Selling the Sunshine State

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.