Miami Archives - Tracing the rich history of Miami, Miami Beach and the Florida Keys: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ad for 'Romantic Overnight Cruise to Havana' - $42 Round trip

Florida’s Peninsular and Occidental Steamship Company was a pioneer in today’s billion-dollar Florida cruise business. Until Castro’s regime closed Cuba to cruise ships in 1960, the SS FLORIDA was sailing three times a week from Miami. The SS FLORIDA had first sailed from Key West to Cuba until the 1934 devastating hurricane destroyed the terminal and rail connections to Miami. Built in New Port News, Virginia, in 1931, the SS FLORIDA accommodated 612 passengers in first class and 130 in second class. After World War 2 the overnight ship was turned into a one class liner.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Cracking down on jaywalking in Miami Beach -1970

Miami Beach, 1975. photograph by Flip Schulke.

The date: May, 1970.

The place: Washington Avenue and 14th Street, Miami Beach.

Miami Beach police officer Frank Marzullo - the "Dirty Harry of the Crosswalks" - is nabbing jaywalkers and issuing $3 tickets like he's handing out candy at a kid's birthday party. And just about everybody gets a ticket on this day. At 6:16 in the first video, Marzullo tells one elderly lawbreaker, "It's better to be late for an appointment than to be on time in heaven."

On hand to record the action is a crew from a kinder, gentler Channel 7, including reporter George Skinnner, who was surely a contender that year for "Mr. Congeniality."

From "Two Feet To the Grave" - WCKT, Channel 7, May 28, 1970 (Part 1)

(Part 2 - watch for Marzullo's interaction with the old guy at 0:25)

(Part 3)

Dade County Courthouse and Downtown Miami - 1962

Click to enlarge.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Pan American Terminal at Dinner Key - 1937

Pan American Airways Terminal at Dinner Key.

Flying Pan Am Clipper.

Miami Daily News, Jan. 24, 1937.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

John Glenn blasts into space, orbits earth - Feb. 20, 1962

LIFE Magazine, Feb. 2, 1962

The Miami News, Feb. 20, 1962.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Ad for 1950s portable TV

From the Miami Daily News, Jan. 23, 1957.

Newspaper ad for Eveready Sales and Service on Miami Beach.

Philco portable TVs priced from $119.95.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre

__________

From the Miami Daily News, Feb.14, 1929.

From the Miami Daily News, Feb. 16, 1929. Al Capone is blamed.

From the Miami Daily News, Feb. 17, 1929. From Miami, Al says he didn't do it.

From the Miami Daily News, Feb. 18, 1929. Capone announces his retirement to Palm Island, Miami Beach.

Monday, February 13, 2012

The Beatles visit Miami Beach Feb., 1964

The Beatles arrive in Miami, Feb. 13, 1964.

They stop by the 5th Street Gym a few days later to clown around with Cassius Clay.

Photograph by Charles Trainor, Sr.

Photograph by John Loengard.

John Loengard tells the story of this famous photograph (above) in his book, "As I See It": "Four high school kids, the kind with fuzzy chins, on their first trip to America, arrived in Florida during a cold snap. We could not find a heated pool that could be closed off from the rest of the press, so we settled for one that was not. The kids’ manager told them the cover of LIFE magazine was important and to get in the water. They did. I asked them to sing. They sang, each in his own way. They started turning blue. I said that was it. If the pool had been heated, I’d have a longer story to tell." This image appeared in LIFE magazine: February 28, 1964. This black and white print is processed from a negative created from the orignal color transparency.

LIFE Magazine, Feb. 28, 1964.
(Click here to enlarge image.)

The Beatles' second Ed Sullivan Show, 8.00pm, Sunday 16 February 1964. One week after their record-breaking debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles made their second live appearance. A rehearsal took place at 2pm, which was filmed but not broadcast. The performance took place at The Beatles' Miami hotel, the Deauville, from 8pm-9pm, in front of an audience of 2,600. CBS had given out 3,500, and police had to calm angry ticket holders who were denied entry.