Old Joe at Wakulla Springs

In the lobby of the lodge at Wakulla Springs State park, sits a giant stuffed alligator. Old Joe was a long time resident of the springs, perhaps for as long as 300 years. The 11 foot gator had a reputation for laying on the bottom of the springs, but never threatened any of the swimmers. In the 1960s, someone crept past the fence that the owner of the property had erected across the Wakulla River, and killed Old Joe, the benign guardian of the deep. So Old Joe was stuffed and put on display in the lobby of the Lodge.


The lobby is fairly untouched from contemporary remodeling, a rarity in Florida. The beams supporting the second floor have wonderful artwork painted by a German artisan. Throughout the lobby are interesting backlit photo displays that have cracked and aged over time. And the elevator is said to be the oldest in operation in the state.

If you're near the panhandle of the state, the Wakulla Springs is worth a visit, just to feel like you've stepped back in time in the lobby. But don't take the elevator unless you've got plenty of time on your hands!

elevator detail


Old Joe and fireplace images from the State Archives of Florida

Reflections

I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Orange County Regional History Center's journal, Reflections from Central Florida, since its inception. Starting out as a single color publication called It's About Time, the 20 page magazine is now beautifully printed in full-color. The most recent issue highlights a few of Central Florida's most interesting artists of the twentieth century, including the often blogged about Joy Postle. The University of Central Florida allowed us access to their archives and we found some wonderful images of Ms. Postle and her manager husband going back to the 1920s.

Also featured in this issue are Mulford Foster, an artist and botanist, known as the father of the bromeliad, who helped promote the cultivation of these beautiful plants. And André Smith, creator of the amazing Maitland Art Center rounds out the colorful trio of talent that helped lay the foundation for today's arts community. So if you are able to get to downtown Orlando, pick up an issue today, they are free in the lobby of the History Center.

Follow-up

My friend Hilary reminded me of another great Art Deco building in Central Florida. This funeral home sits on Lake Ivanhoe, just north of downtown Orlando.

Great images from the State Archives of Florida

A quick search of the word "taxidermy" on the state's website of images yielded these fascinating photographs. Be sure to click on them to enlarge and see all the the detail.

"Alligators were common props in photo studios and often appear in whimsical poses along with a note like "having a great time in sunny Florida," according to Larry Roberts in Florida's Golden Age of Souvenirs. So it appears that there is a long history of stuffed objects, particularly alligators, in the Sunshine State. Perhaps it was the safest way to show how wild and untamed early tourists perceived our state, while keeping the real live critters at a safe distance.

All images from the State Archives of Florida

Surreal stuffed animals or taxidermy treasures?

I admitted in a recent post about the Shell Factory that I found the most interesting thing to be the enormous collection of stuffed wildlife. A recent review of photographs shows that this attraction to images of taxidermy treasures is not new and despite my wife's protests, I'm trying to understand why I find this so intriguing.

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Part of it is that they are seem very surreal in their man-made environments. Lit by fluorescent bulbs, under acoustic ceiling tiles, they provide a jarring juxtaposition between the untamed natural world and our safe inside spaces.

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Maybe it's because they are so lifelike and their sad eyes seem to follow you and stare at you. Do their eyes capture their last thought, "please don't shoot me!"? Of course their eyes are glass...

Shell Factory, North Ft. Myers, FL

Homosassa Springs, FL

Perhaps I'm trying to figure out why we seem to like put dead things on display. Or at least their skins. Is it to show we can conquer nature? Is it our vanity? Or do we find these creatures beautiful and just like looking at them?

Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Sarasota, FL

Postcard for Thomas Edison's Winter Estate, Ft. Myers, FL

College Park home, Orlando, FL

I think my fascination with stuffed fish began as a kid. My dad has a big stuffed largemouth bass that I used to love to look at. I dreamed of one day catching a fish large enough to get stuffed one day. I knew it cost lot of money, but I was willing to save and save. It was a mute point as I never caught any fish large enough... and what about using dead fish for decorating? Living in Florida my whole life, it seems somewhat more acceptable to hang up a stuffed fish, than a deer head, maybe because they are not mammals.

Taxidermy shop, Deland, FL

I saw a special on TV about these photographers who went around the UK documenting every stuffed polar bear in the British Isles. They were raising awareness of the plight of the polar bears. Might these bizarre objects be all we have left to remind us of the way things used to be in the wild before we destroyed most of the natural habitats? Some of these are for learning purposes, I suppose... Is it different than putting dinosaur bones on display?

Homosassa Springs, FL

Yellowstone National Park

Dixie Crossroads, Titusville, FL

Is it gross? Or is there something in our DNA similar to the same instinct that made early Homo Sapiens paint cave pictures of the game they hunted? I'm open to all theories....

Birds of a Feather

Caspers Ostrich and Alligator Farm wasn't the only attraction to use exotic birds to try to lure motorists off the road to spend a buck or two. Parrot Jungle, McKee Jungle Gardens, Carribean Gardens, Busch Gardens (above), and Bok Tower are just a few of the Florida attractions that featured exotic birds of some sort. Since the begining of the year, I've seen flamingoes, parrots and macaws at Homosassa Springs, Sunken Gardens, and most recently, at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

While the birds and Homosassa Springs and Sunken Gardens are really just survivors of an earlier era, they are the major attraction at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. The Gardens themselves began in the 1930s when David Lindsey turned 10 acres of swampland in Sarasota into a beautiful exotic garden, according to Roadside Paradise. It opened as an attraction in 1940 and the "Birds of the Rainforest Show" was initially performed in 1972. Many of the birds in the show were rescued from the California Prison System, when a program that used exotic birds to rehabilitate prisoners was discontinued. Some of the avian performers used in the 1970s, still perform to this day, and according to the website, Frosty the 73 year old Cockatoo once performed on the Ed Sullivan show! It may be me, but it seemed like these colorful creatures projected a kind of wise, ancient energy. In the show, the exotic birds were asked to ride a bicycle, a roller skate and a scooter. The day we were there, the trainer was forced to be extremely resourceful to get the birds to cooperate. It was almost as if the birds were playing with the trainer.




The flamingoes live on an island in the middle of small lake but wade over to the feeding area where you can buy food out of a gumball machine and feed these tall birds. There were signs posted warning of aggresive behavior due to flamingo mating season, but that didn't stop most people from going right up to them, including children much shorter than the full height of the birds. I'm told to keep their amazing coral orange color they have to get exactly the right diet. And that diet is expensive, so attractions like Bok Tower no longer have Flamingoes. I noticed that the one at Sunken Gardens were a paler pink, as the City of St. Petersberg may not be able to afford the expensive flamingo food. But the ones at Sarasota Jungle Gardens are so bright it almost seems unnatural.

Ostrich onslaught

Ostriches have been on my mind lately. On Saturday, my mother sent me this wonderful vintage postcard in the mail. Then on Sunday I heard a story on the news about the Florida legislature trying to muster enough courage to eliminate some of the silly tax exemptions that exist in our state, like the one on Ostrich feed. I doubt this will generate much revenue even if it is revoked, because their aren't many ostriches in Florida. But there used to be...

Casper's Ostrich and Alligator Farm was a Florida roadside attraction from 1946 to 1982 just north of St. Augustine on US 1. According to Roadside Paradise by Ken Breslauer, William Casper opened the business in 1934 as a commercial alligator farm. It became an attraction eight years later when Casper allowed the public to see his "over 8,000 alligators... flamingos, Macaws, ostrich harness racing and the South's largest air conditioned gift shop."


They promoted the attraction with large 12X18 brochure highlighting the ostriches. The copy reads: "You've Hears About Them... You've Read About Them... Possibly You've Seen Them In One of Several Motion Pictures Or On Television. NOW You Can See The World's Only Racing Ostriches." The brochure also references a "famed Jacksonville 1914 ostrich race track" which must be the one on the postcard. The large 3-color advertising piece also contains black and white images of alligators, alive and skinned, Galapagos Tortoises, emu, ostrich eggs, peacock and other exotic birds.

Image from State Archives of Florida

As with most of Florida's original attractions, business took a nose dive when when Americans started taking the interstate highway system instead of the old highways like US 1. So today vintage ephemera is all we have to remember this place where visitors could watch giant birds pull jockeys around a race track. To purchase a great T-shirt with the Casper's logo on the front, visit the Vintage Roadside site.

William Casper from State Archives of Florida

Image from State Archives of Florida

Easter Deco

It's fun and pink and perfect for Easter. It's my partial collection of Orlando Art Deco/Art Moderne architecture! Included are some of the Central Florida buildings I know of, designed in this style made popular in the early to mid-twentieth century. If you can think of some that I'm missing, let me know!

This beauty is on the Dubsdread Golf Course in College Park.

Kress Building Downtown Orlando

This great old building is saved only by the recession...

Detail from the same building.

Detail from a home near Thorton Park

Apartments near Lake Davis

Residence in College Park

Part of The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne Complex

Dubsdread Golf Course, College Park

Residence in College Park

Apartment Building in College Park

Near Lake Ivanhoe

My former apartment at Lake Ivanhoe Shores

Door detail from Lake Ivanhoe Shores, photo by Jodi Rubin

Formerly Publix, now Colonial Photo & Hobby in the ViMi district