For more than a century, Florida has thrived on its image as an exotic playground.
Selling the Sunshine State
offers a scrapbook of bygone brochures, postcards, souvenirs, and photos, all designed to lure northerners (and fellow southerners) into the peninsula.Tim Hollis’ personal collection of Florida memorabilia and mementos lie at the heart of the nearly 500 color images herein. Lovingly assembled, the book is arranged according to the state’s traditional tourism department regions, including the Miracle Strip, the Big Bend, and the Gold Coast. This allows readers to discover the lost attractions and sometimes shocking appeals in promotional material created from the 1920s through the 1970s.An introductory essay on the history of Florida advertising methods and themes, along with additional commentary for each region, places the images in context. Hollis writes as a tourist, and his captions to the copious, eye-catching color illustrations transport the reader back to another era of Florida history. Nostalgic tourists, Florida natives, and anyone interested in the history of advertising will enjoy this lighthearted volume.This book offers a celebration of fun and sun through tourists’ eyes.