Upcoming Fort Lauderdale Historical Society Exhibits Will Highlight History, Culture and Individuality of Fort Lauderdale's Past and Present
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the countywide celebration of Broward's centennial, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society prepares to offer a look at the colorful history of Fort Lauderdale with several exhibits at its New River Inn Museum of History. Over the next year, they will unveil five exhibits: Images from the Stranahan Collection, Beating the Heat: Surviving Summer in South Florida, Ofrendas, A Different Perspective: Your Take on History and "That Pestilence-ridden Swamp": Governor Broward and the Everglades.
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Images from the Stranahan Collection
November 6, 2014 through March 22, 2015
Images from the Stranahan Collection will include photos of Frank and Ivy Stranahan, two of Fort Lauderdale's first white settlers. The exhibit will focus on Frank's time operating his 1890s trading post and Ivy's time as an informal educator of local Seminole children.
"The Stranahans are inseparably tied to the early beginnings of Fort Lauderdale's incorporation as a city. You can't talk about Fort Lauderdale without talking about the Stranahans," said Chris Barfield, curator of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. "Their civic engagement, which included the donation of land for public use, along with Frank's business, helped development along in the city."
Frank came to what is now Fort Lauderdale in 1893 to operate his cousin's camp and ferry at Tarpon Bend on the New River. In very little time, while operating his trading post, he earned a reputation among the Seminoles as a fair businessman. He would later serve as the area's postmaster.
Ivy arrived in 1899 as the area's first official teacher. The two married in 1900 and Ivy gave up her official position as an educator, but not her passion. She turned her focus to educating the Seminole children. Like her husband, Ivy earned the respect and trust of the Seminoles. In 1901, the Stranahan House was built along what is now Las Olas Boulevard next to what is now the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel where it still stands today.
The two remained in Fort Lauderdale until their deaths – Frank committed suicide in 1929 after he was ruined by the collapse of the Florida real estate market. Ivy died of natural causes in 1971.
The exhibit will also feature Fort Lauderdale's early days. "You'll get to see a couple of early downtown shops of Fort Lauderdale and some pictures of Ivy and Frank together," said Barfield.
Beating the Heat: Surviving Summer in South Florida
Now through May 31, 2015
This exhibit showcases the lengths South Florida residents undertook to cool themselves off before air conditioning was invented – everything from clothing styles to architecture, including cement grates. The grates measured 29 by 37 ½ inches and weighed over 200 pounds each. They had 12 holes that allowed air to pass through without sacrificing privacy.
Ofrendas
Now through November 2, 2014
The Ofrendas, or as it's more popularly known here in the United States, Day of the Dead, is now on display. Day of the Dead is a traditional Latin American festival where the deceased are honored by their loved ones. This year, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society's Ofrendas features 16 families' offerings to their loved ones, including photographs, artifacts and remembrance quotes. The exhibit is in partnership with Florida Day of the Dead, an annual remembrance in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, held November 1 and 2. Visit dayofthedeadflorida.com for more information.
A Different Perspective: Your Take on History
April 14, 2015 through October 25, 2015
Ever seen an old photograph and thought you could do something with it? Now's your chance. Starting in December, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society will take submissions of interpretations of some of its historic photographs. Participants can alter the original image, take a photo of the same location or make any other kind of change they want. Entries chosen will be featured in the exhibit next to the original images.
"That Pestilence-ridden Swamp": Governor Broward and the Everglades
June 19, 2015 through June 30, 2016
The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society will look at Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, the man who drained the Everglades. As the 19th governor of the state, Broward was determined to make the Everglades "useful" land for agriculture. The exhibit will also focus on the ecological and environmental impacts of Broward's political promise.
About the Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society
The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society (FLHS) brings the history of greater Fort Lauderdale to life through education, research and preservation for the enrichment of present and future generations. Believing that a sense of history is fundamental to understanding human experience, the FLHS collects, preserves and shares material from our community's past, so that present and future generations can comprehend more fully their predecessors, their community and themselves.
With education as the primary focus FLHS offers public lectures and workshops; publish teacher resource materials; arrange school and general group tours and activities; support scholarly research through significant research assistance; maintain a 1907 house museum and three other 1905 historic structures, and a museum of changing and permanent exhibitions, and operate a research center that has functioned uninterrupted for more than 50 years. Visit www.FortLauderdaleHistoricalSociety.org. The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization.
CONTACT: Laurie Menekou, (954) 732-0754 (or) [email protected]
SOURCE Fort Lauderdale Historical Society
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