Greetings from Ormond Beach, Florida Spencer, Donald D

Name: Greetings from Ormond Beach, Florida Spencer, Donald D
Price: 25.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Spencer, Donald D
ISBN: 9780764328091

✍️ Spencer, Donald D

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Glimpse Ormond Beach's lost soul through forgotten postcards, a hidden history revealed in sepia and color.

This compelling collection unveils Ormond Beach, Florida, through a curated selection of over 230 rare postcards from the early 20th century. Beyond mere images, these visual artifacts capture the evolving spirit of a bygone era, charting the picturesque Tomoka River, bustling auto races, and the serene winter residence of John D. Rockefeller. Each card, from hand-colored vistas to photographic glimpses, offers a unique portal into the daily life, architectural splendor, and societal rhythms of a place profoundly transformed by time, preserving its ephemeral essence.

Key themes

{'title': 'Echoes of a Vanished Era', 'body': "This volume masterfully resurrects the daily pulse and architectural grandeur of Ormond Beach in its nascent stages. Through a rich tapestry of vintage postcards, readers encounter the landmarks, natural beauty, and bustling events that shaped the town's early identity, many of which now exist only in these captured moments, offering a poignant look at what time has claimed."} {'title': 'Visual Lore & Local Spirit', 'body': "More than just pictures, these postcards serve as divinatory tools, unveiling the unwritten social history and local lore of Ormond Beach. The accompanying insights delve beyond surface-level descriptions, illuminating the hidden narratives behind familiar scenes, from the historic rum distillery to vibrant citrus groves, granting a deeper understanding of the community's unique spirit."} {'title': 'Ephemeral Art & Historical Artifact', 'body': 'The book celebrates the postcard not merely as a memento, but as a potent historical document. It showcases the diverse artistic and photographic styles employed in their creation, highlighting their value as collectible ephemera while simultaneously providing approximate dates and valuations, transforming them into tangible keys to unlocking a forgotten past.'}

In stock

🏛 Schiffer Publishing 📅 2007 📖 128 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780764328091

Fun fact

This volume masterfully transcends its subject, offering a compelling journey into the soul of Ormond Beach through its unique collection of vintage postcards. Spencer has crafted more than a history book; it's an evocative visual séance with a bygone era, richly detailed captions unveiling unexpected social lore. While it deeply satisfies local historians and ephemera enthusiasts, those seeking a traditional narrative history might find its postcard-centric structure less linear. Nonetheless, it stands as a unique, almost divinatory, exploration of place and memory.

📝 Description: Greetings from Ormond Beach, Florida Spencer, Donald D

From early hand-colored cards to photographic views in both color and black and white, this extensive collection of postcards yields a unique glimpse of Ormond Beach, Florida, during the first half of the twentieth century. Through the pictures, you'll travel on the picturesque Tomoka River, ride a horse, and attend an auto race on the beach racecourse. Visit the winter home of John D. Rockefeller and the site of a 240 year-old rum distillery, pick oranges in beautiful citrus groves, stop at the Ormond Hotel, and stroll the banks of the Halifax River. Over 230 postcards--many rare and valuable--portray the people, street views, hotels, parks, race cars, residences, churches, and gardens of this special place. Many of the buildings portrayed were subsequently demolished. The captions go well beyond simply describing the scenes, offering little-known details of Ormond Beach's local social history and lore. This book will be treasured by residents of the city and visitors to it, and be welcomed by postcard collectors world-wide. Approximate dates and values of the postcards make this a thorough reference of these historic treasures.

⭐ Reader reviews

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.4/5

★★★★★

For those who seek the spirit of forgotten places, this visual compendium offers a unique journey. If you're drawn to the hidden histories of Florida's coast, intrigued by the power of historical ephemera, or simply wish to connect with the past through evocative imagery, this collection awaits…

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❓ Frequently asked questions

The book features an extensive array of postcards, ranging from vibrant hand-colored illustrations to authentic black-and-white and color photographic views, each capturing a unique facet of Ormond Beach.

Absolutely. The accompanying captions delve deep into the local social history and fascinating lore of Ormond Beach, providing enriching details often overlooked in standard historical accounts.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Echoes of a Vanished Era

This volume masterfully resurrects the daily pulse and architectural grandeur of Ormond Beach in its nascent stages. Through a rich tapestry of vintage postcards, readers encounter the landmarks, natural beauty, and bustling events that shaped the town's early identity, many of which now exist only in these captured moments, offering a poignant look at what time has claimed.

Visual Lore & Local Spirit

More than just pictures, these postcards serve as divinatory tools, unveiling the unwritten social history and local lore of Ormond Beach. The accompanying insights delve beyond surface-level descriptions, illuminating the hidden narratives behind familiar scenes, from the historic rum distillery to vibrant citrus groves, granting a deeper understanding of the community's unique spirit.

Ephemeral Art & Historical Artifact

The book celebrates the postcard not merely as a memento, but as a potent historical document. It showcases the diverse artistic and photographic styles employed in their creation, highlighting their value as collectible ephemera while simultaneously providing approximate dates and valuations, transforming them into tangible keys to unlocking a forgotten past.

💬 Quotes from the book

«The grand Ormond Hotel, a veritable sentinel of the Gilded Age, once welcomed luminaries seeking Florida's healing sun. Its ghostly grandeur, captured in this 1908 postcard, speaks volumes of forgotten splendors.»

«Witness the raw energy of early automotive prowess on Ormond's legendary beach racecourse. These rare photographic cards freeze moments of daring and innovation, revealing a spirit of speed that defined an era.»

📜 Historical context

This work stands within the tradition of regional histories illuminated through visual artifacts, offering a palpable connection to the past. It bridges the gap between traditional historical texts and the burgeoning field of ephemera studies, where everyday objects like postcards become potent vessels for understanding societal changes, architectural evolution, and the collective memory of a place.

📚 Glossary

Ephemera
Tomoka River
Halifax River

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a place from your own past that has undergone significant transformation. What visual artifacts would best capture its former essence, and what stories do they tell?
Consider how a single image, like a postcard, can act as a portal to a different time. What emotions or insights does viewing historical ephemera evoke within you?
Imagine creating a postcard for your current home or community that aims to convey its "spirit." What elements would you choose to include, and what hidden lore would you hint at?