Victorian Florida: America's Last Frontier

by Floyd Rinhart, Marion Rinhart

Uses period photographs and illustrations to document life in late nineteenth century Florida, looks at train travel, and shows each region of the state

Genres: History

223 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1986

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 19th century, they came. By steamer or by rail, they came. To a land half wild frontier, half tourist palace, they came. And - most importantly - with their cameras, they came. In Victorian Florida, pioneer photography authorities Floyd and Marion Rinhart offer a fascinating look at Florida during its peak as a tourist destination through the lenses of the photographers selling the Sunshine State one picture postcard or magazine feature at a time.

After a brief introduction on the history of photographic methods used by Floridian photographers, Victorian Florida then segues into a visual and narrative recreation of the experience of a 19th century tourist. Beginning with the experience of getting to Florida, including tips for travelers on what not to wear, it then works its way south on the most common tourist path: Fernandina and Fort George to Jacksonville, down the St. Johns and onto the Ocklawaha, across the Orange Belt to Tampa, then swinging back to St. Augustine to follow the coast down to Palm Beach, Miami, and Key West. Each stop is explored through a stunning collection of images. The text - frequently sprinkled with travelogues drawn from various 19th century sources such as Sidney Lanier, Ledyard Bill, and Charles Dickens Jr. - draws almost as complete a picture.

While many of the photos and sketches featured here are drawn from the state archive or contemporaneous publications such as Harper's Weekly, the vast majority come from the authors' extensive personal collection, which has since been donated to the University of Miami and can be found online. The gathering of these images was clearly the work of a lifetime, and if this book has a flaw it's that the quality of the printing is not quite up to the task of reproducing the photos in all of their glory. Unlike the compilers of other photographic collections, the Rinharts are careful to not only credit the individual artists but to usefully include an entire appendix featuring brief biographies of all the photographers, offering the rare look at the men behind the cameras.

Beautifully written and illustrated, Victorian Florida is a journey back through time, offering a recreation of the tourist experience so complete you almost need a palmetto hat to keep off the heat of the 19th century sun. It's an absolute must for fans of photography or Florida history, and an experience not to be missed.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book!!