian Blodgett (Brian Shredder) on acoustic guitar and mandolin, Seth Ambler (Seth Funky) on washtub bass, Rick Lane (Bloody Rick) on harmonica, Jermichael Duffy (Big Daddy Jerm, Dracula Mohammad) on jug, percussion and kazoo, Dakota Butts (Baby Dingo) on cajón and spoons, and Steven Marshall (Ste-evil) on electric guitar and banjo. Raymond Krugh (DeathRay) took over on electric guitar briefly while Marshall spent time with his newborn baby. The band has performed across the Southeastern United States, sharing the stage with notable acts such as Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Joe Buck, Edwin McCain, 3 Bad Jacks, and Old Man Markley. In 2013, the band appeared in a music video for the song, "Timber," by hip-hop recording artists Pitbull and Kesha. The first photograph features Theisen and Lane. The rest of the photographs show individual band members Butts, Lane, Duffy, Theisen, and Casselman, respectively.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 26, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
WUCF-TV
Solillaquists of Sound at Wall Street Plaza, 2014
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at the Florida Music Festival, held at Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on April 24, 2014. These photographs features, from left to right, Tonya Combs, Asaan Brooks, Glen Valencia, Jr., and Alexandra Sarton. The Florida Music Festival (FMF) was founded by aXis Magazine & Promotions in 2002 as a three-day music festival and conference that showcases unsigned artists while promoting major national acts. Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 24, 2014: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Solillaquists of Sound at BackBooth, 2003
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at BackBooth, located at 37 West Pine Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on October 25, 2003. The first photograph features Alexandra Sarton, popularly known as Alexandrah, and the second photograph shows, from left to right, Tonya Combs, and DiViNCi. Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, October 25, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Solillaquists of Sound at Slingapour's, 2003
Solillaquists of Sound performing live at at Slingapour's, a venue located at 18 Wall Street in Wall Street Plaza in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on February 19, 2003. The first photograph features, from left to right, Tonya Combs, Alexandrah, DiViNCi and MC Swamburger. The second photograph the first three, minus Swamburger. The third and fourth photographs feature Swamburger with Alexandrah and then with DiViNCi, respectively. The final photograph shows DiViNCi playing a Media Player Classic (MPC). Solillaquists of Sound, also known as Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet formed in Orlando in August 2002. The group, consisting of MCs (masters of ceremonies) Swamburger and Alexandrah, poet/vocalist Tonya Combs, and producer/composer/MPC player DiViNCi, employs sophisticated, socially conscious lyrics and musical composition, based on the life-affirming, justice-oriented views held by the members. The group utilizes melody and harmony in their vocals, often delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession in tight synchronicity. In 2002, Asaan Brooks, also known as Swamburger, began having weekly meetings in his Orlando home about music, community involvement, spirituality, and veganism. At one of these meetings, Brooks and his friend, producer and MPC player Glen Valencia, Jr., also known as DiViNCi, with whom he had already recorded material, decided to begin performing together. A frequent attendee of their shows, Tonya Combs, joined them on background vocals, and soon the group's friend, singer Alexandra Sarton, also known as Alexandrah, left her home in Chicago, Illinois, to join the band. The group categorized themselves in their own genre, FAHEEM (funk/astro/hip-hop/extraterrestrially energized message), which they felt more accurately conveyed both their music and their beliefs regarding spirituality, life, and love. They were invited by hip-hop artist Sage Francis to tour with him, and his label, Epitaph, signed them to their sister label, Anti-, in early 2006. They recorded two albums under the label, As If We Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008), before leaving the label and producing their own albums, The 4th Wall: Part 1 (2012) and The 4th Wall: Part 2 (2013). In addition to Francis, the band has toured with artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, KRS-One, Bad Brains, Ozomatli, El-P, and Lyrics Born. The group is also known for their community involvement, appearing on a tribute record for fellow rapper/producer J Dilla, also known as James Dewitt Yancey, who passed away in 2006 from a blood disease. The album, Death of the Muse, featured J-Live, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey,Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla. Okayplayer.com featured the effort as one of their top news stories, and LA Weekly called the track "the most awesome song in the history of awesomedom." The group hopes to open the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids, a non-profit school designed to empower youth with the knowledge of all things good for mind, body, and spirit, offering kids yoga, an art gallery, massage, a cafe, smoothie and juice bar, language, art, poetry, gardening, and vegan cooking classes, as well as an after-school tutoring program.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, February 19, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
Slingapour's, Wall Street Plaza, Orlando, Florida
The Supervillains at the Beacham Theater, 2012
The Supervillains performing live at the Beacham Theater, located at 46 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on November 21, 2012. The first and second photographs feature, from left to right, drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and bassist Daniel Grundorf. The third photograph shows keyboardist/guitarist Tom "T-Rex" Moulton. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, November 21, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Supervillains performing live at The Social, located at 54 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, on July 20, 2007. The first photograph features, from left to right, Scott "Skart" Suldo on guitar, Dominic Maresco on drums, Jonathan "Smally" Cestero on saxophone, and an unidentified trumpet player. The second photograph shows Suldo and the third photograph shows Suldo with Maresco. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, July 30, 2007: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A bass drum used by Dominic Maresco of The Supervillains. The photograph was taken on March 14, 2003, when the band performed at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photograph by Alicia Lyman, March 14, 2003: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
The Supervillains at the House of Blues Orlando, 2002
The Supervillains performing live at the House of Blues Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on December 20, 2002. The first photograph features, from left to right, Jonathan "Smally" Cestero on saxophone, Andrew Neil Estes on trombone, Scott Suldo on guitar, J. P. Thieme on trumpet, Gus Ramage on bass, Dominic Maresco on drums, and Ben Montgomery on guitar. The second photograph features Maresco. The third photograph features, from left to right, Thieme , Suldo, Cestero, Ramage, and Montgomery. The Supervillains were formed in 1998 by drummer/vocalist Dominic Maresco and guitarist/vocalist Scott "Skart" Suldo, while they were in high school in St. Cloud, Florida. Initially a punk-rock band, the group adapted elements of ska and reggae to their sound, leading to opportunities to support reggae acts such as The Wailers and Inner Circle, reggae-rock acts such as Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, ska acts such as Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, punk acts such as Pennywise and Authority Zero, and rock acts such as Fishbone and 311. After several successful tours as an opening band, The Supervillains began headlining their own national tours, often performing over 200 shows per year, and released eight studio albums as of June 2015. The band incorporated several horn players and other members for eight or nine years, but have since operated as a four-piece, with Maresco, Suldo, Daniel Grundrof on bass and Tom "T-Rex" Moulton on keyboards and guitar. After selling over 100,000 records, the group formed their own label, Rah Rah Rah Records, in 2011.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, December 20, 2002: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
An oral history of Ida Boston, conducted by Porsha Dossie on April 18, 2015. Boston is a resident of Oviedo, Florida, and a retired school bus driver for the Seminole County Public Schools. In 1956, she married her husband, Russell Boston, who is the grandson of Prince Butler Boston, a leading figure in Oviedo's black community. In this oral history, Boston discusses the legacy of Prince Butler Boston, establishing a colored cemetery, funding colored schools in the Oviedo area, and the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Boston also discusses black life in Oviedo, including membership in the Oviedo Citizens in Action Committee (OCIAC), which desegregated public places in Oviedo and fought for integration of Oviedo's schools.
Boston, Ida. Interviewed by Porsha Dossie, April 18, 2015. Audio/video record available. Oviedo History Harvest, Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
RICHES of Central Florida
Home of the Boston Family, Oviedo, Florida
Home of Prince Butler Boston, Oviedo, Florida
The String by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. The String (painting): Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Study Without Violin by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. Study Without Violin (painting): Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Still Life with Pears by Hal McIntosh. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original painting: McIntosh, Hal. Still Life with Pears (painting): Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Hal McIntosh at Exhibit at the Truro Public Library
Hal McIntosh at an exhibit of his artwork at the Truro Public Library, located at 7 Standish Way in North Truro, Massachusetts, during the summer of 2011. The painting to the left of McIntosh depicts his cottage on the beachfront. Born in 1927, McIntosh began his formal studies at the Detroit Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. At age 18, the Art Research Studio (present-day Maitland Art Center) in Maitland, Florida, selected him as the institution's youngest-ever artist in residence. His talent later earned him the Directorship of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he served as a museum director and teacher for five years. As a resident of Central Florida, McIntosh taught at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and ran his own institution known as the McIntosh School in Winter Park for 30 years. McIntosh splits his time between his Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Winter Park studios. With an artistic career lasting over 60 years, Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound. His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited in the area and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public. Deep connections with the people and places of Orange County have allowed McIntosh to join the ranks as one of the greats and to be remembered eternally as an Art Legend.
Original color photograph: Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida.
Truro Public Library, North Truro, Massachusetts
In Memory of Harry "Big Newt" Boston, Sr.
This is the dedication from former members of the Oviedo Black Hawks baseball team for Harry "Big Newt" Homer, Sr. Boston, who was an integral part of Oviedo's African-American community. Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, he graduate from Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University). After college, he joined the U,S, Army, where he served as a medic during World War II. After migrating to Oviedo, Florida, Boston built a baseball diamond where local black youths played. The teams were known as the Oviedo Black Hawks for boys and Oviedo Lady Black Hawks for girls. On his bus, affectionately nicknamed the "Big Newt Bus," Boston would take the teams to games across Florida and other states as far north as Tennessee. The City of Oviedo honored him by naming Boston Hill Park, located at 777 South Central Avenue, in his honor. On May 21, 1994, the city also proclaimed that date Harry "Big Newt" Boston Day. Boston passed away on October 3 of that same year at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park.
Original 4-page pamphlet by the Oviedo Black Hawks, May 2000: Private Collection of Jacqueline Morgan.
The funeral program for Harry "Big Newt" Homer, Sr. Boston, who was an integral part of Oviedo's African-American community. Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, he graduate from Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University). After college, he joined the U,S, Army, where he served as a medic during World War II. After migrating to Oviedo, Florida, Boston built a baseball diamond where local black youths played. The teams were known as the Oviedo Black Hawks for boys and Oviedo Lady Black Hawks for girls. On his bus, affectionately nicknamed the "Big Newt Bus," Boston would take the teams to games across Florida and other states as far north as Tennessee. The City of Oviedo honored him by naming Boston Hill Park, located at 777 South Central Avenue, in his honor. On May 21, 1994, the city also proclaimed that date Harry "Big Newt" Boston Day. Boston passed away on October 3 of that same year at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park.
Original 6-fold program, 1994: Private Collection of Jacqueline Morgan.
Golden's Funeral Homes, Inc., Winter Park, Florida
The transcription of a eulogy given by Harry H. Boston, Jr. after the death of his father, Harry "Big Newt" Homer, Sr. Boston, who was an integral part of Oviedo's African-American community. Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, he graduate from Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University). After college, he joined the U.S. Army, where he served as a medic during World War II. After migrating to Oviedo, Florida, Boston built a baseball diamond where local black youths played. The teams were known as the Oviedo Black Hawks for boys and Oviedo Lady Black Hawks for girls. On his bus, affectionately nicknamed the "Big Newt Bus," Boston would take the teams to games across Florida and other states as far north as Tennessee. The City of Oviedo honored him by naming Boston Hill Park, located at 777 South Central Avenue, in his honor. On May 21, 1994, the city also proclaimed that date Harry "Big Newt" Boston Day. Boston passed away on October 3 of that same year at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park.
Original 1-page typed transcription by Harry H. Boston, Jr., 1994: Private Collection of Jacqueline Morgan.
Intersection at Lockwood Boulevard and East Mitchell Hammock Road
Lockwood Boulevard was a dirt road until 1990, when the City of Oviedo and the Anden Group, a local developer, paved Mitchell Hammock Road between Florida State Road 426 and Lockwood Boulevard, in order to alleviate traffic congestion due to the growth of the Alafaya Woods and Twin Rivers developments. Construction began in 1989 and was completed in 1990. Since 1990, the pasture and woodland that surrounded Longwood Boulevard have become the Twin Rivers development and golf course, as well as Riverside Park.
Original 3 x 5 inch color photographs by Karen Jacobs, 1989: Private Collection of Karen Jacobs.
Lockwood Boulevard and East Mitchell Hammock Road, Oviedo, Florida
Mitchell Hammock Road when it was being paved in 1989. Oviedo City Council members signed a deal with Seminole County officials and a developer to pave Mitchell Hammock Road and turn it into a major highway. The developer, the Anden Group, paid for the road to be paved from Lockwood Road to Florida State Road 426. The City of Oviedo would pay for the addition of two lanes. Developing Mitchell Hammock became a priority because of the development of the Twin Rivers and Alafaya Woods communities by the Anden Group, which would generate a huge amount of traffic congestion, thus necessitating pavement.
East Mitchell Hammock Road, Oviedo, Florida
Mitchell Hammock Road in 1990, just after being paved. Oviedo City Council members signed a deal with Seminole County officials and a developer to pave Mitchell Hammock Road and turn it into a major highway. The developer, the Anden Group, paid for the road to be paved from Lockwood Road to Florida State Road 426. The City of Oviedo would pay for the addition of two lanes. Developing Mitchell Hammock became a priority because of the development of the Twin Rivers and Alafaya Woods communities by the Anden Group, which would generate a huge amount of traffic congestion, thus necessitating pavement.
Original 3 x 5 inch color photographs by Karen Jacobs, 1990: Private Collection of Karen Jacobs.
Mitchell Hammock Road when it was an unpaved dirt road in Oviedo, Florida, in 1989. Oviedo City Council members signed a deal with Seminole County officials and a developer to pave Mitchell Hammock Road and turn it into a major highway. The developer, the Anden Group, paid for the road to be paved from Lockwood Road to Florida State Road 426. The City of Oviedo would pay for the addition of two lanes. Developing Mitchell Hammock became a priority because of the development of the Twin Rivers and Alafaya Woods communities by the Anden Group, which would generate a huge amount of traffic congestion, thus necessitating pavement.
A newspaper article that examines Oviedo's growth through the creation of number of subdivisions, most notably Mead Manor. Named for horticulturalist Dr. Theodore Luqueer Mead, Mead Manor was developed by the Oviedo Land Company, which was formed by B. F. Wheeler, John Evans, Bill Martin, Ben Ward, Rex Clonts, Robert Lee, Bernie Blackwood, and Bob Williams. With the advent of Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) during the 1960s, development began in order to take advantage of the arrival of faculty and staff from the university. Mead Manor is credited with beginning the land development boom in Oviedo, leading to other residential subdivisions, such as Alafaya Woods and Grove Hill.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: "Oviedo." Homebuyer, Spring 2000: Private Collection of Colene Ward.
Ben Ward, Jr. at the Mead Manor subdivision in Downtown Oviedo, Florida. This photograph from a newspaper article about the history of Mead Manor and Ward, a real estate developer, and his involvement in the project, as well as other ongoing development projects, such as Grove Hill. Named for horticulturalist Dr. Theodore Luqueer Mead, Mead Manor was developed by the Oviedo Land Company, which was formed by B. F. Wheeler, John Evans, Bill Martin, Ben Ward, Rex Clonts, Robert Lee, Bernie Blackwood, and Bob Williams. With the advent of Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) during the 1960s, development began in order to take advantage of the arrival of faculty and staff from the university. Mead Manor is credited with beginning the land development boom in Oviedo, leading to other residential subdivisions, such as Alafaya Woods and Grove Hill.
Photocopy of original 4 x 3 inch black and white newspaper photograph: Private Collection of Colene Ward.
A newspaper photograph published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This photograph shows a car stuck in a ditch off of Florida State Road 426 in Slavia, Florida. According to the caption, the driver's car slipped off the road when it was raining.
Original newspaper article: "...And Another Learns His Lesson." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
The Oviedo Outlook
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article reports that the Oviedo City Police Department will begin to have 24-hour police protection.
Original newspaper article: "Oviedo with 24 Hour Police Protection." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Oviedo City Police Department, Oviedo, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article discusses the Seminole-Goldenrod Fire Association membership drive. Goldenrod formed its volunteer fire department in the 1950s with its own trucks and erected a building on Palmetto Avenue in Goldenrod, Florida, to serve both Orange County and Seminole County residents. Around 1969, Orange County established a fire department at that location at 4755 Palmetto Avenue. In order to service the Seminole County residents of Goldenrod, the volunteer fire department moved to this location and became the Seminole-Goldenrod Volunteer Fire Department. The location was later taken over by Seminole County and renamed the Seminole County Fire Station 23.
Original newspaper article: Mathers, Marilyn. "Fire Association to Begin Drive." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Seminole-Goldenrod Volunteer Fire Department, Goldenrod, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article is the publication of an open letter by Oviedo High School band director, Richard A. Feinberg, asking for donations for the marching band. The article also outlines upcoming football games and marching band performances. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: Feinberg, Richard A.. "Patron Donations Help Band." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hayslett Win Freezer and Beef
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on July 7, 1971. This article is about Oviedo's Fourth of July celebration that took place the previous weekend. According to the article, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hayslett of Chuluota, Florida, won a General Electric freezer and a side of beef. A number of businesses and local community members participated in the celebration and sponsored a several games and prizes.
Original newspaper article: "Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hayslett Win Freezer and Beef." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 7, 1971: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
John Courier Field, Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article reports on the new RAISE initiative, which established new requirements for Florida student athletes and how these requirements, as well as the academic standards set by the Florida High School Sports Association, have affected the OHS athletics program. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: "Requirements for Athletes 'Raised'." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
The Lion's Tale
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article is about OHS senior Ed Norton, who was chosen as the recipient of the La Sertoma Club award. The La Sertoma Club is an international, non-partisan, non-political, non-profit, and non-sectarian organization that focuses on youth and community needs and scholarships for over 80 years. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1932 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: Walter, Cheryl. "Norton Awarded by La Sertoma Club." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article is about OHS honor student Belinda Bakalla, who was designated a Tusculum Scholar. Tusculum College in Greenville, Tennessee, awards each Tusculum Scholar a scholarship that covers tuition in full. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: "Bakalla Designated Tusculum Scholar." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
OHS Students Earn Credits by Examination
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article discusses the Secondary Level Examination Program (SLEP), which grants high school credits to students that successfully passed tests for courses. Several students from Oviedo High School, Lake Brantley High School, and Lake Mary High School earned credits from the examination. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1932 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: "Students Earn Credits by Examination." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Florida
Lake Mary High School, Lake Mary, Florida
Teachers, Students Undergo Major Schedule Changes
A newspaper article published by The Lion's Tale, Oviedo High School's student newspaper, in February of 1984. This article discusses the schedule changes affecting certain English teachers and their students in order to maintain funding from the Enhanced Writing Program. Oviedo High School is a Seminole County Public School located in Oviedo, Florida. Originally called the Oviedo School, the institution was first established in 1922 as a K-12 school. In 1948, the secondary grades separated from the elementary school. The upper grade levels formed Oviedo High School and moved to the campus at 601 King Street. Oviedo High School is notable for The Lion's Tale, the award-winning school newspaper recognized by various national and state scholastic press associations; its high ratings from the Governor's A+ Plan for Education; and its successful athletics programs.
Original newspaper article: Keene, Karen. "Teachers, Students Undergo Major Schedule Changes." The Lion's Tale, Vol. XIII, No. 5, February 1984: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Cigarettes Mower, Stolen; $1,200 Construction Theft
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on August 1, 1973. This article details a number of thefts that were reported to the Oviedo City Police Department in August of 1973. These thefts included cigarettes, a mower, and a $1,200 construction theft.
Original newspaper article: "Cigarettes Mower, Stolen; $1,200 Construction Theft." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection on Dan Beistel.
Arthur Lott Acquitted of Assault: Circuit Jury Convicts Man on Resisting Charge
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on August 1, 1973. The article discusses the case of Arthur Lott, who was convicted by a circuit court jury of a lesser charge of resisting arrest without violence for his altercation with police office Arthur Barkley during a routine traffic stop. Lott was acquitted of aggravated assault charges, despite allegations that he pulled a knife on Officer Barkley. Lott was ultimately ordered to pay a $250 fine and received a two-year suspension.
Original newspaper article: "Circuit Jury Convicts Man on Resisting Charge." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
City Sewerage System Nearing Construction
In August of 1973, The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973 reported that the Oviedo's new sanitary sewer system was still on schedule to be built that year. Through a joint effort between a group of developers, engineers, and city officials, the 10-acre site, just south of the city limits and east of Florida State Road 520, should generate enough revenue according to most projections.
Original newspaper article: "City Sewerage Nearing Construction." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 1, 1973: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Ella Milner in front of the Citizen's Bank of Oviedo, which originally opened on East Broadway Street on July 2, 1946. The land on which the bank sits was originally the Bill Browning celery farm. The Citizens Bank of Oviedo took in over half a million dollars in deposits on its first day, with B. F. Wheeler as president, C. R. Clonts as vice president, and Charles Shaffer as the cashier. In 1949, the bank moved to the Memorial Building, which is located at 38 South Central Avenue. On March 25, 1974, the Citizens' Bank of Oviedo reopened at 156 Geneva Drive. The bank is now the Citizens' Bank of Florida with locations throughout Seminole County.
Original 4 x 6 inch color photographs by Dan Beistel, 1980: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
Citizen's Bank of Oviedo, Downtown Oviedo, Florida
A Time to Keep: History of the First Methodist Church of Oviedo, Florida, 1873-1973
A centennial celebration program booklet for the First United Methodist Church, located at 300 Ruth Street in Oviedo, Florida. The program covers the events of the day, centennial celebrations, the church history, and a number of hymns and sermons. The Methodist Church has a far-reaching history in the South that goes back to the schism of 1844. Divided by the issue of slavery, Southern churches moved to create their own polity during a conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The Southern church eventually reunited with the elder Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as the Methodist Presbyterian Church in 1939, becoming a single polity. In 1940, more conservative congregations dissented from the merge and formed the Southern Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church was finally created on April 23, 1968, when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged.
Original program, 1974: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
First United Methodist Church of Oviedo
First United Methodist Church, Oviedo, Florida
Minutes of Shareholders' Meeting of The Oviedo Voice, Inc. (April 15, 1993)
The meeting minutes from the shareholders' meeting of The Oviedo Voice, Inc. held on April 15, 1993. The Oviedo Voice, was the local newspaper that served Oviedo, Florida and its surrounding communities for nearly 23 years. A few of the shareholders' are descendants of Oviedo's Founding families, including Arthur Evans and Ces Lawton. The bulk of the minutes written by Secretary Frances Crews focused on the officer nominations for the new board. Other discussion included advertisement sales, a new computer accounting system, and a telemarking program.
Original minutes by Frances Crews, April 15, 1993: Private Collection of Dan Beistel.
A map of the Boston Hill Cemetery, an African-American cemetery located at 199 Boston Cemetery Road in Oviedo, Florida. The dedication deed was signed by Prince Butler Boston and E. Garvin, who were representing the Board of Trustees of the Boston Cemetery, on October 12, 1926. The document was approved by N. E. Douglass, the Seminole County Clerk, on November 3, and was then approved by A. M. Weeks, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the following day, The deed was then notarized on June 6, 1927, and approved by surveyor Allen H. Stone on November 4, 1928, Prince Butler Boston was the son of a Georgia slave owner, Dr. Alexander Atkinson, who moved to Central Florida in 1885, when he was 14 years old. After the citrus freeze during the 1890s, Atkinson abandoned citrus growing and migrated to Miami, leaving most his land to his son. Boston was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 61 years, beginning in 1886 until his death in 1947. He was ordained as a deacon in the church and also became the superintendent of the Sunday school. Once membership in the church began to grow, he designed a second choir stand and two additional classrooms.
Non-certified copy of original map: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
A Written and Pictorial History of the Oviedo Area Colored Schools, 1890-1967
In 2001, former students of the African-American schools planned a class reunion for alumni who attended the schools between 1953 and 1967. The schools included were Oviedo Colored School (later called Oviedo Elementary School), Jackson Heights Elementary School, Geneva Colored School, Wagner Colored School, Kolokee Colored School, and Gabriella Colored School. This booklet details the history of black community's drive to create a place to educate the children of the community with a general overview and timeline of the consolidation of the Oviedo-area schools into two distinct campuses in the predominantly African-American Jackson Heights neighborhood. This document demonstrates segregation in education in Seminole County, Florida, a subject that has not be fully explored in relation to Oviedo's history.
Original 76-page booklet: The World Outside Reunion, "A Written and Pictorial History of the Oviedo Area Colored Schools": Judith Smith Publishing: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
Oviedo Elementary School, Oviedo, Florida
Jackson Heights Elementary School, Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo Junior High School, Oviedo, Florida
Kolokee Colored School, Kolokee, Geneva, Florida, Gabriella Colored School, Gabriella, Oviedo, Florida
The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants
Underwood, Joseph R. (Joseph Rogers), 1791-1876
Two pages from a larger digital article, "The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants," from the AfriGeneas Library, which dedicates itself to literature concerning African-American genealogy, as well as researching African ancestry in the Americas. This excerpt discusses a Congressional debate from the first session of the 31st Congress. The focus of the debate was whether to name slaves (listing their name, age, sex, etc.) using the newly proposed U.S. Census tables, or to simply enumerate them, getting an aggregate number for census purposes.
Original digital article: Paterson, David E. "The 1850 and 1860 Census, Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants": Private Collection of Ida Boston.
A legal document for the dedication of five acres land for the Boston Hill Cemetery, an African-American cemetery located at 199 Boston Cemetery Road in Oviedo, Florida. The dedication deed was signed by Prince Butler Boston and E. Garvin, who were representing the Board of Trustees of the Boston Cemetery, on October 12, 1926. The document was approved by N. E. Douglass, the Seminole County Clerk, on November 3, and was then approved by A. M. Weeks, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the following day, The deed was then notarized on June 6, 1927, and approved by surveyor Allen H. Stone on November 4, 1928. Prince Butler Boston was the son of a Georgia slave owner, Dr. Alexander Atkinson, who moved to Central Florida in 1885, when he was 14 years old. After the citrus freeze during the 1890s, Atkinson abandoned citrus growing and migrated to Miami, leaving most his land to his son. Boston was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 61 years, beginning in 1886 until his death in 1947. He was ordained as a deacon in the church and also became the superintendent of the Sunday school. Once membership in the church began to grow, he designed a second choir stand and two additional classrooms.
Original 1-page dedication deed: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
War Ration Book Four: Prince Butler Boston
This World War II-era war ration book belonged to Prince Butler Boston, a prominent African American leader in Oviedo, Florida, who was integral to creating a vibrant black community in Seminole County through industry and his patronage. Boston was the son of a Georgia slave owner, Dr. Alexander Atkinson, who moved to Central Florida in 1885, when Boston was 14 years old. After the citrus freeze during the 1890s, Atkinson abandoned citrus growing and moved to Miami, leaving most his land to Boston. Boston was a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church for nearly 61 years, beginning in 1886 until his death in 1947. He was ordained as a deacon in the church and also became the superintendent of the Sunday school, as well. Once membership in the church began to grow, he designed a second choir stand and two additional classrooms. Boston also gave five acres of land to the church to build a cemetery, which is now known as the Boston Hill Cemetery. In May 1942, the U.S. Office of Price Administration froze prices on everyday goods, such as coffee, sugar, and gasoline. Families were issued war ration books and tokens, which dictated how many and how much goods could be purchased by any one family. Various types of rationing included certificate rationing, differential coupon rationing, point rationing, and uniform coupon rationing. Sugar is an example of uniform coupon rationing which provided equal shares of a single product to every American; point rationing issued coupons for points. Theses points could be used for any combination of items in processed foods and meats. Differential coupon rationing provided products based on varying needs. These products included gasoline and fuel oil. In the case of certificate rationing, individuals had to demonstrate need for the products, such as tires, cars, and stoves.
Original war ration book: U.S. Office of Price Administration: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
Oviedo Citizens in Action (OCIA) at the Oviedo School in Oviedo, Florida, around 1969. OCIA is a community organization that fought for equal and civil rights within the Greater Oviedo area. The group helped to desegregate a number of local businesses, including a barbershop, through non-violent protest. Although the OCIA is a predominantly African-American organization, the organization also includes members of all races. The still organizes today and is lead by President Danny McKinney, as of 2015.
Original newspaper photograph: The Sanford Herald: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
The Sanford Herald
Harvest at the A. Duda and Sons Celery Farm in Slavia
The A. Duda and Sons farm in Salvia, Florida, around 1940. African-American workers are photographed cleaning up a celery field after a harvest. Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.
Original 4 x 6 inch black and white photograph: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
A. Duda and Sons Celery Farm, Slavia, Florida
A Mule Train on the A. Duda and Sons farm in Slavia, Florida, sometime between 1940 and 1945. Mule Trian was the name of the motorized factory that Duda farm workers used to harvest celery from the 1940s through the 1970s. It was named after a popular song in the 1950s. Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.
Original 4 x 6 inch black and white photographs: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
The A. Duda and Son's packing house in Slavia, Florida, around 1945. This photograph features of number African-American workers packing the celery crop for shipping and distribution. Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.
The A. Duda and Sons farm in Slavia, Florida, in the 1970s. Andrew Duda, Sr. immigrated from Slovakia to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909, later settling in Central Florida to try his hand at farming. Initially successful growing Irish potatoes, the market value of the crop could not cover shipping costs and the Duda family struggled financially to survive. Soon after they returned to Cleveland, where Duda and his sons worked in a factory to support the family. By 1926, the Duda family had saved enough money to return to Slavia. This time, their crops prospered and they formed A. Duda and Sons. The family owned company remains in existence today and is an international brand with locations across the globe.
Original 4 x 6 inch color photograph: Private Collection of Ida Boston.
Conference on Lake Apopka Fish Kills, June 12, 1963
A report by Harold L. Moody for a conference held by various state officials to investigate the fish kills in Lake Apopka, Florida. Moody's notes describe the current fish kill, some past kills, and efforts by the different State departments to investigate the fish kills. Various causes of the fish kills are discussed. Moody disagrees with the State Board of Health that oxygen supersaturation is causing the kills; Moody believes the cause is either pesticides or an unknown fish disease.
Photocopy of original 5-page typewritten report, June 12, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Memorandum from L. E. Cromwell to John W. Woods (May 20, 1963)
A memorandum from L. E. Cromwell, a fisheries biologist, to John W. Woods, the Chief of Fish Management for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The memo describes water samples drawn from Lake Apopka, Florida, by Cromwell and gives his observations of a May 1963 fish kill.
Photocopy of original 2-page memorandum from L. E. Cromwell to John W. Woods, May 20, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
A newspaper article from The Orlando Evening Star from December 18, 1963. The article discusses the current polluted state of Lake Apopka and various theories about the source of Lake Apopka's problems. The article also mentions possible methods to clean up the lake.
Photocopy of original newspaper article: Rider, Don. "Lake Apopka Woes Not Answered." The Orlando Evening Star: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from Doyle C. Golden to A. D. Aldrich (August 26, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from Doyle C. Golden, the Administrative Assistant for the Division of Chemistry of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to A. D. Aldrich, the Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The report gives data from the analysis of fish samples collected from Lake Apopka, Florida, by Chester Burke and L. E. Cromwell on June 24-25, 1963. DDT and DDT metabolites were found to be present in all samples examined.
Photocopy of original 3-page typewritten letter from Doyle C. Golden to A. D. Aldrich, August 26, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Inspection of Fish Kills at Lake Apopka, Florida
A report detailing Thomas L. Wellborn, Jr.'s visit to Lake Apopka, Florida in June 1963. Wellborn, a biologist with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife of the Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, visited Lake Apopka to examine fish for signs of disease. Though some fish parasites were identified, Wellborn found no evidence of infectious diseases among the moribund fish in Lake Apopka. Samples were taken and sent to be examined for viral disease. Wellborn details his observations of planes spraying pesticides into Lake Apopka on three separate mornings.
Photocopy of original 2-page typewritten report, June 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Letter from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman to Henry F. Swanson (June 19, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman, the Killarney Fish Camp Operator, to Henry F. Swanson, the Orange County Agriculture Extension Agent. The letter is written in response to a farming brochure, "A to Zellwood", describing the Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District. Sherman disputes some of the claims made in this brochure, and reminds Swanson that experts convened by the State in June 1963 to examine the fish kills in Lake Apopka did not rule out pesticides as the cause of death.
Photocopy of original 2-page typewritten letter from Robert "Bob" W. Sherman to Henry F. Swanson, June 19, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from F. G. Banks to Clayton Phillippy (September 5, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from F. G. Banks, the Assistant Chief of the Fisheries Division of the Florida Game and Freshwater Commission, to Clayton Phillippy, a biologist with the commission. The letter describes an attached report by Doyle C. Golden regarding pesticide content in Lake Apopka fish samples and makes recommendations for future samples.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from F. G. Banks to Clayton Phillippy, September 5, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from John R. Thoman to A. D. Aldrich (July 25, 1963)
A letter of correspondence from John R. Thoman, the Regional Director of the Water Supply and Pollution Control Division of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to A. D. Aldrich, the Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The letter discusses the analysis of the samples taken by Eugene W. Surber during his visit to Lake Apopka, Florida, in June 1963. Analysis of fish samples performed by chemists with the Department of Health found large concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were in the bass fish samples. According to the letter, Thoman does not believe these concentrations necessarily indicate DDT poisoning as the cause of death.
Photocopy of original 2-page typewritten letter from John R. Thoman to A. D. Aldrich, July 25, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Lake Apopka, Florida Fish Kill Report by Eugene W. Surber
A report by Eugene W. Surber on the May 1963 Lake Apopka Fish Kill. Surber describes his visit to Lake Apopka, Florida, and examines samples of dead and dying fish recovered from the lake. It is estimated that roughly 3 millions pounds of fish were killed in May 1963. Surber interviews several locals regarding aerial spraying of pesticide and its correlation to the Apopka fish kills. He concludes that pesticide the most likely cause of the fish kills, due to the extremely fast and intermittent nature of the kills.
Photocopy of original 5-page typewritten report: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Aquatic Biology Section, Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center
Letter from Harold L. Moody to O. E. Frye, Jr. (June 11, 1962)
A letter of correspondence from Harold L. Moody, fishery biologist, to O. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The letter discusses a fish kill on Lake Apopka in May 1962. Moody reports that eyewitnesses observed an agricultural spray plane disperse pesticides over the lake shortly before the fish kill began. Fish kills are usually associated with low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. Moody notes that his samples showed the oxygen levels to be low, but rather than being evenly dispersed through the lake, the fish kill was concentrated at the north shore adjacent to the farming operations. Moody also notes the presence of dead reptiles and amphibians not normally found during an oxygen-related kill. The fish kill was estimated at 50,000 pounds, at that time the largest fish kill of 1962.
Photocopy of original 2-page letter from Harold L. Moody to O. E. Frye, Jr., June 11, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
A to Z: Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District Brochure
A brochure detailing the creation of the Zellwood Farming District. The brochure gives a timeline of the district's creation and funding, and gives data regarding the District's economic output and employment. The brochure also discusses the District's impact on Lake Apopka.
Photocopy of original 15-page brochure by Henry Swanson: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Zellwood Drainage and Water Control District
A news release from The Tallahassee News detailing the May 1962 fish kills on Lake Apopka. Two fish kills occurred within three days, killing an estimated three million pounds of gizzard and threadfin shad. Water samples were sent to the Florida State Board of Health for testing. The kills are believed to be a result of a combination of various pollutions, including pesticide from aerial spraying, fertilizer run-off, and waste discharge from sewage plants and citrus processing.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten press release, June 1962: The Tallahassee News, Tallahassee, Florida: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
The Tallahassee News
Memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr. (July 23, 1962)
A 1-page memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr., a fishery biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, regarding the May 1962 Lake Apopka fish kill. The memorandum revises the earlier estimate of fish killed, found in Harold L. Moody's memorandum toO. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the commission, from 50,000 lbs to 120,000 pounds. Frye states his belief that DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and parathion sprayed from agricultural aircraft were responsible for the kill. Samples of the dead fish were shipped to the University of North Carolina for analysis by Dr. Charles Weiss, Professor of Sanitary Science. The results were inconclusive regarding pesticides, as the cause of the kill due to decay suffered in transit. However, some samples did show evidence of exposure to pesticide.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten memorandum from W. R. Peavy, Jr., July 23, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Lake Apopka Water Quality Measurements, 1961-1962
A table of measurements of various dissolved substances found in Lake Apopka, gathered from random points across the surface of the lake in March 1961, September 1961, and January 1962.
Photocopy of original table: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton (June 21, 1962)
A letter of correspondence from O. E. Frye, Jr., Assistant Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, to the Honorable John A. Sutton. The letter discusses possible legal action against those responsible for the 1962 Lake Apopka fish kill. Frye considers a successful legal action to be unlikely, and states his intention to explore possible regulations that could be applied to those responsible for the fish kill. The letter also congratulates Sutton on his success in the Democratic Primary Election, representing Florida's district 11, newly created that year, in the 1962 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was later defeated by Republican Edward Gurney.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from O. E. Frye, Jr. to John A. Sutton, June 21, 1962: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida
Letter from Harold L. Moody to James "Jim" P. Clugston (December 17, 1962)
A letter of correspondence between Harold L. Moody and James "Jim" P. Clugston. In the letter, Moody discusses the changes in Lake Apopka's water quality during the 1940s and 1950s. He provides a brief timeline of the creation of the muck farms on Apopka's north shore, and notes that Winter Garden has expanded their sewage treatment in the last half-decade. He also notes that the bass fishing on Lake Apopka has declined during the 1950s, considering the 1950-1951 bass season the last phenomenal year.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Harold L. Moody to James "Jim" P. Clugston, December 17, 162: binder 1962, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
An outline map of Lake Apopka, created by the Lake and Stream Survey for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The outline shows the major towns bordering the lake, Oakland and Winter Garden. It also identifies key landmarks on Lake Apopka, such as Gourd's Neck, Hog Island, and various hay stacks. Fish camps are also shown ringing the lake. The division between Lake and Orange Counties is shown cutting across the lake.
Photocopy of original map by the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, July 1957: binder 1961, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission
Lake Apopka Chemical-Physical Data, August and September 1956
A water quality survey for Lake Apopka. Samples shown were taken by Harold L. Moody, a fishery biologist working for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The samples were drawn from several locations across the lake, over a range of one month. Included in the table is data from the U.S. Ecological Survey of Lake Apopka from 1924. The lake was considered mainly pristine in 1924 and the muck farms considered responsible for much of the pollution in the lake were not constructed until 1941. Bass fishing in Lake Apopka was considered world-class until the 1950s. This table shows an massive increase in sulfate levels in the lake since 1924, ranging from an increase of 4 to 10 times.
Photocopy of original 1-page survey by the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, 1956: binder 1961, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey of Lake Apopka
A U.S. Department of the Interior, Water Resources Division survey of Lake Apopka's water quality. This data was collected at Winter Garden, Florida, in 1959 and 1961. Winter Garden is located on the southern shore of Lake Apopka.
Photocopy of original 1-page geological survey by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Water Resources Division, 1961: binder 1961, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
U.S. Department of the Interior, Water Resources Division
Letter from James "Jim" P. Clugston to Harold L. Moody (October 18,1961)
A letter of correspondence between Harold L. Moody and James "Jim" P. Clugston, both fishery biologists working for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (merged into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 1999). The letter discusses the identification of a plant specimen found near Lake Apopka by Harold L. Moody and identified by Erdman West as Taro, Colocasia esculenta. Taro is native to Africa and considered an invasive species in Florida. Taro was introduced to the Americas as a food crop for slaves. This letter may serve as evidence of the introduction of this plant to Central Florida by 1967.
Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from James "Jim" P. Clugston to Harold L. Moody, October 18,1961: binder 1961, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.