Selling the Sunshine State: A Celebration of Florida Tourism Advertising [Hardcover]

Mr. Tim Hollis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

A celebration of fun and sun through tourists' eyes

 

"Wow! The most beautiful and captivating manuscript I have ever read. Hollis's book is a journey to a long-vanished Florida before Disney, a Florida filled with roadside attractions, pink flamingos, and alligator farms. The beautiful and full-color vintage advertising makes this book one of the best Florida souvenirs of all time."--Brian R. Rucker, author of Arcadia and Floridale

 

"This colorful book takes the reader back to the golden age of tourism, to Florida before the mouse. Vivid postcards and brochures revisit lost attractions and remind the reader that once upon a time Florida offered more than one brand of family fantasy."--Tracy J. Revels, author of Watery Eden

 

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's personal collection of Florida memorabilia and mementos lies 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 which 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.

 

Tim Hollis is the author of numerous books celebrating southern popular culture and history, including Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Run and Florida's Miracle Strip: From Redneck Riviera to Emerald Coast.

About the Author

Tim Hollis is the author of numerous books celebrating southern popular culture and history, including Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Run and Florida's Miracle Strip: From Redneck Riviera to Emerald Coast.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida (November 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813032660
• ISBN-13: 978-0813032665
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Florida tourism that used to be..., July 3, 2009

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Selling the Sunshine State: A Celebration of Florida Tourism Advertising (Hardcover)

After my review of Dixie Before Disney, I got an email from Tim Hollis letting me know he had additional titles (IN COLOR!) that covered the subject of Southern tourism from different angles. So, back off to Interlibrary Loan I went, and I soon received a copy of Selling the Sunshine State: A Celebration of Florida Tourism Advertising. This was probably what I was most looking for when I first read the Dixie title, but that's not to say Dixie Before Disney wasn't good. Selling the Sunshine State focuses entirely on Florida tourism, and is in full color. Brochures, maps, advertising, you name it... Places that exist now, no longer exist, or probably should have *never* existed. This book took me on a nostalgic trip of what Florida *used* to be before the heavy hitters (like Disney) redefined tourism.

Hollis divides the book up into the following chapters: When You Need It Bad We've Got It Good (overall state), The Miracle Strip, The Big Bend, Florida's Crown, The Grove Coast, The Sun Coast, The Tropicoast, and The Paradise Islands. After a page or two of intro into the material, you then get the goods... full-color reproductions of all the material that the state and various attractions used to catch your attention and get you to spend your dollars. Hollis also has great captions and insets describing each item, which add even more meaning and color (no pun intended) to the overall effect. It's amazing to think that these placemats, maps, postcards, and brochures were probably gathered up by travelers, poured over by kids, and then relegated to the trash. It's great that Hollis has saved and preserved so many of them so we don't lose sight of what used to be...

Felt pennants... hadn't thought about those in years...

I found it most interesting to see how so many of the attractions tended to follow each other in various forms and images. For instance, *all* of the various "Springs" attractions (Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs, etc) had to have pictures of attractive women in bathing suits. If you had a marine-themed attraction, you *had* to have dolphins and porpoises adorning your material. And if you didn't have the required glass-bottom boat picture somewhere, you could just forget about it. :) I also now understand the impact that Silver Springs had on the entire tourism industry in Florida. They were the Disneyworld of their era, and the attraction by which all others were measured. Yes, it would be considered quite tame today, but step back 40 years or so, and it was *the* place to be.

If this subject at all appeals to you, Selling the Sunshine State is a must-read. It won't take much time in terms of reading, but you will spend a considerable amount of time just lingering over the pictures and enjoying the images.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book, September 6, 2011

By 

Annie Oakley "book worm" (Bonita Springs FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Selling the Sunshine State: A Celebration of Florida Tourism Advertising (Hardcover)

Anyone who loves Florida and the way it was will love this book. It brought back so many memories of things and places that time has forgotten....some long gone into history and some still stand to enjoy. Highly recommend this book.