The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager : The Edison Hotel [Paperback]

Judith S. Berson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

This book serves to document the revitalization of Miami Beach's Art Deco architecture and one of the grand dames of Ocean Drive --the Edison Hotel. Standing majestically in the epi-center of the South Beach's historic district, the story of this hotel symbolizes the history of the Art Deco District. The book also describes the unique role the region played during WW2 when the hotels became barracks to over 500,000 Army Air Corps servicemen. The author likens the Edison to a phoenix that has risen again to bare itself in its most colorful plumage.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Read the book that brought the Vets back to Miami Beach.

Numerous authors have chronicled the rebirth of the Art Deco District, but while writing The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager: The Edison Hotel, author Judith Berson actually rekindled interest in an often-overlooked aspect of Miami Beach’s history—the WW2 years. Between 1942 and 1945 nearly one half million service men took over 300 hotels and buildings. While researching her book about the South Beach hotel, Berson discovered a group of Army Air Corps veterans who were trying to coordinate a reunion.

The author was reminded of her late father’s stint in Miami Beach as an Air Corpsman and offered to help organize activities for the returning vets. As the owner of the Edison, she was able to provide the headquarter hotel and she coordinated a large group of committed civic leaders to make “Sand in Our Boots,” the first ever Miami Beach WW2 Veterans Reunion, a reality. More than 50 years after they ate, slept and trained in the same place where millions of visitors come to have fun in the sun, they returned for Pearl Harbor Day 1999 and will be returning again this year.

The former GIs are now in their 70s and 80s, but their spirits were high as they returned to the city where, in the words of one vet, “Miami Beach is the place where we left youth and innocence behind and departed on the bloodiest greatest war of history. Miami Beach is the place where sunshine and ocean left a bright spot in our minds as we carried on the battle in the blood and sand of the South Pacific, in the deadly skies over Europe and Japan, in the arctic cold of the Aleutian Islands and on the beaches of Normandy.”

Coordinating the reunion delayed publication of the book for a year, but according to the participants, it was well worth it. George Neary, Director of Tourism for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, said “the reunion was the most emotional event” he has ever attended in his years in Miami Beach. He now describes the event to tourism groups throughout the nation as an example of what an ad hoc group can accomplish when they are passionate about an issue.

Roberto Datorre, President of the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation and one of the volunteers who helped make the event a success, praised Berson for spearheading the reunion. He said the reunion “helped to shed light on the unique roots of Miami Beach as well as giving recognition to those who served our country in World War II. Berson is happy that her book will be available in time for Sand in Our Boots 2000, Dec. 6th-10th, 2000 with the Edison Hotel again serving as the headquarter hotel for the event.

From the Inside Flap

There are many reasons to appreciate Miami Beach. The sand, the sun, the water and the beautiful year-round weather are its natural resources. While these qualities alone have attracted so many visitors and residents in its relatively short history, what truly gives the city its unique appeal is its architectural achievements. Miami Beach has been recognized as possessing the most significant concentration of Art Deco style architecture in the world. This recognition has served to revitalize not just the structure of its buildings but the spirit of its citizens as well. A great community effort and commitment was necessary to restore the city, and the citizens rose to meet the challenge. This book serves to document one of the revitalized South Beach structures--the Edison Hotel. The story of this hotel symbolizes the history of the Art Deco District. The author likens the Edison to a phoenix that has risen again to bare itself in its most colorful plumage--and in so doing, a spirit is revealed that is even brighter and more beautiful than ever before.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Isle Images (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970083904
• ISBN-13: 978-0970083906
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,348,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Building Types & Styles > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager: The Edison Hotel, November 29, 2000

By 

D. Jordan Berson (Boston, Mass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager : The Edison Hotel (Paperback)

Interesting history, nice photos. A must for fans of Art Deco architecture, preservationists, and lovers of old Miami Beach.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Slice of American Pie, December 3, 2000

By 

Bruce M. Singer (Miami Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager : The Edison Hotel (Paperback)

The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager is a slice of American Pie.The interplay between the architecture and the times shows how the history of an area can be impacted by world events.

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce carries this book in the Miami Beach Visitor Center because it provides insight into the facinating history of Miami Beach.

An easy read for history buffs.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sand in MY boots!, November 29, 2000

By 

Bernie Gold (FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of a Deco Dowager : The Edison Hotel (Paperback)

Reading the "Deco Dowager" took me back almost 50 years, It brought back memories of a time of uncertainty, December 1942, with the world at war, there I was 18 years old, taking my military basic training in Miami Beach. The beauty of the Art Deco district somehow detracted from the fact that I was in the army. Having buddies stationed in nearby hotels, including the Edison, coupled with Miami Beach itself, made my training period easy and pleasantly memorable. Reading Dr. Berson's book refreshed my memory of those days. Her story is well written. The "World WarII Years" segment, is a must for the 500,000 airmen who trained there during the period covering 1942-1945