Ann Tanzler with Weeki Wachee Mermaids and Press Release

Ann Tanzler with Weeki Wachee Mermaids and Press Release

Weeki Wachee Mermaids with Ann Tanzler and Press Release

Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)

Tourism--Florida

Springs--Florida

Parks--Florida

Mermaids--Florida

Ann Tanzler, wife of Jacksonville Mayor Hans G. Tanzler, putting on a diving mask with the aid of two Weeki Wachee mermaids. An accompanying press release sent out on November 22, 1971, describes the busy life of Ann Tanzler, who, on top of being a homemaker, mother and qualified parachuter, was being trained in the art of underwater ballet.

Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs to the public in October of 1947. At the time, roadside attractions were becoming popular stops along Florida roadways. The attraction consisted of an amalgamation of vendors, an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction: a mermaid show that took place in an underwater theater. Eventually, the May Museum of the Tropics, an "abandoned Seminole village", a show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo were added. After peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, attendance began to decline as theme parks and highways changed the dynamics of Florida's tourism. The State of Florida took over the attraction as a state park in 2008. Since then, the park has focused on appealing to a modern audience while preserving its history.

Schumacher, Elmer "Sparky"

News Bureau

Original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.

1-page press release by News Bureau, November 22,1971: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.

1971-11-22

1971-11-22

Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher.

Digital reproduction of original press release by News Bureau, November 22, 1971.

Weeki Wachee Collection, Hernando County Collection, RICHES.

application/pdf

24.8 MB

black and white photograph

1-page typed press release

eng

Still Image

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Humanities Teacher

Originally created by Elmer "Sparky" Schumacher and published by RICHES.

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

Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project

Schwandt, Rebecca

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Hollis, Tim. Glass Bottom Boats &

Mermaid Tails: Florida's Tourist Springs. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2006.

Pelland, Maryan. Weeki Wachee Springs. Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2006. .

Revels, Tracy J. Sunshine Paradise: A History of Florida Tourism. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2011.

Vickers, Lu, and Sara Dionne. Weeki Wachee, City of Mermaids: A History of One of Florida's Oldest Roadside Attractions. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007.