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Friday, March 27, 2015

1950s and 60s tourism publicity photos from the files of the Miami Beach News Bureau


Pepi Hauseman, beach modeling scene. (Feb. 1956)
[via City of Miami Beach digital archives]
(Click images to enlarge)

Cars on Ocean Drive with beach in background. (Feb. 1955)

Loretta Larsen, beach modeling scene. (Aug. 1955)

Lummus Park beach scene. (Feb. 1960)

Pier Park beach. (Feb. 1958)

Dori Hartman, beach scene. (April 1954)


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Aerial view of Ocean Drive from 5th to 7th Street (1960)


Aerial view of Ocean Drive from 5th to 7th Street looking west. [1960]
[Images via City of Miami Beach digital archives]
(Click images to enlarge)

Aerial view of South Beach looking north from 4th Street. [1964]



Fishing in Indian Creek


Fishing in Indian Creek across from the Fontainebleau Hotel. (Aug. 1959)
[via City of Miami Beach digital archives]





Monday, March 23, 2015

Vintage photographs of Collins Avenue, Miami Beach


Vintage photographs of Collins Avenue on Miami Beach from the files of the Miami Beach News Bureau.


Aerial view of the Firestone estate at Collins Avenue 
and 44th street. (1920)
The Fontainebleau Hotel now sits at this location.
(Click all images to enlarge)

Collins Avenue looking north at 44th Street. (1937)

Collins Avenue from Lincoln Rd. (1930s)

Collins Avenue looking south from 41st Street. (May 1947)

Entrance to the bar at the Wofford Hotel at 24th 
and Collins Avenue.
(April 1951)

Collins Avenue at 17th Street looking north.  (Feb. 1954)


Looking north on Collins Avenue from 30th Street.
(April 1959)

Looking south on Collins Avenue from the Fontainebleau Hotel.
(June 1960)



Sunday, March 22, 2015

How they sold Miami Beach with a little leg and a whole lot of skin


Miami Beach is getting ready to kick off a week of events celebrating the Beach's 100 years as a city.

Miami Beach got its start when founding father Carl Fisher set about to transform a "slender sandspit of mangroves and swamp, mosquitoes and crocodiles, palmetto scrub and sea-stroked beach" into a city.

Sometime in the 1920s, Fisher hired a publicity agent for the Beach.

His name was Steve Hannagan and it was he who came up with the idea of using photographs of attractive women in skimpy - for the period - bathing attire to promote the city. The idea caught on and the city continued to use "cheesecake" photos for the next 50 years.

Well into the late 1970s, promotional photographs were taken by staff photographers working for Miami Beach's Tourist Development Authority and then sent to northern newspapers by mail and wire services.

Models were paid $5 for their time and given a selection of five 8x10 prints for their portfolios.

But in the late 1970s, Miami Beach stopped using models to promote the city following protests from feminist groups.

Dolores Kirby. 
(All photographs from 
City of Miami Beach digital archives)

Anita Hitson
(Click images to enlarge)

Helga Cords

Helga Cords

Promotional shot. (1956)

Promotional shot with two models. (1957)

Ellen Severson, Miss Miami Beach. (1959)

Sandy Maas. (1959)

Leslie Mitchell (undated)



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Vintage Miami Beach postcards

Delano Hotel and Cabana Club

Senator Hotel
(Click images to enlarge)

Promenade at Roney Plaza Hotel. (1930s)

Lincoln Road (1940s)

Jack's Courtesy Gift Shop
501 Collins Ave.


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

1937 newspaper ads for Miami Beach nightclubs and restaurants

From the Miami Daily News, Jan. 9, 1937.


Mother Kelly's.

Riptide Club.




Tuesday, March 3, 2015

The Miami and Miami Beach Playboy Clubs


Miami Playboy Club, 1961.
(Click images to enlarge)

Miami Beach Playboy Club bunnies with Sammy
Davis Jr. in the early 1970s.

Miami Playboy Club bunnies, late 1960s.


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Miami News, Jan.15, 1961.



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Miami News,  Jan. 17, 1961.

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Click pages to enlarge.
[via]






Related story: Miami News, April 8, 1963.