The mission of Martin Digital History (MDH) is to encourage the appreciation of Martin County’s unique history by collaborating with community members and local organizations to collect, present, and interpret relevant digital content. This digital community archive, orchestrated by the Martin County Library System, is the result of the planning teamwork of several far-sighted community members and organizations, including Sandra Thurlow, Historical Society of Martin County, Black Heritage Initiative, Stuart Heritage, and others. MDH has made almost 7,000 items available, including photographs, fishing guides, memorial service programs, school board minutes, and more available online at martindigitalhistory.org.

The Camp Murphy collection is an artificial collection featuring photos taken by soldier Robert Maertz, the 1943 yearbook, issues of The Messenger (Camp Murphy newsletter), a color photocopy of Lillian Rudd Davisworth's scrapbook, and ephemera, contributed by Historical Society of Martin County. Camp Murphy was a secret radar training program located in what is now Jonathan Dickinson State Park from 1942 to 1944.

Submitted by: Georgen Charnes, Martin County Library System

The oldest protestant church in South Florida, the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, was founded in 1889 in Palm Beach. The Episcopal church is in its third home, a Spanish Gothic-style building located one block from the Atlantic Ocean. Generations of Bethesda’s parishioners have taken careful stewardship of its history and the collections brim with pioneer tales of boating to church services, creating and installing the Tiffany stained glass windows, and correspondence with architect Marion Sims Wyeth. After archivist Jethro Hurt died last year, concerned congregants recognized the need for a safe space away from the threats inherent to its location.  They reached out to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County which is now preserving this rich history. Collections of letters, photographs, scrapbooks, and ephemera are now safely housed and being processed for discovery at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

Image Caption: A Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost parked in front of the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea at 141 South County Road, Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1963. The current church home was designed by Hiss and Weekes of New York and built of cast stones. The first services in the new sanctuary were held November 27, 1927. 

Submitted by: Jennifer Anthony, Historical Society of Palm Beach County

JM Family Enterprises Corporate Archives

Spin to win this October during Florida Archives Month! The JM Family Corporate Archives has lots in store this month, with activities that spotlight this unique and important resource. There will be a branded tabletop of information and an interactive exhibit at an event each week to our internal audience at the corporate headquarters in Deerfield Beach. Our audience will spin to win for prizes including Archives branded pencils or Post It Notes, Halloween candy, a set of acid-free archival folders, a private tour of the archives, and a mystery box of branded items from around the Enterprise.

The Corporate Archives’ goal is to create awareness of the services we can provide, and the types of items wanted for the archival collection.

Submitted by: Michael Zaidman, JM Famimly Enterprises, Inc.

The Allen Lastinger Center for Florida History is a new interdisciplinary center for academic excellence housed within University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library. The Center collects primary and secondary source material related to the state of Florida's transportation and banking industries, from Precontact to the present, placing Florida history within the larger context of the history of the United States and Atlantic world. Comprised of books, maps, manuscripts, postcards, and other ephemera, the Center’s foundational collection has a strong focus on banking, tourism, cartography, and trade. Feel free to reach out at lib-Lastingercenter@unf.edu or hilary.streifer@unf.edu.

Image caption: Some of the framed maps and prints from the Lastinger collection

Submitted by: Susan Swiatosz, University of North Florida

The Wilson Averre Koontz Collection, part of the World War II Collection, was recently added to FSU’s Digital Library. Set against the backdrop of a world war, this collection of love letters exchanged between Wilson Koontz, a U.S. Marine deployed to the Pacific, and his wife, Dorothy, capture the day-to-day lives of a young married couple as they navigate the dangers and uncertainty of war, financial hardships, and raising their young daughter, Rachael. Mr. and Mrs. Koontz preserved their correspondence as a diary for their daughter, who is brought to life in the letters through vivid descriptions from Dorothy, a wife and mother who resolutely endeavors to nurture the loving relationship between father and daughter as they endure years of separation. 

Image Caption: Image of Dorothy and Rachael Koontz

Submitted by: Jack Juliet, Florida State University 

“I find something new, and I learn something new every day.”

The past year has been very exciting, as not only have two good-sized packages of original photographs of and from the terrible September 17th and 18th 1926 Miami hurricane arrived here at The Bramson Archive, but, and in addition, several incredible pieces relating to the Centennial histories of cities which I am currently working on.

Image Caption: A waiter is taking a lunch order on the dining room terrace facing the pool at the Sherry Frontenac Hotel on Collins Avenue.

Submitted by: Seth Bramson, The Bramson Archive

The NSU Shutter Shark Student Underwater Photography Contest Collection

NSU Archives celebrates Archives Month with showcasing Shutter Shark, an underwater photography contest, created and organized by graduate students at the Nova Southeastern University Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography (NSU-CNSO). 

Shutter Shark is an artistic avenue for student marine research, appreciation of the underwater world, and community building. 

A collection highlight is the 2024 People's Choice winner, in the Terrestrial Life category, featuring a pair of fledglings, captured by Amanda Zummo at the Plantation Heritage Park in South Florida. The burrowing owl, a native species, is one of the smallest owls in Florida, and classified as State Threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

Limited to current students, Shutter Shark gears towards amateur photographers to develop their skills and compete with peers, judging by local underwater experts and NSU-CNSO faculty. Since its inception in 2008, several students have gone on to place in international competitions.

Links: 

• Shutter Shark, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_shuttershark/
• Winner: People's Choice, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_shuttershark_2024/18/.

Image Caption: Just before sunset, two fledglings emerged from their burrow in Plantation Heritage Park, Plantation, Florida. An NSU Shutter Shark photo by Amanda Zummo.

Submitted by: Bebe Chang, Nova Southeastern University

Addison Mizner, a prominent architect of the early 20th century, significantly influenced the character of southern Florida with his Mediterranean Revival designs, particularly in Palm Beach and Boca Raton. The Addison Mizner collection at the Preservation Foundation houses personal correspondence, scrapbooks, manuscript drafts, photographs, and documents related to his business ventures and travels. At the heart of the collection is Mizner's diary from 1891 to 1896, written during his early twenties. It details his time as a student in San Rafael, California, and his travels around the United States, including a memorable experience at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. These experiences shaped his architectural vision and inspired his ventures into building materials and antique furnishings, leading to the formation of Los Manos Pottery and Mizner Industries. The diary also includes sketches that offer insight into Mizner's visual recollections.

Image Captions:

Left: Addison Mizner’s diary (1891-1896)    

Right: Mizner’s sketch of his sister Minnie’s residence at Stag’s Leap Winery in California. Caption reads “Stag’s Leap, south front.”

Submitted by: Amanda Capote, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach

Rollins College Archives & Special Collections at Olin Library hold a unique Collection of 34 Examples of Textile Arts and Handicrafts, which was presented by Dr. Lawrence Simonson in 1952. The Portfolios of historic and modern textile arts, mounted on 18" X 14" boards, include unique items such as woven palm fiber from Congo, Tapa tree bark cloth from Samoa, batik from Japan, tie-dyed materials, embroidered and printed silk, cotton, linen, wool weaves, etc. Those special collection materials have been frequently used by students in Arts and Art History courses such as Introduction to Global Arts, Fashion in Africa, Global Trade in African Textiles, African Arts & Colonialism, and African Arts & City.

Submitted by: Wenxian Zhang, Rollins College

Digital Collections Crowdsources Unique Local History Highlighting Community Pride

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library’s Digital Collections collaborated with East Tampa’s Historic Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association to record the essence of this historic African American neighborhood known for its community spirit and history of athletic achievement. 

The 2nd Annual Neighborhood Reunion was held this summer at Cyrus Greene Park, the home of the legendary Belmont Heights Little League, where collaborative efforts came together. Video memories of community elders sharing stories as well as crowdsourced photographs of landmarks and residents, past and present, premiered.

The Historic Belmont Heights collection is available through Digital Collection’s Our Lives, Our Legacies: The Hillsborough Black Experience.

Image Caption: Historic Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association’s reunion gathering group photo. Neighborhood associations help crowdsource content to preserve community memories.

Submitted by: Jessica J. Miller, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library