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

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