Scene at the Sponge Exchange, Largest in the World Postcard
Dublin Core
Title
Scene at the Sponge Exchange, Largest in the World Postcard
Alternative Title
Sponge Exchange Postcard
Subject
Tarpon Springs (Fla.)
Sponges--Florida
Description
A postcard depicting men unloading sponges at the sponge exchange in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Sponge harvesting in Tarpon began in 1852 when Walter Lowe sailed to Anclote Key to secure cargo containing sponges. The Anclote and Rock Island Sponge Company was formed by John Cheyney in 1891, with offices in Tarpon Springs and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cheyney also founded the Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange, along with Ernest R. Meres, in 1907. Despite the Florida land bust of the 1920s and the Great Depression, the sponge industry continued to thrive until 1938, when a blight infested the sponge beds. Instead, the city turned to tourism, capitalizing on its rich Greek culture.
This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
This postcard is part of a collection of postcards kept by Lucile Campbell, a schoolteacher in Sanford, Florida, for 30 years. In 1931, she took advantage of a special rate for teachers and sailed to Europe, where she traveled for several months and is thought to have acquired many of these postcards. During the 1940-1941 school year, Campbell taught at Sanford Grammar School. Before her retirement in 1970, she taught at many other area schools, including the Oviedo School, Westside Grammar School, and Pinecrest Elementary School. Campbell used these postcards as aids in her classrooms to teach advanced subjects, such as Shakespearean drama. The collection, along with her other teaching aids, papers, and photographs, was later found at Sanford Grammar School after it became the University of Central Florida's Public History Center. Campbell's postcard collection and photographs provide insight into the life of a respected Florida educator.
Creator
Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company
Source
Original 4 x 6 inch color postcard by the Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Publisher
Curt Teich and Company
Date Created
ca. 1907-1978
Date Copyrighted
ca. 1907-1978
Contributor
Campbell, Lucile
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original 4 x 6 inch color postcard by the Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company.
Is Part Of
File folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Lucile Campbell Collection, Student Museum and UCF Public History Center Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
195 KB
Medium
4 x 6 inch color postcard
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange, Tarpon Springs, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company and published by Curt Teich and Company.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by the UCF Public History Center and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Aphasia Project
Curator
Raffel, Sara
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
"Timeline." History of Pasco County, Florida. http://www.fivay.org/tarpon_springs1.html.
"Local History." Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society. http://www.tarponspringsareahistoricalsociety.org/Local-History/local-history.html.
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1 color postcard
Physical Dimensions
4 x 6 inches
Collection
Citation
Gulf Stream Card and Distributing Company, “Scene at the Sponge Exchange, Largest in the World Postcard,” RICHES, accessed November 18, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/6706.