Miami Then and Now (Then & Now) [Hardcover]

Klepser Carolyn (Author), Arva Moore Parks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2002

A look at the history of Miami, with stunning contemporary and historic photography and captions describing the development of this famous city. Part of the highly successful Then and Now series, this book looks at the changes in this exciting city.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carolyn Klepser is an independent researcher and historian who specializes in Miami Beach.
Arva Moore Parks has been described as "the person who knows Miami best." Her book Miami, the Magic City, has been named the official history of Miami. Other works include: The Forgotten Frontier, Florida Through the Lens of Ralph Middleton Munroe and Harry Truman and the Little White House in Key West.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (December 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571458522
• ISBN-13: 978-1571458520
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Architectural

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories, April 6, 2003

By 

Shirley Curtin (Birmingham,, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miami Then and Now (Then & Now) (Hardcover)

I was born and reared in Miami, the fourth generation of my Pioneer South Florida family. I was delighted with this book, it brought back so many memories.

The old photographs are gems, and the descriptions well written and informative. I enjoyed the "then" pictures with the "now", in some instances they are almost unbelievable, the Coconut Grove Womens Club little Club House which I went to frequently is a good example, long may it survive!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captiving Photo Book, September 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Miami Then and Now (Then & Now) (Hardcover)

If you have lived in Miami or have an affinity toward Miami, this is a must-have book. Few people in Miami like Arva Moore Parks have taken the time to document the City's rich history as the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States over the last 100 years. The "then and now" photos offer splendid matches, with interesting and informative historical notes in the caption. Great coffee-table book too!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful photos and interesting history, March 9, 2007

By 

S. Porretta (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miami Then and Now (Then & Now) (Hardcover)

Being both a history buff and having grown up and lived in Miami for 20 years, I could certainly appreciate the spirit of this book. Miami is currently synonymous in popular media and culture with clubs and partying, sexy people and celebrities, and hip shops (even though this image is more descriptive of Miami Beach and South Beach rather than the city of Miami itself). Despite it being a relatively young city, though, it is still rich in its own history and thankfully this book goes beyond the present glossy, superficial party image of the city and transports the reader back to a simpler and more wholesome time. This is Miami how its founders and earliest residents knew it. Most of the "before" pictures date from the 20's and 30's, and it is really fascinating to see how things have changed. As I said, I grew up in Miami and there are places shown in the book that I never even knew existed, such as the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and the Coral Gables Rock House. I am glad that the author explores not only downtown Miami and Miami Beach, but devotes pages of photos to other neighborhoods around Miami such as Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, and even Opa Locka and Hialeah (being a Hialeah native myself, I would have liked to see more than just the one picture of the racetrack, but that is my own personal bias). While the book is certainly complete, I feel maybe too many pages were devoted to certain places, such as Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for example, and perhaps some of that coverage could have been reduced and made room for other places to be shown. I am glad that the author explores little known places familiar to residents and not just the touristy areas that visitors would know, but on the other hand, some of these are a little too obscure and I would have also liked to have seen what was in some of those touristy areas, such as Bayside, the zoo, major malls, etc. Just because of those little complaints I give the book four stars, but if you don't care about these, then this might as well be 5 stars and it is still a highly recommended book.