Greetings from Weeki Wachee, Florida
Dublin Core
Title
Greetings from Weeki Wachee, Florida
Alternative Title
Holiday Inn, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Subject
Weeki Wachee Springs (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Hotels--Florida
Buildings--Florida
Description
A postcard depicting several Weeki Wachee mermaids lounging around the pool of the local Holiday Inn with the words "Greetings From Weeki Wachee, Florida" printed on the front. The back of the postcard features an ad for the Holiday Inn that lists the hotels amenities and location. The postcard was mailed with an 8 cent Eisenhower stamp to Randolph, New York, in 1975. The author, Helen, describes her activities in Florida. She went swimming and was planning to go to the Red Fish for dinner.
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.
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.
Creator
Holiday Inn
Long, Claude
Curteich Color
Source
Original color postcard by Holiday Inn, Claude Long and Curteich Color: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
Publisher
Date Created
ca. 1970-1975
Date Copyrighted
ca. 1970-1975
Date Issued
ca. 1975
Contributor
Chase, Helen
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original color postcard by Holiday Inn, Claude Long and Curteich Color.
Is Part Of
Weeki Wachee Collection, Hernando County Collection, RICHES.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
14.0 MB
Medium
color postcard
Language
eng
Type
Still Images
Coverage
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Humanities Teacher
Provenance
Originally created and published by Holiday Inn, Claude Long and Curteich Color.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Rebecca Schwandt's Thesis Project
Curator
Schwandt, Rebecca
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Allman, T.D. Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2013.
Ammidown, Margot. "Edens, Underworlds, and Shrines: Florida’s Small Tourist Attractions." The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts 23, 1998, 238-259. Accessed November 9, 2018. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1504171?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
Georgiadis, Bonnie and Lu Vickers. Weeki Wachee mermaids: thirty years of underwater photography. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.
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.
Collection
Citation
Holiday Inn, Long, Claude, and Curteich Color, “Greetings from Weeki Wachee, Florida,” RICHES, accessed April 26, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/10484.