Friendship 7 Lift Off at the Launch Pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (U.S.)
John Glenn's (b. 1921) Mercury-Atlas vehicle (MA-6) lifting off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) on February 20, 1962. This was the first manned flight of a Mercury-Atlas spacecraft, which occurred after a few delays. Glenn would become the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn was later feted in parades from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to New York City, New York.
Original black and white photographic print, February 20, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Chronopoints
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 Launch Site, Cape Canaveral, Florida
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) concert, “From Crayons to Perfume.” The event was held at the Plaza Live, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on June 23, 2007. The show featured music and songs reflecting on all of life's different relationships. Tickets were $20 in advance through Urban Think, The Center, and orlandogaychorus.org and $25 at the door. The poster features a photograph of two men holding hands, taken from behind, with the title circling their hands. Artwork includes the logos of the OGC and various sponsors across the bottom of the poster. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Orlando Gay Chorus
Original color poster: University of Central Florida Special Collections, Orlando, Florida.
The Plaza Live Theatre, Orlando, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "From Crayons to Perfume", on June 23, 2007, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Mark W. Hardin, the Accompanist Absalón Figueroa, the ASL interpreters Eliezer Sierra and Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 40-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
From Florida's Finest Groves Comes Bluebird Citrus Products
A promotional pamphlet for Bluebird Citrus Products containing information on the company's history, products and quality. The pamphlet features images of Bluebird canned juices and frozen concentrate. Bluebird brand citrus juices were manufactured and distributed by Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., a company founded by Philip Caruso. The Bluebird juice company is currently part of Florida's Natural Food Service.
Original color promotional pamphlet: Private Collection of Judith LaRue
Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., Orlando, Florida
The patch that the 45th Infantry wore before and after World War II. This patch was one that Rufus H. Lennon wore. Lennon was a soldier from Bradenton, Florida. He was born in 1921 to Rufus Sr. and Bertha Lennon. On November 21, 1940, Lennon enlisted into the United States Army at the age of nineteen. He served as part of the 45th Infantry and the 180th Infantry. The 45th was formed in 1924 and created their own patch honoring Native Americans with the symbol of a swastika. he died in September 21, 1944. He was awarded Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He was the second oldest out of Berta and Rufus Lennon Sr. children.
The location of the patches that was part of Brigadier General Ross. H. Routh's M38A's1roots.
The main entrance to the Sky Lake, a residential community and unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida. The entrance is located at the intersection of Lancaster Road and Voltaire Drive. Sky Lake is located approximately seven miles south of Downtown Orlando between Lancaster Road and Sand Lake Road. The community was developed in late 1950s and 1960s by Hymen Lake. Houses originally sold in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. In the 1970s, Sky Lake became one of the first housing developments to be racially integrated. The community was originally proposed to include one thousand homes within the middle of the square mile block and a ring of commercial developments along the perimeter.
Original 8 x 10 inch black and white photographs, May 16, 1967: Pine Castle Historical Society, Pine Castle, Florida.
New York Giants (Baseball team)--History--20th century
The Mayfair Inn in the 1960s. Originally named after the Sanford Mayor and president of Seminole County Bank, construction of the Forrest Lake Hotel began in 1916. Local architect Elton J. Moughton designed the hotel. In 1925, Hotel Forrest Lake opened and became a popular destination for tourists visiting Sanford. By 1929, the hotel closed after the stock market crash and the downfall of Florida's tourism and real estate boom. William E. Kirchhoff leased the building in 1934 and the hotel reopened in 1935 with the new name Mayfair Hotel. Under Kirchhoff's ownership, the Mayfair Hotel became known as one of the finest hotels in the South. Kirchhoff sold the hotel in 1948 to Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants. Stoneham then sold the building to the Bernard McFadden Foundation. After the Naval Air Station Sanford acquired $1.3 million to fund the construction of a naval academy in 1963, the Foundation made significant alterations to the building to house students from the Sanford Naval Academy. The Foundation later sold the building to the New Tribes Mission in 1977. The New Tribes Mission's goal is to reach tribes who have no access to the Gospel through translated publications and missionary work.
Original black and white photograph: Cities and Towns Collection, Sanford Collection, Mayfair Hotel Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
FTU Fraternity Collects Yule Cards For Vietnam
By 1969, America's involvement in the Vietnam War was at its approximate climax, with 1968 being the key year of exponential escalation. While more and more troops poured into South Vietnam, America’s youth grew more and more restless. This restlessness was epitomized by demonstration on college campuses. Often times, troops were shunned or discredited in Vietnam or once returned home, however, in a compassionate act, this FTU fraternity displays otherwise.
University of Central Florida Special Collections and Archives, University of Central Florida Scrapbook Collection, 1960-2009. Series 1: University History Scrapbooks, 1963-2009, Sub-Series 1: Catalogued Scrapbooks, 1963-1967, Item 3: Scrapbook, Volume 3, 1970-1971.
A newspaper article published by The Oviedo Outlook on May 26, 1977. The article lists the local graduates of Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) during the spring semester of 1977. Lee R. Scherer, Director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, was the guest speaker at the commencement ceremony to be held on June 10. Florida Technological University (FTU) was founded by the Florida Legislature in 1963 and opened in 1968. The intended goal of the university was to train personnel to support the U.S. space program at the John F. Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In 1978, Reubin Askew renamed FTU the University of Central Florida (UCF). By 2014, enrollment preacher over 60,000 students. While the main campus is located at 4000 Central Florida Boulevard in Orlando, there are also 12 satellite campuses.
Original newspaper article: "FTU Grads Named." The Oviedo Outlook, Vol. 4, No. 40, May 26, 1977, page 3: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida
While FTU began its infant stages of development in 1968, America was undergoing a tumultuous period of political dissent, aimed primarily at the Vietnam War. As college campuses through the nation divulged in protests, sit-ins, and demonstrations, UCF was just entering into existence. In this newspaper article, presumed to be 1968 or 1969, president Millican proclaims that the anticipated national "anti-Vietnam war moratorium" will not suspend classes, and that all protests should be a mater of "personal reflection," rather than as widespread popular demonstration.
University of Central Florida Special Collections and Archives, University of Central Florida Scrapbook Collection, 1960-2009. Series 1: University History Scrapbooks, 1963-2009, Sub-Series 1: Catalogued Scrapbooks, 1963-1967, Item 2: Scrapbook, Volume 2, 1968-1969.
Fueling Umbilical Testing for Project Apollo
This photograph is described by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as "[v]iew after ejection of Umbilical Plug." This took place in Hangar AF at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Merritt Island, Florida.
Original black and white photographic print, July 9, 1964: Space Walk of Fame Collection.
John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
The Fulford Van & Storage Company was founded by Jesse Curtis Fulford in 1913. The company moved from its original downtown address at 131-135 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, to its new location at 3750 Bengert Street in 1973 and is still at that location as of 2014.
Original black and white photograph: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Orange County Regional History Center
Fulford Van & Storage Company, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Fulford Van & Storage Company Calendar, 1948
A Fulford Van & Storage Company calendar for 1948. The company was founded by Jesse Curtis Fulford in 1913. The company moved from its original downtown address at 131-135 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, to its new location at 3750 Bengert Street in 1973 and is still at that location as of 2014.
Fulford Van & Storage Company
Original calendar by Fulford Van & Storage Company, 1948: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Citrus fruit industry--Florida--Orange County
Agricultural laborers fumigating citrus trees at Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida in 1904. Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 212, folder 8.18, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
This document details the history and functions of the Internal Improvement Fund. This fund was created in 1851 to handle the sale, maintenance, and leasing of public lands. These public lands came from an initial grant of 500,000 acres from the federal government at the admission of Florida as a state. More land was available as well for use of public education. The fund's earliest tasks were the construction of railroads and improvement of waterways. The fund's focus shifted to land reclamation and drainage during the 1880s, continuing into the 1920s. The fund also played an active role in the drainage of the Everglades during this period. This document further details the bureaucratic structure of the fund, as well as data on the amount of land still controlled by it.
Original 6-page typewritten report: binder 1968, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Funeral Services for the Late Mrs. Leatha Walker
Funeral Services program for Leatha Walker (1889-1976), the sister of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and the aunt of Patricia Ann Black (1956- ). The services were held on March 6, 1976, at the Mt. Moriah Primity Baptist Church, located at 1101 South Locust Avenue in Sanford, Florida. Reverend J. S. Snelling presided over the service. Leatha Black was born on August 17, 1889, in Sanford to Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca.1870-ca.1934). She had four brothers and two sisters: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. As a child, she attended Seminole County Public Schools and was a member of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. As an adult, she joined the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church under the pastorate of Reverend E. Bullard. Leatha married Reverend Robert Bradley and had one child with him, Reverend Israel Bradley Black (ca.1913-ca.2007). Several years later, Leatha married Reverend A. W. Walker and had four children with him: Joell Walker, Carrie Walker Oliver, Clementine Walker Barnes, and Harry Walker. Leatha was also a member of Rebecca Chapter 83 of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Freemason fraternal organization for both men and women. On February 26, 1976, Leatha Walker passed away at the Seminole Memorial Hospital, located at the corner of East First Street and Mellonville Avenue in Sanford. Her funeral services included speeches and performances by the Gospel Choir of the Hickory Avenue Church of God, Reverend P. Sanders, Reverend W. Brown, the Mt. Moriah choir, Deacon R. Zanders, Mother R. Wilson, Fernandina Beach, Sister Flossie Zanders, Mrs. Clyde Walker, and Reverend J.S. Snelling. Her remains were cared for by the Sanders Funeral Home and she was buried in the Light Foot Cemetery.
Original program, 1976: Mt. Moriah Primity Baptist Church, Sanford, Florida: Private Collection of Patricia Black.
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Sanford, Florida
Seminole Memorial Hospital, Sanford, Florida
funkUs at the 7th Annual Spring Jambando, 2012
funkUs performing live at the 7th Annual Spring Jambando at The Plaza Theater, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2012. The first photograph features Brian Burgess on bass guitar, and the second photograph features Burgess on bass guitar with Dave Mann on electric guitar. Formed in Orlando in 1998, funkUs earned a reputation as a band with a unique blend of eclectic musical genres, following in the footsteps of jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and Phish, by combining elements of rock, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and funk. The band’s live performances incorporate an improvisational structure with groove-heavy rhythms. Their albums include flavor (2001); strobe light (2002); free (2005), which features Tom Constanten, a former keyboard player for the Grateful Dead; got problems (2009); funkUs meets the Curious Circus (2009); and coconut monkey (2012). Regularly performing throughout Florida, the band has appeared at premier music festivals, including the Purple Hatter's Ball in 2013, Bear Creek Music Festival in 2009 and 2011, Orange Blossom Jamboree in 2010 and 2011, Jambando in the Park in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and many others. They have shared stages with notable bands such as Galactic, Soulive, Dumpstaphunk, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Victor Wooten, Steve Kimock Band, Zach Deputy, and Consider the Source. The lineup is ever-changing, based around its core members: Adam Freeman on drums and percussion, Alex Ceserani on bass and vocals, Bill Bairley on keyboard and vocals, and Dave Mann on guitar and vocals. A leading figure in the Orlando music scene, the band is also responsible for organizing Jambando, a musical concert series designed to showcase and stimulate Orlando's burgeoning jam band scene. Beginning in 2003 as an idea for the Orlando Fringe Festival, the concept was further developed through an ongoing concert series at Hard Rock Live, and has since made its current homes at The Plaza Theatre in Downtown Orlando's Milk District and The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak. Each concert is created through a collective of musicians and volunteers in a united and conscious effort to establish a musical brand for multi-genre Central Florida music.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, April 28, 2012: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
funkUs, performing live at The Plaza Theater, located at 425 North Bumby Avenue in Orlando, Florida, on January 16, 2013. The band was the opening act for Galactic, a jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana. The first photograph features Adam Freeman on drums, Clay Watson on trombone, Eugene Snowden on vocals, and Dave Mann on electric guitar. The second photograph shows Mann on electric guitar, Alessandro Ceserani on bass guitar, and Bill Bairley on keyboard. The third photograph features Mann and Ceserani, the fourth photograph features Freeman, and the fifth features Clay Watson on trombone. Formed in Orlando in 1998, funkUs earned a reputation as a band with a unique blend of eclectic musical genres, following in the footsteps of jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and Phish, by combining elements of rock, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and funk. The band’s live performances incorporate an improvisational structure with groove-heavy rhythms. Their albums include flavor (2001); strobe light (2002); free (2005), which features Tom Constanten, a former keyboard player for the Grateful Dead; got problems (2009); funkUs meets the Curious Circus (2009); and coconut monkey (2012). Regularly performing throughout Florida, the band has appeared at premier music festivals, including the Purple Hatter's Ball in 2013, Bear Creek Music Festival in 2009 and 2011, Orange Blossom Jamboree in 2010 and 2011, Jambando in the Park in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and many others. They have shared stages with notable bands such as Galactic, Soulive, Dumpstaphunk, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Victor Wooten, Steve Kimock Band, Zach Deputy, and Consider the Source. The lineup is ever-changing, based around its core members: Adam Freeman on drums and percussion, Alex Ceserani on bass and vocals, Bill Bairley on keyboard and vocals, and Dave Mann on guitar and vocals.
Original color photographs by Alicia Lyman, January 16, 2013: Archive: Concerts Archive, Alicia Lyman.
A postcard depicting the completed G.A.R Memorial Hall building in St. Cloud, Florida. Handwritten on the back of the postcard is the message: "St. Cloud, Fla. August 28, 1918. Dear Frances, This is the hall where grandpa's name and regiment is carved on a brick in the entrance. Papa". The postcard is addressed to Frances Clark in Walnut, Kansas. The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was a fraternal organization of veterans of the United States Union Army, Union Navy, Marines and the United States Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 inch black and white postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Galveston's Municipal-Owned Beach, "Stewart Beach" Postcard
A postcard depicting Stewart Beach, the municipal owned beach of Galveston, Texas. Stewart Beach was established under the tenure of Mayor Brantly Harris, with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935. 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.
Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Students and volunteers at Restore Orlando's game night in the early-to-mid 1990s. The child behind the dartboard is Ashley Williams. Her brother, Joshua Williams, is to the right of the dartboard. Created by Jerry Applebee and Polly Applebee in 1994, the Restore Orlando's after-school program organized outings such as horseback riding and helicopter rides. The Applebees were affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene in the Parramore neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, Florida. Dedra Jenkins fought to have a basketball court built for the older children at Kaley Square Park across the street. Originally, owners of the church and park did not want a court because they feared it would be a place where drug dealers would congregate. This photograph, taken by an unknown volunteer at the program, was originally discarded, along with other similar photographs, and then found by a local resident near the Emmanuel Fellowship and Worship Center, which is located at the former site of Restore Orlando. The collection was given to the contributor, Dedra Jenkins.
Original 3 x 5 inch color photograph, 1995: Private Collection of Dedra Jenkins.
Restore Orlando, Holden-Parramore, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Garden of Proteus, an acrylic painting created by Steve Lotz in 2005. Lotz received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lotz became an instructor of art at the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando in 1968, and served as the chairman of the Art Department for its first 10 years. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2003. As head of the department, Lotz was integral in establishing the success of the University’s visual arts programs. Steve Lotz is an internationally-recognized artist with solo exhibitions of his work held throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, and he is represented in numerous public and private collections. His best known work in Central Florida is the monumental triptych, Florida Dream, which has been on view in the main terminal of the Orlando International Airport since it was commissioned in 1981.
Original 70.5 x 80 inch acrylic painting: Lotz, Steve. Garden of Proteus, 2005: Private Collection of Steve Lotz.
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.
Gas lines in Maryland during the 1973 Oil Crisis, which began in October when member state of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) initiated an oil embargo on the United States. The embargo began in response to American involvement in the Yom Kippur War between Israel and various other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The crisis resulted in a gasoline shortage and a spike in prices. Filling stations across the country experienced long lines as people scrambled for gas. The embargo also had a substantial effect on the gas turbine market.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by Warren K. Leffler, June 15, 1979: item 03433, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
A gas turbine-driven locomotive. By 1948, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation also built an experimental 4000 hp gas turbine-driven locomotive with the Baldwin Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, that used two of W21 gas turbine units. Initial operation was on the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, burning distillate fuel oil. Later, operation was on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad using residual oil fuel. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
Original sepia photograph: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
Gateway of Bloody Tower, Tower of London Postcard
A postcard depicting the gateway and portcullis of the Tower of London's Bloody Tower in London, England. The Tower of London was established in 1066 by William I of England, popularly known as William the Conqueror and sometimes known as William the Bastard, to keep hostile Londoners at bay. The Bloody Tower is located in the middle of the castle's three wards, the inner ward. It was constructed during Richard I of England's (popularly known as Richard the Lionheart) reign in the early 1220s. The Bloody Tower was meant to control the main river entrance to the castle, but after construction of an outer defensive wall in 1280, it became landlocked. It was then used as the main conduit between the outer and innermost wards of the Tower of London. In the mid-16th century, the tower became known as the Bloody Tower because it housed the Princes, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. The princes disappeared from the tower and were never found. 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.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white photographic postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Bloody Tower, Tower of London, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
A postcard depicting the sword gate at the Simonton House in Charleston, South Carolina. While the gateway was added between 1815 and 1820, the house itself was built in 1776 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.
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.
Simonton House, Charleston, South Carolina
Nancy Lynn Cepero (b. 1954) and two of her children, Dennis Cepero (b. 1986) and Laura Lynn Cepero (b. 1987), at a gazebo at Cypress Gardens in June of 1989. Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, Cypress Gardens opened on January 2, 1936, as a botanical garden planted by Dick Pope, Sr. (1900-1988) and his wife, Julie Pope. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens, and Southern Belles. It also became known as the "Water Ski Capital of the World," because many of the sport's landmark firsts and the over 50 world records broken there. Numerous motion pictures were filmed at the Cypress Gardens, including portions of This is Cinerama, the first feature filmed in the wide-screen format, as well as a string of Esther Williams films and television specials in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, young women dressed in the crinolines reminiscent of the Antebellum South. During the American Civil War Centennial, young men dressed in Confederate uniforms would be photographed with the Southern Belles. With the addition of a custom photography boat named Miss Cover Girl in the early 1960s, the park became a popular site for the filming of television commercials. However, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and Legoland occupies the former lot at 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven, Florida.
Original color photographs, June 1989: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
GD/Astro Greeters See Kennedy on Cape Trip
A newspaper article on President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)'s visit to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) on September 11, 1962. Presidents typically use such visits to gain firsthand understanding of important programs. President Kennedy toured the Cape Canaveral launch facilities the day before he announced the project to place a man on the Moon.
Original newspaper article: "GD/Astro Greeters See Kennedy on Cape Trip." September 11, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Welding Uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard in Tampa during WWII
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her welding uniform at the McCloskey Shipyard. Geanie learned how to weld and work with heavy machinery at this shipyard during World War II. McCloskey Shipyard paid welding trainees 63 cents and hour to train there and 17% of their workforce during the war were women, which was twice the national figure. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later, she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot. She left the workforce upon turning 80 years old. According to a two-page life story Geanie wrote, "My family thought I was 'liberated' before anyone had even heard of 'women's liberation.' I always knew men made more money than women, so I applied for men's jobs, knew what they made, asked for it, and got it. (Can't hurt to ask right?) Sometimes I even made more, if I was able to get a percentage of a dumptruck haul." 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.
Original black and white photograph of Geanie L.W. Brooks, c.1940s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
RICHES
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill, Florida
Geanie L.W. Brooks in Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid Uniform Operating a Caterpillar D-7 Bulldozer
Mermaids--Florida--Weeki Wachee--History
Geanie L. W. Brooks in her Weeki Wachee uniform (a swimsuit) operating a Caterpillar D-7 bulldozer. Geanie learned how to operate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War II. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot, she left the workforce upon turning eighty-years-old. 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.
Original Black and white photograph of Geanie Brooks on a bulldozer, c. 1950s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
Geanie L.W. Brooks with her Four Children in Front of Weeki Wachee's Mermaid Villa
Weeki Wachee Mermaid Geanie L. W. Brooks and her four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, sitting under a Weeki Wachee Sign outside of the Mermaid Villa. Geanie learned how to weld andoperate heavy machinery at the McCloskey Shipyard during World War II. In the 1950s, Geanie worked as a waitress at the Patio Restuarant at Weeki Wachee Springs and later became a mermaid. She left this position in 1957. After Weeki Wachee, Geanie drove bulldozers, repaired bulldozer tracks, and drove a dump trunk. Even later she worked as a bookkeeper, real estate agent, bowling instructor, and department store manager. Her last job was at Home Depot, she left the workforce upon turning eighty-years-old. 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.
Original Black and white photograph of Geanie Brooks and her children, c.1950s: Private Collection of Shirley Herdge.
General Company Rules for Mermaids, Swimmers & Trainees
Weeki Wachee Springs employee handbook for mermaids, swimmers and trainees. The first four pages detail scheduling rules, dress code and rules of conduct. Some of the rules for mermaids cover what makeup to wear in and out of the water, where to keep bathing suits and costumes, how to act in the villa, how to announce the shows, as well as how to act in public when off duty. Pages 5-10 detail safety measures for diving. There are rules for how to care for the sinus, answers to an air lock test, and a list of diving diseases and their symptoms. Weeki Wachee Springs is a state park that opened to the public in October of 1949 by Newton Perry along with a group of investors. This attraction opened as the roadside era of Florida was ramping up and consisted of an amalgamation of vendors including an orchid garden, a river boat tour, as well as the star attraction- the mermaid show that took place in an underwater theatre. The attraction grew to include The May Museum of the Tropics, an ‘abandoned Seminole village’, an show called “Birds of Prey”, and a petting zoo. As theme parks became the new norm for Florida’s tourist industry, Weeki Wachee Springs began steadily declining until the state of Florida absorbed the attraction into the state park system in 2008. The attraction now focuses on appealing to a modern audience, while still preserving its rich history.
10-page typewritten handbook by Weeki Wachee Springs, c.1950s: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Weeki Wachee, Florida
General Electric Radio from Associated Radio Store
A General Electric Radio purchased from the Associated Radio Store, located at 149 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Before the advent of television, radio served as a major source of communication and entertainment. In 1885, Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) discovered that electricity could be sent through electromagnetic waves. This discovery would aid ships in communicating with each other when out at sea, rather than using pigeons and flags. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) would further this research by transmitting electromagnetic energy wirelessly in 1893. In 1897, Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) patented his own radio device and created a wireless radio transmission company. In 1901, he sent the first transatlantic signal, which was sent from Ireland and reached Canada.
General Electric
Original radio: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Associated Radio Store, Downtown Orlando, Florida
General Federation of Women's Clubs Certificate of Membership for the Oviedo Woman's Club
A certificate of membership in the General Federation of Woman's Clubs (GFWC) for the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC). The certificate was issued on November 26, 1923, and signed by GFWC President Alice Ames Winter and GFWC secretary Lonese T. Hays. The Oviedo Woman's Club was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the FFWC and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the GFWC. A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
General Federation of Women's Clubs
Original certificate, November 26, 1923: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Oviedo Woman's Club
General Order for First Lieutenant Donald Ross
The 45th General Order from November 5, 1944, details the accounts of how First Lieutenant Donald Ross (1920-1944) received a Silver Star medal. Donald Ross used his tank to shield two wounded infantrymen until medical teams could rescue them. For his bravery during combat, Donald Ross received a Silver Star. The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.
Digital reproduction of original general order.
A postcard depicting an illustrated aerial view of a Lake Geneva harbor. The lake is located on the north side of the Alps and is shared by Switzerland and France. 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.
Original 3 x 5 inch color postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1A (non-U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Genesis II, a painting created by Steve Lotz in 1998. Lotz received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lotz became an instructor of art at the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando in 1968, and served as the chairman of the Art Department for its first 10 years. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2003. As head of the department, Lotz was integral in establishing the success of the University’s visual arts programs. Steve Lotz is an internationally-recognized artist with solo exhibitions of his work held throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean, and he is represented in numerous public and private collections. His best known work in Central Florida is the monumental triptych, Florida Dream, which has been on view in the main terminal of the Orlando International Airport since it was commissioned in 1981.
Original 79 x 70 inch painting: Lotz, Steve. Genesis II, 1998: Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida.
Geneva Elementary School around 1950. The brick school house was designed by Elton J. Moughton and constructed in 1924 at 101 East Main Street in Geneva, Florida. The building had three classrooms, an office, and an auditorium to serve grades one through twelve. In the 1940s, the building became Geneva Elementary School. A unique 4-H program was established in 1941 by the school's principal, Willie Sieg. The program encompassed courses on home economics and farming, and also won various awards. In May 1988, a new campus for the elementary school was built at 275 First Street. The original building was dedicated in 1955 as the Geneva Family Resource Center. In 2008, the building was converted into the Rural Heritage Center and is listed on the Florida Site File of Historic Places, as well as the Seminole County Threatened and Endangered Resources List.
Original 7 x 5 inch black and white photograph: Museum of Geneva History, Geneva, Florida.
Geneva Elementary School, Geneva, Florida
A postcard depicting an illustrated aerial view of Lake Geneva harbor, with Mont Blanc in the distance. The lake is located on the north side of the Alps and is shared by Switzerland and France. 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.
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article reports news in Geneva, a community northeast of Oviedo, Florida. News topics include the disappearance of 19-year-old Charles W. Summersill, Howard Lindsey's vacation on the Chapman farm, a camping trip in Palm Beach, a dinner hosted by P. T. Wakefield with J. C. Mrs. J. C. Bills and Dr. Bristol, a lawn party hosted by the Sanford branch of the American Association of University Woman, Blanche Leonard's trip to Jacksonville, a teacher's institute in Gainesville, and Mr. Stover's business with the Wakefields.
Original newspaper article: "Geneva News." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 3: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Geneva Station to Remain Open: Railroad Commission Denies Petition to Close Depot
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article announces that the Florida Public Service Commission had denied a petition from the Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC) to close a railroad station in Geneva, Florida. Both citizens of Geneva and the Sanford Chamber of Commerce opposed to closing of the station, citing the need to transport citrus fruits during both the profitable winter months and during the slack season.
Original newspaper article: "Geneva Station to Remain Open: Railroad Commission Denies Petition to Close Depot." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
George Gormley Playing the Clarinet During World War I
George Gormley, an American soldier, playing the clarinet during World War I. Gormley was originally from Kansas, but he moved to Sanford, Florida, with his family shortly before WWI. Gormley served alongside his brother, Charles Ernest Gormley, in France from August 13, 1917 to April 14, 1919. His niece, Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee, was the contributor of this photograph. Before entering World War I, the United States maintained a policy of neutrality, although the U.S. continued to supply the Allies: Great Britan, France, and Russia. The U.S. officially entered the war on April 6, 1917, in response to Germany's return to all-out submarine warfare on all commercial ships sailing for Great Britain and Germany's offer for military alliance to Mexico via the Zimmerman Telegram. The U.S. mobilized over four million military personnel through the course of American involvement in the war and lost 110,000 casualties. The U.S. vastly expanded its government and dramatically increase the size of its military during World War I.
Original 2.25 x 3.25 inch black and white photograph: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee.
Lee, Luticia "Tish" Gormley
George Lee and Charlotte "Lottie" Lee (1887-1989), sisters from Oviedo, sometime in the late 19th century. George married Benjamin Franklin Wheeler, a prominent citrus grower, celery cultivator, and politician, in 1908. Lottie married Thomas Willington Lawton (1882-1963), who is best known as principal of the Oviedo School from 1905 to 1907 and as the first elected Superintendent of Schools of Seminole County from 1916 to 1952.
Original 5 x 7 inch black and white photographic print by Howard: Private Collection of Vicki Clonts.
A postcard depicting the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River in New York City, New York. The bridge crosses the Hudson River between Fort Washington in New York City, New York, and Fort Lee, New Jersey. The George Washington Bridge was once the longest and highest suspension bridge in the world. 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.
George Washington Bridge, Hudson River, New York City, New York
Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee at the Sanford Avenue Streetscape Completion and Unveiling of Heritage Marker Ceremony
The Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee a the ceremony commemorating the completion of the Sanford Avenue Streetscape and the unveiling of several heritage markers. The unveiling of the heritage markers was held in Paulucci Park, located at the southwest corner of First Street and Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida, on November 20, 2014. Pictured in the photographs, from left to right, are Dr. Stephen Caldwell Wright, Bette Robinson, Ollie Williams, Christine Dalton, Patricia Ann Black, and Christine Kinlaw-Best. Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Black (1956- ). Her father, Pilgrim Black (1905-2002), was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin. Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black (1956-).
Original color digital images by Connie L. Lester, November 20, 2014.
Seminole County Historic Marker about the community of Georgetown in Sanford, Florida. Henry Shelton Sanford established Georgetown in the 1870s as a community for migrating African Americans to settle. Georgetown became a self-sustaining community with its own commercial district and schools operated by African Americans. Georgetown remained a safe haven for the African-American population in Sanford during times of racial violence during the twentieth century.
Original digital color images by Adam Rock, July 30, 2011.
RICHES of Central Florida
Georgetown Pathways to History Project Heritage Marker #3
Heritage Marker #3 of the Georgetown Pathways to History Project, which was developed by the Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee with assistance from the Sanford Museum and Sanford Historical Society. Georgetown was established by the city's founder, Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891, as a suburb for African-American residents in the 1870s. The neighborhood spans along Sanford Avenue, with its commercial district between First Street and Fifth Street and its historic district between Seventh Street and Tenth Street. Though originally much smaller, Georgetown spanned to its present boundaries from East Second Street to Celery Avenue and from Sanford Avenue to Mellonville Avenue. Georgetown thrived at its height from circa 1880 to 1940, particularly in agriculture and transportation. Special thanks for Heritage Marker #3 was given to Patricia Ann Black (1956-), the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007). Her father, Pilgrim, was featured on the marker. Pilgrim was born in 1905, although some records list 1907 as his birth year. Pilgrim and Lula Mae Haynes (1917-2007) Black were migrant crew leaders, and thus migrated to Wayne County in Upstate New York in the summers and back to their home in Sanford for the rest of the year. Pilgrim was the son of Harry Black (d. 1911) and Maggie Benjamin Black (ca. 1870-ca. 1934), who migrated to Sanford from South Carolina in the 1800s. Harry and Maggie had several children: Leckward Black, Mustar Black, Malachi Black, Leatha Black Walker (1889-1976), Pilgrim Black, Margaret Black Jones (1889-1976), and Harriett Black Lawson. In 1911, Harry owned a grocery store at 206 South Sanford Avenue. One day, he came home from work with pneumonia and passed away shortly thereafter. Pilgrim was nine years old when his father passed away. Maggie was the daughter of former slaves, Isaac and Roseanna Benjamin, and the sister of Nathan Benjamin, Pledge Benjamin, Sam Benjamin, Loui Benjamin, Chainey Benjamin, Lara Benjamin, Melvina Benjamin, and Katie Benjamin. Pilgrim had to quit school at age 11 in order to provide for his mother, originally working in a mill house until he was 18 years old. After declining a management position, he traveled to Wayne County to pick cherries, apples, pears, and other crops. He broke a bone after falling from an apple tree his first year and decided to try farm labor on a potato farm in Red Creek, New York, instead. Don Holdridge, the farmer who owned the land, noted Pilgrim's high rate of productivity and offered him a management position supervising up to thirty workers at once, which he accepted. While in Sanford, Pilgrim also worked as a foreman in Sanford for Chase & Company for over 30 years. He married Lula in 1937 and they had several children together, including Vivian Louise Black (1940-); Lula Yvonne Black (1942-); Charles Samuel Black (1945-); Pilgrim Black, Jr. (ca. 1947-), and Patricia Ann Black.
Original color marker by the Georgetown Heritage Advisory Committee, 2014: Department of Recreation, City of Sanford, Sanford, Florida.
Department of Recreation, City of Sanford
German currency used during World War II. The Reichsmark (ℛℳ) was the currency used in Germany and its colonies from 1924 to 1948. This bill was likely used by Sergeant John B. Hancock (1913-1944), an American soldier. Sgt. Hancock was born in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1913, but later migrated to Auburndale, Florida. Hancock managed a Great Atlantic &amp
P) store in Haines City until he enlisted in the 45th Infantry Division's 179th Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Hancock served initially in Africa in 1943, until the 45th Infantry Division's participation in Operation Husky for the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. The division then went on to participate in the Allied invasion of Italy, where Sgt. Hancock was injured. He was returned to duty in February of 1944 to tour southern France. On November 1, 1944, Sgt. Hancock went Missing in Action (MIA) after serving in the Allied invasion of Southern France, codenamed Operation Dragoon. He was eventually buried in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Photocopy of original bill: Private Collection of Linda Hughes.
Sgt. John B Hancock was born in 1913 in Georgia. He was enlisted into the 179th Infantry Regiment in the 45th Division. He was enlisted and trained in Georgia and Florida. He participated in the Africa campaign in 1943. After this campaign, he participated in the invasion of Sicily. During this time, he was able to infrequently communicate with people back home. He then went on the storm the Italian Peninsula. After fighting through 1944, he was injured in Southern France. After recovering from his minor wounds, he fought through 1944. On November 1, 1944, he went missing in action. He was eventually buried in Epinal Cemetery in Dinoze, France.
Géromois, le 29 Mai, Ayez une Pensée pour Dean POST
A French newspaper article about Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944), who was killed in action in France during World War II. Lt. Post was a pilot from Tampa, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, on May 27, 1944, and he was executed by German authorities after being hidden by French citizens in Gérardmer. Lt. Post is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original newspaper article: L'Echo Des Vosges, May 29, 2016.
Gertrude Page's Fifth Grade Class at Sanford Grammar School
Gertrude Page's fifth grade class at Sanford Grammar School in the 1920s. Originally located at 301 West Seventh Street in Sanford, Florida, Sanford Grammar School was first established as Sanford High School in 1902. The building was designed by W. G. Talley in the Romanesque revival style. Due to an increasing student population, a new school building was constructed on Sanford Avenue in 1911. The original building on Seventh Street served as Westside Grammar Elementary School, which was later renamed Sanford Grammar School. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and converted into the Student Museum. The building reopened as the University of Central Florida's Public History Center in 2012. In 1927, a high school campus was designed by Elton J. Moughton in the Mediterranean revival style and constructed at 1700 French Avenue. The school reopened on January 10 and was renamed Seminole High School. In 1960, the high school moved to a new campus at 2701 Ridgewood Avenue and the former building on French Avenue was converted to Sanford Junior High School, which was later renamed Sanford Middle School. The old building was demolished in the summer of 1991 and replaced by a $5.77 million school complex. As of 2013, Seminole High School offers various Advanced Placement courses, the Academy for Health Careers, and the International Baccalaureate Programme for students.
Original 10 x 7 inch black and white photograph: Sanford Grammar Collection, Archives Box 4B, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford, Florida
Gertrude Sanford Picking Oranges at Belair Grove
Henry Shelton Sanford's daughter, Gertrude Sanford, at Belair Grove in 1891. In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased 23 square acres of land known as the Sanford Grant. The acreage included an experiment station called Belair located just three miles southwest of the city named after Sanford. By 1889, Sanford extended his land purchase to 145 acres and contained mainly orange and lemon trees. In Belair alone, Sanford introduced over 140 varieties of citrus plants. All were tested to determine if Florida citrus growers could introduce new varieties into the growing citrus market. Sanford also grew exotic plants acquired from Central and South America, many of which survived the 1886 freeze. Sanford mainly used Belair as his own experiment station, but ultimately the findings and reports would be used by other citrus growers throughout Florida. He made his last trip to Belair Grove during the winter of 1890-1891. Most of Sanford's visit was spent in Charles Armory's vacation home because of his poor health. This photograph and several others were taken of Sanford and his family to commemorate his last visit to Belair Grove. Sanford, along with his wife and daughter, left Florida in mid-May. Just days later, Sanford died on May 21, 1891, in Healing Springs, Virginia. Gertrude sold the property to the Chase Brothers shortly after her husband's death.
Original black and white photograph by Ensminger Bros., 1891: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.3B, item CC93, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
A Gibbs-Louis, Inc. clothing label. Founded in 1945 by Irving Gibbs, Gibbs-Louis was one of the most popular women's apparel stores in Downtown Orlando in the 1940s and 1950s. Along with the downtown location at 131 North Orange Avenue, there were three more Gibbs-Louis stores in nearby malls. In 1984, part of the downtown store collapsed; a wall caved in due to construction of a 20-story building next door. A year later, the store was restored. In 1990, when nearly all retail stores located in Downtown Orlando had closed, Gibbs-Louis was one of the few remaining. In late 1991, Irving Gibbs retired and sold the business to former executives of Ivey's, a department store that was later bought out by Dillard's. Only a year later, Gibbs-Louis went out of business and was replaced by Behr's Shoe Center. In 1998, Behr's closed as well. Today, the location is home to Annie's Bar and Grill.
Original label: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, Regions Bank, Orlando, Florida.
Gibbs-Louis, Inc., Downtown Orlando, Florida
A Girl Scout troop from Hillcrest Elementary School visiting Big Tree, which is the oldest and largest cypress tree in the world. At the time of the photograph, the tree was 3,500 years old and measured 17x127 feet. Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy.
Girl Scouts of the United States of America
Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Julia Rowe.
Hillcrest Elementary School, Orlando Florida
A Girl Scouts of the United States of America roster sheet for Troop Number 61 in DeBary, Florida, for the year ending in March 1971. The sheet lists the council name: Citrus Council of Girl Scouts, Inc.; the program age level: juniors; the community: DeBary; the troop number: 61; the leader: Mrs. James J. Davis; assistant leader: Miss Dolly Neider; and troop committee: Mrs. Robert Hatchett. The bottom of the sheet lists Juliette Low as founder and Margeret W. Price as president. The roster of girls lists Nancy Benedict, Kathy Bunting, Debra Claus, Kathy Curtis, Becky Davis, Margaret Fleming, Sheryl Gaetzinger, Ferise Gray, Victoria Harrell, Debbie Johnson, Jeanette Mazzola, Gretchen McGuinley, Hattie McGuinley, Joannie Miller, Ann Marie Pezald, Sharon Pilkector, Linda Prince, Dolly Rausch, Susan Rausch, Barbara Rice, Cindy Rice, Vicki Robinson, Dianne Semones, and Luella Stultz.
Girl Scouts of The United States of America
Original color roster sheet: Private Collection of the Davis Family.
Girls' Auxiliary at the First Baptist Church of Oviedo
The Girls' Auxiliary (GA) at the First Baptist Church of Oviedo. The GA was officially founded in 1913 as a Baptist organization for young girls. The First Baptist Church of Oviedo was founded in 1869, with its first service led by Reverend W. G. Powell on the property of W. H. Luther, located along Lake Jessup Avenue. The first church building was made of wood and was located on what was the property of Lois Ruddell at the time that this book was written. The old building served the church until 1887, later became the house of the Beasley family, and was finally torn down. A new wooden church building was erected in 1887 and remained in use until 1926. The brick church building constructed later on is still in use by CrossLife Church.
Original black and white photograph: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
First Baptist Church of Oviedo, Oviedo, Florida
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Glad Tidings", on December 10 &amp
11, 2016, at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director James A. Rode, the Associate Artistic Director Harold Wright, the Co-Head Choreographers Talia Raymond and Dwight Shropshire, Choreographer Richard Lamberty, Principle Accompanist Sue Glerum, the Principle ASL interpreter Debbie Drobney, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of the Orlando Gay Chorus. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 32-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Glass jars containing white roses are lined up in Don Dudley Park in Orlando, Florida. The jars would be filled with soil samples to commemorate victims of lynching. Although Julius "July" Perry was not lynched in the park, the location was chosen based on the account that it occurred in an area overlooking Lake Concord in view of Judge Cheney's home. The Alliance for Truth and Justice (ATJ) is a volunteer-based organization that engages with the community to promote education concerning the truth of local history and to advocate justice for those who have been harmed by inequities born of prejudice. ATJ builds on the work of Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative as well as the local efforts of Democracy Forum, the West Orange Reconciliation Task Force, and the Ocoee Human Relations Diversity Board. This project is rooted in acknowledging the 1920 Election Day Massacre in Orange County and all of the violence committed in the name of white supremacy. Their mission statement says that they are "working to create a more hopeful, collaborative, and just society for every person in Orange County, Florida."
Original color photographs by Phelan M. Ebenhack: Alliance for Truth and Justice, Orange County, Florida.
GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, Inc.
According to its website, "The mission of the GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, Inc. is to collect, preserve and exhibit the history of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community in Central Florida. We are dedicated to collecting and preserving memorabilia, providing a documentary record for research, and displaying with pride that community's social and historical contributions, so our legacy will always be remembered."
GLBT History Museum P.O. Box 533376 Orlando, Florida 32853-3376
A newspaper article about the upcoming concert to be performed by the University of Michigan's Men's Glee Club on May 17, 1990, at the First Congregational Church, located at 225 South Interlachen Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. The UM Men's Glee club is the second oldest college glee club in the United States.
Original newspaper article: "Glee Club Concert Set," May 1990: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
First Congregational Church, Winter Park, Florida
Glenn L. Martin Company Plant Construction
The original Martin Company plant during its construction. The site was located on Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road, about four miles south of in Orlando, Florida. The Martin Company purchased the land from the City of Orlando in 1956 for almost two million dollars. The Martin Company was a missile manufacturer that expanded to the Orlando area in 1956 to be closer to Cape Canaveral and the heart of the Space Race. While this building was under construction, a temporary building on Elwell Street was used by the Martin Company.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photographic print: "The Glenn L. Martin Company Plant Site, circa 1957." Orlando Memory. http://orlandomemory.info/memory/image/glenn-l-martin-company-plant-site-circa-1957.
Glenn L. Martin Company, Orlando, Florida
A newspaper article, originally posted by The Associated Press, published in The Miami Herald on March 2, 1962. According to the article, a fragment of the Atlas rocket used for John Glenn's mission was found on a farm in South Africa. South African officials made plans to return the artifact to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
The Associated Press
Original newspaper article: "Glenn's Rocket Found in Africa." The Miami Herald, March 2, 1962: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
The Miami Herald
Aliwal North, Eastern Cape, South Africa
A poster for the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) concert, “Glitter on the Highway.” The event was held at the Annie Russell Theater at Rollins College, located at 1000 Holt Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, on June 24 and 25, 2006. “Glitter on the Highway” featured music and songs by gay and lesbian composers, performers, and arrangers. Advance tickets were available through Urban Think, The Center, Gay Orlando and orlandogaychorus.org. The poster has a bright red background with an image of a woman's legs and shoes behind a curly title. Featured artwork includes the logos of the OGC and various sponsors across the bottom of the poster. The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole host of community events like Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World Aids Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Annie Russell Theatre, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Glitter on the Highway, June 24 & 25, 2006
A program for the Orlando Gay Chorus' concert, "Glitter on the Highway", on June 24 &amp
25, 2006, at the Annie Russell Theater at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The program includes short biographies on the Artistic Director Dr. James Bass, the Assistant Artistic Director Michael McKee, the Accompanist Dr. Suzannne Hatcher, the ASL interpreters Elezier Sierra and Amy Vezino, program notes, an outline of the show's itinerary, a list of chorus members and contributors, and a history of GALA Choruses. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a host of community events, such as Come Out With Pride, Orlando Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees, and World AIDS Day memorial services. In 2017, the group performed at over 105 events, including 15 performances for the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Members come from all walks of life and all sexual and gender orientations, including straight allies. OGC lives by the motto “Singing the World to a Better Place” and strives to use music to change attitudes and build a stronger community.
Original 36-page colored program, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Annie Russell Theater, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Go, an acrylic painting created by Dr. Walter Gaudnek in 1974. Go depicts a spacecraft in outer space, with the Sun and Saturn in the background. Born in Fleyh, Czechoslovakia, in 1931, pop artist Dr. Gaudnek is known for his blend of his bold colors, philosophy, religious symbolism, labyrinth installations, and mixtures of performance and art. He also draws heavy inspiration from Bohemia, Caravaggio, Kazimir Malevich, and Pablo Picasso. A 1957 Fulbright Scholar who received his doctorate from New York University, he joined the art faculty of the Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida) in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. Dr. Gaudnek previously taught at universities in Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio. He founded the Long Island University's Hillwood Art Museum in Greenvale, New York. His honors from UCF include Distinguished Researcher of the Year (1990), the Teaching Incentive Program Award (1995 and 2005), the Professional Excellence Program Award (1997), the President’s Award (1999), and the Research Incentive Award (2002). In 1994, the Sudetendeutecher Landsmannschaft, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the Czech-German diaspora, awarded him the Kulturpreis for Fine Art and Architecture. Dr. Gaudnek’s work can be seen at the Gaudnek Europe Museum (GEM) in Altomünster, Germany, as well as the UCF Library, which contains a retrospective of his work from 1945 to 2007. He has participated in more than 200 solo and group exhibitions, installations, and performances in Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. His works have also been exhibited in museums in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Europe, and Brazil, as well as schools, banks, office buildings, libraries, theaters, museums, and private homes in Europe and the United States. He has been featured in documentaries in San Francisco, New York, Munich, São Paolo, and Paris.
Original acrylic painting: Gaudnek, Walter. Go, 1974: City of Orlando Terrace Gallery, Orlando, Florida.
Godavari Project Westinghouse 251 Gas Turbine
Three Westinghouse 251B9 (W251B9) gas turbines were sold to Rolls Royce for the Godavari Power Project. in Kakinada, India. This photograph shows delivery of one of the gas turbines to the site by elephant-escorted transport. Originally called the Westinghouse Electric Company, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) founded his manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1886. In 1889, he renamed his business The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. Westinghouse's primary products include turbines, generators, motors and switchgear related to the generation, transmission, and use of electricity. The company changed its name to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1945. In 1981, the company began to relocate its division headquarters for the Steam-Turbine Generator Divisions from Pennsylvania (turbines from Lester and generators from Pittsburgh) to Orlando, Florida. The Power Generation Business Unit (PGBU) building was located in The Quadrangle, at 4400 Alafaya Trail. Originally, Westinghouse had purchased a large plot of land for future development that extended westward from Alafaya Trail to Rouse Road. The original headquarters was located on several acres of that land parcel close to Alafaya Trail. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation, additional buildings were added to the complex. In 1994, after a major corporate management shuffling and commitment to change from an industrial manufacturing company to primarily a broadcasting/communications company, Westinghouse bought the CBS Network and changed its name to the CBS Corporation. As the PGBU grew in size, other buildings were rented and then, after PGBU was sold to Siemens Corporation in 1998, additional buildings were added to the Quadrangle.
Original color photograph: Private Collection of Harry L. Jaeger.
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article describes a trip made by Florida Gold Star Mother Mrs. Paul T. Butler to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in Belleau, France, to visit the grave of her son, Paul Butler, Jr., who died fighting in the U.S. military during World War I. The Gold Star Mothers Club was established by Grace Darling Seibold to provide support for mothers who lost children in world War I. Now called the American Gold Star Mothers Inc., the club has extended support to mothers who lost children during all American wars.
Original newspaper article: "Gold Star Mother Returns to Orlando." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, Belleau, France
The Goldenrod Historical Society, located at 4755 Palmetto Avenue in Goldenrod, Florida, was established on October 17, 1984. On August 11, 2000, the society began the development of the Goldenrod Station and Museum, which is housed in the former Goldenrod Fire Station. The Grand Opening was held on October 6, 2001. The fire station is available as a community center for rent and also houses the Goldenrod Chamber of Commerce.
Goldenrod Historical Society & Museum
Goldenrod Historical Society & Museum 4755 Palmetto Avenue Goldenrod, Florida 32792
Goldenrod Historical Society & Museum, Goldenrod, Florida
The Goldsboro Historical Museum is located at 1211 Historic Goldsboro Boulevard in the Goldsboro community of Sanford, Florida. The museum highlights this heritage with exhibits about Goldsboro as a city and as a part of Sanford. Exhibits focus on the people, schools, churches, and businesses of Goldsboro. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1:00-5:00 PM. Admission is free.
Goldsboro Historical Museum
Goldsboro Historical Museum 1211 Historic Goldsboro Boulevard Sanford, Florida 32771
Ten color photographs of residents of Goldsboro, Florida. quilting. The Historic Goldsboro Commemorative Quilt is more than a work of art – it is a testimony stitched with memory, resilience, and reconciliation. The Quilt began as an idea rooted in the City of Sanford’s ongoing commitment to truth-telling, healing, and unity through the Pathways to Reconciliation Project, a citywide initiative designed to face the city’s racialized history with honesty and chart a new path forward grounded in respect, equity, and belonging for all. In early 2025, the City’s Race, Equality, Equity, and Inclusion (REEI) Advisory Committee began exploring creative ways to honor Historic Goldsboro, one of the first self-governing Black municipalities in the United States. Founded in 1891 by William Clark and 19 registered voters, Goldsboro stood as a beacon of Black independence and pride – a thriving community with its own government, churches, businesses, and schools. Indeed, Goldsboro was a testament to Black leadership, resilience, and innovation during a time of newfound freedom. However, in 1911, Goldsboro’s municipal charter was revoked and the town was annexed into the City of Sanford. This legislative action stripped the community of its autonomy and self-governance and inflicted lasting wounds – economic, social, racial, and cultural – that reverberated throughout generations.
Original 10 color photographs: City of Sanford.
Goldsboro's Historical Journey to Survival
Color photograph of a mural entitled "Goldsboro's Historical Journey to Survival," which was created by Alijhae West, Joyce Hayes, and Marcellus Walker as part of the City of Sanford's public art program. It illustrates the history of Goldsboro from its founding in 1891 as one of Florida's earliest incorporated African American municipalities, through its railroad heritage, churches, schools, businesses, and the resilience of the community after its annexation by Sanford. It is located on the side of the former Star Theater building at 1017 Historic Goldsboro Boulevard in the Historic Goldsboro neighborhood of Sanford, Florida.
Star Theatre, Goldsboro, Sanford, Florida
Gordon Cooper and Dr. Cal Fowler at Astronaut Awards Dinner
Faith 7 astronaut Gordon Cooper (1927-2004), the fourth American to orbit the Earth, with Dr. Cal Fowler (1929-2013), Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) Manager at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The two were photographed at a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awards dinner.
Original black and white photographic prints: Private Collection of Dr. Calvin D. Fowler.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida
The Gormley Family around 1917. Photographed from left to right in the top row are W. Glenn Gormley, Charles Ernest Gormley Jr., Vera Gormley, George Gormley, and Willison Whitney. The bottom row pictures, from left to right, Nellie Gormley, Ray Gormley, Velma Gormley, and Charles Ernest Gormley, Sr. The Gormleys were originally from Kansas, but moved to Sanford, Florida, shortly before World War I. Charles Ernest Gormley, Sr. was the family patriarch and Nellie Gormley was his wife and the stepmother of his children: Charles, George, and Vera. The brothers, Charles and George, served alongside each other in France from August 13, 1917, to April 14, 1919. Charles, Jr.'s daughter, Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee, was the contributor of this photograph.
Reprinted 7 x 5 inch black and white photograph by Ralph R. Roszell, February 6, 2007: Private Collection of Luticia "Tish" Gormley Lee.
Gotham Go-Round: Edie Sedgwick Finds What's Happening at Peter Stark's Party
Music--New York (State)--New York--20th century
A newspaper article published in New York World-Telegram entitled, "Gotham Go-Round: Edie Sedgwick Finds What's Happening at Peter Stark's Party". The article describes a party at Peter Stark's venue The Scene, where The Executives performed. The article contains an image of artist, director and producer, Andy Warhol and actress and model, Edie Sedgwick. Initially called the Executives, the band was formed in 1963 by Jesse Cutler (then known as Lou London), Ricky Shutter and Steve Wagner. The band signed to Mercury Records in 1964, where they recorded a hit single called "Everybody Do the Duck". That same year, the band appeared as guests on the Joe Franklin Show, Wonderama, The Clay Cole Show, American Bandstand, Hullaballoo and Shindig. Over the next two years they performed at charity events and private celebrity parties all over Long Island and New York City. They played in the company of the Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, Joan Collins and the Beatles. The group broke up in 1966. Jesse Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from the early ‘70s through the late ‘90s, Jesse performed with his bands and in the original cast of Godspell on Broadway, made records that saw Billboard’s Top 100, formed his own companies and appeared on TV and radio and in national print.
Original newspaper article: "Gotham Go-Round: Edie Sedgwick Finds What's Happening at Peter Stark's Party." New York World-Telegram, ca. 1963 to 1966: Private Collection of Jesse Cutler.
This report by Gary I. Sharp lists information related to the Gourd Neck Springs area of Lake Apopka and a potential purchase of the area by the State of Florida through the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. The report aims to show why the area is suitable for a public park, describing physical and environmental characteristics of the area, as well as summarizing the economic issues related to a public purchase of the area, including zoning information from the Lake County Zoning Department and appraisal values from Danny L. Dulgar. The report also discusses an inspection of the area by the Environmentally Endangered Lands Committee, which rejected the site due to the polluted quality of the lake surrounding the area, as well as its small size. Finally, the report includes hydrological data related to the springs. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary I. Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state. The Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL) was formed in 1972 as part of the larger Land Conservation Act of 1972. The EEL program was initially funded through the sale of state bonds. The program was designed to help the state acquire lands considered environmentally sensitive and was not designed for creating areas for recreational use. Potential sites for acquisition could be suggested by citizens, county and state governments, and nonprofit organizations. After evaluation for environmental value, potential sites would be approved by the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Natural Resources and finalized by the Governor. In 1979, the former Executive Director, Harmon Shields, was indicted on corruption charges involving the lands-acquisition process. Following this scandal, the EEL program was replaced by Conservation and Recreation Lands Program. This change replaced the program's funding with tax revenues instead of bond sales, and formed the Land Acquisition Selection Committee, made up by six executive directors of Florida environmental agencies, to select sites for approval by the governor. The Division of State Lands was also created as a division of the Department of Natural Resources to oversee mapping and evaluation of potential sites for acquisition.
Original 10-page typewritten report: Sharp, Gary I. Gourd Neck Springs. Winter Park, FL: 1975: binder 1975, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
A graduating class at Jones High School. Located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood of downtown Orlando, Jones High School was the first area public school for African-Americans. The original building was located on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street, but the school was renamed the Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Chatham Avenue and West Jefferson Street. In 1921, the school was renamed in honor Principal L. C. Jones and a brick colonial revival building was constructed on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street. The school was finally moved to its current location at 801 South Rio Grande Avenue in 1952.
Jones High School
Original black and white photograph: Jones High School Historical Museum, Orlando, Florida.
Graduation at Lake Howell High School, 1995
A graduation ceremony at Lake Howell High School, a public high school located at 4200 Dike Road in Winter Park, Florida. Although its mailing address is Winter Park, which is part of Orange County, the school is geographically located in Seminole County and serves students in Winter Springs and Oviedo. The school was established in 1975 and has over 2,000 students.
Original color photograph, 1995: Private Collection of Nancy Lynn Cepero.
Lake Howell High School, Winter Springs, Florida
The venerable Grady Kimsey enjoys critical and popular success as a sculptor, potter, painter and instructor, with eight decades of life experiences to draw upon for inspiration. Kimsey was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1928. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of Tennessee in 1950, and then completed his master's In Education from Rollins College in Winter Park in 1969. Kimsey remains modest about his many accomplishments, which began in his high school days and have continued throughout his career. He has received the Council of Arts and Sciences for Central Florida Award for "Outstanding Achievement in the Arts" in 1982, the Richard A. Florsheim Art Grant in 1992, and a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in 1990 and again in 1996. Kimsey's influence was extensive on budding artists in the community, having served as a professor of art for 20 years at Seminole Community College (present-day Seminole State College of Florida). Among his many other contributions to that institution, Kimsey founded the Fine Arts Gallery in 1980. As an instructor, he was known to guide his students to explore all media and styles. When ready, his students had the confidence to stand behind their work, and many are still creating and exhibiting with the same devotion as their mentor.
Original color photograph: Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park, Florida.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
Seminole Community College, Sanford, Florida
The grand opening of the Orlando Skate Park, located at 400 Festival Way in Orlando, Florida, in 2003.
Original color digital images by Thomas Cook, 2003: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
A painting by Bettye Reagan, a local artist in Central Florida, of Mary Alice Powell Aulin (1904-1993) with three of her great grandchildren: Reagan Nicole Wilder (1978-), Brandie Lee Wilder (1980-), and Robert Brady Wilder (1982-). Alice Aulin was born in Sanford, Florida, to parents Charles Powell and Mary Maude Rabun Powell. Aulin arrived in Oviedo in 1921 to work as a switchboard operator and a seamstress. She married Andrew Aulin, Jr. (1893-1964), the son of Oviedo's first postmaster, Andrew Aulin, Sr. (1843-1918). Together, the couple had five children: Mary Lenora Aulin (b. 1924), Alice Kathryn Aulin (b. 1926), Charles Warren Aulin (1927-1964), Bettye Jean Aulin, and Andrew Aulin, Jr. (b. 1936). The Wilder children were born of Aulin's granddaughter, Debbie Lynn Reagan (1958-) and Robert Downey Wilder (1953-).
Original painting: Reagan, Bettye. Grandma Aulin: Private Collection of Bettye Reagan.
Grandparents Day at Hillcrest Elementary School
A student from Hillcrest Elementary School sitting with two women and a man in front of a homemade banner. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) hosted an event for National Grandparents Day, where students' families visited the school. Hillcrest Elementary School is one of Orlando’s oldest schools, opening in 1923. Since the 1980s, it has had a vibrant foreign language component and today it continues that tradition through the Orange County Public Schools Foreign Language Academy.
Original color photograph: Private Collection of Pam Brandon
A postcard depicting a colorized scene of Grant Street in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Automobiles are parked along the sides of the road in front of business buildings. A man is riding his bike in the street heading north. This postcard is part of a private collection kept by Roger Hipel of St. Cloud, Florida.
Original 5 x 3 colored postcard: Private Collection of Roger Hipel.
Grant's Tomb and the New Hudson River Bridge Postcard
A postcard depicting Grant's Tomb, now known as the General Grant National Memorial, and the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River in New York City, New York. Grant's Tomb is a memorial to and the interment site of President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) and his wife, Julia Grant (1826-1902). The George Washington Bridge crosses the Hudson River between Fort Washington in New York City, New York, and Fort Lee, New Jersey. At the time of the publication of this postcard in the 1930s, it was the longest and highest suspension bridge in the world. 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.
Grant's Tomb, Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City
Grant's Tourist Guide of Orlando, Florida with Map
Tourism--Florida--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Tourist guide of Orlando, Florida published in 1919. Grant's Tourist Guide includes a sketch of Orlando written by Samuel A. Robinson and delivered as a speech in 1918 to the Orlando Board of Trade. The guide has numerous printed photographs of Orlando landmarks and ads for various hotels, boarding houses and other tourist-orient businesses.
Original booklet by Homer D. Grant: Grant's Tourist Guide of Orlando, Florida with Map (DeLand, Florida: E. O. Painter Printing Company, 1919).
Lake Tohopekaliga, Osceola County, Florida
Grapefruit Cluster, 64 on One Limb Postcard
A postcard depicting a grapefruit cluster in the Lower Rio Grande River Valley. 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.
Second Lieutenant Richard Lee McClintock served in the 276th Infantry regiment of the 70th Infantry Division. Richard was born in 1914 in South Carolina and would be killed in action on January 5th, 1945. Before enlisting in 1942 at Camp Blanding Florida, he would be marry his wife, Jewel. Second Lieutenant McClintock would be award a purple heart and silver star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy." He earned these awards while serving on an advanced party within the division called Task Force Herren, whose mission was to take defensive positions along the West Bank of the Rhine to stall what would be the final German offensive in the west, Operation Nordwind.
Dwight Anderson took the captured the photograph.
The gravesite of Lieutenant Dean N. Post, Jr. (1921-1944). Lt. Post was a pilot from Tampa, Florida, who served in the U.S. Army during World World II with the 357th Fighter Group of the 264th Fighter Squadron. His airplane crashed in Martimpré, France, on May 27, 1944, and was executed by German authorities after being hidden by French citizens in Gérardmer. Lt. Post is buried at Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Dinozé, France.
Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph by André Voirin, May 27, 1944. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=2675.
Gravestone for Doyle F Nee in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France
First Lieutenant Doyle Fleming Nee fought for the 367th fighter squadron and the 358th fighter group in World War Two. From Escambia County, Florida Nee attended Pensacola High School for four years. He married his high school sweetheart before joining the war effort at twenty one years old. Nee became a skilled airplane pilot and partook in many battles throughout France during his career. Nee's life came to an end on October 2, 1944 when a friendly airplane struck his plane, and he evacuated the aircraft without a parachute. Nee is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France, where he rests alongside other fallen heroes.
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial, in Epinal France
Gray, Crawford in Second Race: Second Primary Tuesday, June 24
A newspaper article published by The Central Florida Press on June 20, 1930. The article discusses the runoff primary election for a state and county offices, which was held on June 24, 1930. The race for Florida Secretary of State was between Robert Andrew Gray and Henry Clay Crawford, both Democrats. Presumably, Crawford was the son of Henry Clay Crawford, who served as Secretary of State from 1902 until his death in 1929. William Monroe Igou served as interim secretary until Gray was elected in 1930. Gray served in that position until 1961. Other races discussed in the article include a run-over race for Seminole County Commissioner between W. S. Enztminger, C. B. Searcy, and H. E. Fuller. However, according to the article, the election had been suspended due to the withdrawal of Entzminger, leaving Searcy as the county commissioner for District 3, which consisted of the Town of Longwood.
Original newspaper article: "Gray, Crawford in Second Race: Second Primary Tuesday, June 24." The Central Florida Press, Vol. 1, No. 9, June 20, 1930, page 1: Oviedo Historical Society, Oviedo, Florida.
Great Organ in the Chapel of Colleen Moore's Dollhouse Postcard
A postcard depicting the organ from the chapel of Colleen Moore's (1899-1988) dollhouse, which was exhibited at the Gimbel Brothers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is made of ivory and gold, and was functional with electricity. Moore was a silent film actress who built the dollhouse with a former set designer in 1928. She contributed pieces to the house until her death in 1988. It is currently on display in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. 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.
Original 3 x 5 inch black and white postcard: ACC# SM-00-243, file folder 1 (U.S. blanks), box 10A, Lucile (Mary Lucile) Campbell Collection, UCF Public History Center, Sanford, Florida.
Greater Oviedo Lifestyles, November-December 2005
The magazine cover for the November-December 2005 issue of Greater Oviedo Lifestyles. The cover features the 100th anniversary of the Oviedo Woman's Club (OWC), which was founded in 1906 as the Oviedo Magazine Club by seven charter members: H. B. McCall, Edith Meade, Georgia Lee Wheeler, Lillian Lee Lawton, Mattie Aulin Wheeler, Milcah Yonge, and Mary King. The first clubhouse was constructed in 1914 and also served as Oviedo's first library. In 1916, the club joined the FFWC and officially changed its name to the Oviedo Woman's Club. In 1923, the woman's club was federated under the umbrella of the GFWC. A new clubhouse was built in 1961 on property donated by R. L. Croom, a former member, which is located at 414 King Street. The Oviedo Woman's Club is involved in many civic projects, including the annual Great Day in the Country Arts and Crafts Festival, the Spring Fundraiser, Tasting Luncheons, and Celebrate Spring Teas.
Original magazine: Greater Oviedo Lifestyles, November-December 2005: Private Collection of Beatrice Gestrich.
Greenwood Cemetery, located at 1603 Greenwood Street in Orlando, Florida, in 2002. The cemetery was established in 1880 and officially named Greenwood Cemetery at the suggestion of Samuel Robinson and Cassius Boone. In 1911, the cemetery was expanded to 40 acres. The entrance of Greenwood Cemetery was relocated from Gore Street to Greenwood Street in 1919. In the 1940s, the cemetery expanded to 100 acres, and Section K, which was reserved for African-American residents, was opened. In 1943, a portion of the cemetery was designated for veterans of World War I and World War II. Portions had previously been designated for Union veterans of the American Civil War, Confederate veterans of the American Civil War, and veterans of the Spanish-American War. The portion for World War veterans was initially reserved for "veterans of the white race," but the race restriction was later lifted in the 1960s.
Original color image by Thomas Cook, 2002: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
A postcard depicting the state of Florida, particular the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. Tallahassee was designated the capital of Florida in 1824 and the Old Capitol building was constructed in 1826. The building was never completed and was instead torn down in 1839. The present capitol building was completed in 1845 and expanded in 1902, 1923, 1936, and 1947.
Original 9 x 14 centimeter color postcard by Tichnor Bros., Inc.: Private Collection of Bob Van Horn.
Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida
Greetings from Florida's Indian River Section Postcard
A color postcard featuring the Indian River Section of Florida in 1941. The Indian River is a 121-mile long lagoon running from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach to the St. Lucie Inlet in Marion County. The lagoon was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais tribe of East Florida.
Original 9 centimeter x 14 centimeter color postcard: "Greetings from Florida's Indian River Section." Curt Teich, Chicago, Illinois, 1941: Image number PC0055E, Postcard Collection, Florida State Archives, Division of Library and Information Services, Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
Florida Memory
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.
Original color postcard by Holiday Inn, Claude Long and Curteich Color: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Weeki Wachee, Florida.