Completed by the TV Production studio at FSCJ (then Florida Community College) in 1990, Jacksonville: the Inside Story was a five part series designed to help students and community members learn more about the city's history. This video includes parts one and two of the series. Part one, The Early Years, discusses the settling of the region by French Huguenots in 1562, the subsequent power shifts between Spanish and British, the founding of Jacksonville in 1822, the Seminole wars and Civil War. It describes how Jacksonville blossomed following the Civil War, only to be sidetracked by the extension of the railroad to south Florida and the yellow fever epidemic of 1888. Part two, Into the 20th Century, describes the growth of Jacksonville as two segregated cities, the great fire of 1901, the city's rebirth and early industries, its role in the fight for civil rights and its movement to a centralized countywide consolidated government. Parts three, four, and five cover the process of Consolidation, the history of Jacksonville's schools, and the organization of Jacksonville's government as of the time of the series' creation.
Abandoned Jacksonville by
"Following the demolition of the LaVilla neighborhood in the height of the cocaine epidemic, Abandoned Jacksonville takes readers from the fall of the city to the resurgence currently overtaking the downtown area and the renovations of many gorgeous structures. Written by local historian and photographer, David Bulit, Abandoned Jacksonville will take you through the seedier and forgotten parts of the First Coast. This book features many locations in the city, including the 310 West Church Street Apartments, a once high-class establishment with a dark past related to the cocaine epidemic; the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, the longest running family business in the city, which is now frequented by homeless vagrants and drug dealers; Annie Lytle Elementary School, closed for over fifty years due to the highway construction (urban legends now surround it giving it the nickname the "Devil's School"); the Dr. Horace Drew Manor, once a beautiful and prestigious home which fell into disrepair in the 70s (now referred to by locals as the "Haunted House""); and many more."
African-American Life in Jacksonville by
African-American Life in Jacksonville is a work that will delight the lifelong resident and the first time visitor, the serious scholar and the casual observer. It is a lovingly composed look at a proud people and their heritage. Included are glimpses at such famous civic, social, and business figures as James Weldon Johnson, principal at Stanton Public School and composer of the great anthem Lift Evry Voice and Sing; James Charles Edd Craddock, owner of the palatial Two Spot nightclub; Eartha M. M. White, who operated the Clara White Mission; and Abraham L. Lewis, founder of Afro-American Life Insurance Company.
Florida's First Coast by
Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Pablo / Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Palm Valley! Chronicling Indians and aviators, stock cars and sand traps, Florida's First Coast is a delightful collection of vintage images and local lore, sure to enchant newcomers and residents alike. A well-loved local, retired U.S. Navy Captain Jack Pate decided to tell others the story of the First Coast Beaches after falling in love with the area himself. Using the extensive collections of the Beaches Area Historical Society, Captain Jack introduces the history of the people who settled "the Beaches" area and their love-hate relationship with the two bodies of water that define it: the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Historic Photos of Jacksonville by
Historic Photos of Jacksonville captures the historical growth of this city in still photography from the top archives in the area. Stunning black and white pictures with most of the photographs never published before in this beautiful coffee table book. The book follows life, government, events and people important to Jacksonville history and the building of this unique late blooming city. Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Jacksonville!
Jacksonville, Florida in Vintage Postcards by
The Great Fire of May 3, 1901 marked at once the end and the beginning of the City of Jacksonville. A thriving port and a center for business and tourism until that point, Jacksonville was devastated by the conflagration, and yet, even before the ashes had cooled, a building boom began. Prominent and aspiring architects flocked to the area and the opportunities it afforded them to create a "twentieth century city." Jacksonville's ensuing era of reconstruction and growth, which would continue until the United States entered World War I in 1917, helped to define the city's present personality and appearance.
Jacksonville family album : 150 years of the art of photography by
The undisputed king of Jacksonville's local history, Wayne Wood, teams up with deputy managing-editor of The Florida Times-Union Carole Fader and executive director of Jax's Historical Society Emily Lisska to produce The Jacksonville Family Album, a gorgeously-printed oversized book featuring 574 photos of the city drawn from the archives of the JHS, FTU, Jacksonville Public Library, and various local and national institutions and individuals.
The photos, selected from over 40,000 possibilities, depict the evolution of the city from the Civil War until the early 2000s in mostly-chronological chapters that occasionally deviate from a strict timeline in order to highlight a theme. Beginning with an introduction by Wood where he ruminates beautifully on the importance of photography in crystallizing not just the facts of a place's history but its feeling, the books moves into a section that presents stunning full-page portraits of various Jacksonville citizens before transitioning to chapters on the Civil War, the Great Fire, Jacksonville's flirtation with the film industry, and much more. Each comes with a brief essay contextualizing the historical moment or theme it's devoted to, and the photos themselves (mostly) come with detailed captions which frequently provide geographical references which help readers triangulate where the subject of the image is in present-day Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Greets the Twentieth Century by
"Leah Mary Cox's work is a major discovery for anyone interested in Florida history. Hyman and Masucci have presented us with a magnificent gift by revealing her life and work in this book."--Wayne W. Wood, Jacksonville Historical Society Through striking architectural photographs and lively, readable narrative, this pictorial account of early-twentieth-century Jacksonville tells the triumphant story of photographer Leah Mary Cox while revealing Jacksonville's architectural history. Nearly 50 years after her death, a treasure trove of more than 4,000 glass negatives were discovered, stashed in the basement of Cox's home. Cox's images capture Jacksonville at the turn of the century; from the Spanish-American War and the Great Fire of 1901 to the city's rich architectural diversity and everyday street scenes, her photographs serve as one of the most significant visual records available of Jacksonville in the early 1900s. Ann Hyman takes 61 captivating photographs from this vast collection and reconstructs an image of life in Jacksonville, weaving it together with pieces of Cox's life to create a lively narrative. Background insights, such as Cox's determination to keep her family together after the death of her father and the illness of her mother, provide the reader with a sense of context for her photography. This illustrated account of Jacksonville's architectural achievements is an incredible find for photographers, Jacksonville historians, and those interested in early photography and women's studies. Ann Hyman is the former editor of the Florida Times-Union Sunday book review page.
Jacksonville Revisited by
Jacksonville's Consolidation of 1967 marked the end of individual towns in Duval County, but it established Jacksonville, all 840 square miles of it, as the largest city in the continental United States. Jacksonville Revisited is a visual and written documentation of how the city has grown and developed since the introduction of postcard communication. The changes in commerce and landscape are illustrated and preserved through postcards.
San Marco by
Decades before Walt Disney's dream took root in central Florida, tourists flocked to a place on the banks of the St. Johns River known simply as South Jacksonville. Although small and rural, it played a large part in the history of Florida, helping establish a premier tourist destination. South Jacksonville evolved into San Marco, whose unique history rivals anything found in a best-selling novel. That history includes steamships and bridges, ostriches and alligators, sharpshooters and daredevils, train wrecks, haunted theaters, sprawling plantations, Oriental gardens, "The Coney Island of the South," Creature from the Black Lagoon, Babe Ruth, John Phillip Sousa, Tom Mix, and an elephant named Toddles. All played a part in the rich and varied history that is San Marco.
Search PALMM Florida Heritage Collection for Jacksonville Florida resources including eBooks, images, and documents (PDF).
Search the State Library of Florida catalog for Jacksonville Florida photographs.
Search the Florida Memory Project of the State Library & Archives of Florida for Jacksonville photographs.
Search the collections at the Sunshine State Digital Network for images and texts related to Jacksonville.
Search the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Search the Digital Public Library of America for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Search the New York Public Library's digital collection for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Search the Boston Public Library's digital collection for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Search the Smithsonian Institution's digital collection for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Search the The Getty Center's digital collection for Jacksonville, Florida photographs.
Inside Florida.com: Jacksonville
Search Vintage Jacksonville for photographs of the city taken by Lloyd Sandgren.
Browse the Whiteway Corner site for photos, videos, yearbooks, and scrapbooks relevant to the Riverside-Avondale area.
Ax handle Saturday fifty years later (DVD) by
Almost nothing survives of the shocking event known as Ax Handle Saturday. Almost no film footage. Hardly any photographs. Just memories. Memories locked away for half-a-century. Until now.
City of bridges (DVD) by
“City of Bridges” traces the growth that resulted from the construction of Jacksonville’s railroad and automobile bridges across the St. Johns River, and explores the effects – both positive and negative – that the bridges have had on modern Florida, especially the Jacksonville area. Through the years, the bridges have helped to foster growth and prosperity in the suburbs, at the beaches and beyond. They also have contributed to the decline of downtown and the local environment.
WJCT tracks Jacksonville’s transformation from a small 19th-century city located only on the north bank of the St. Johns River to the large consolidated city/county of the 21st century. Helping to tell the story are local residents who witnessed the transformation firsthand. Consists primarily of archival photographs and archival film footage.
Murder on a Sunday morning (DVD) by
When a 15-year-old black male is arrested for the murder of Mary Ann Stephens, everyone involved in the case--from investigators to journalists--is ready to condemn him, except for his public defence lawyer, Patrick McGuiness. A true tale of murder and injustice.
Hollywood east : Florida's silent film legacy by
[DVD] Describes Jacksonville, Florida, as the center of the early film industry starting with Kalem Films in 1908. Fine weather, lots of sunshine and good transportation made Jacksonville attractive to many of the companies who would go on to become the giants of the film industry. The increasingly outrageous behavior of the film crews and their abuse of locations within the city lead to a growing antipathy to their presence by the citizens of Jacksonville. Much of the industry moved west to California by the 1920's. Norman Studios, however, stayed in Jacksonville, making action, adventure movies with all black casts. Film historians are increasingly aware of Jacksonville's importance to the history of film. The campus of Norman Studios is being actively preserved in Jacksonville. Includes still photos, film clips from early films, and interviews.
Created in 1985 by the College's TV Production Studio, Our Environment was a seven-part series which examined different aspects of Jacksonville's environment. The first episode, "Our Historical and Physical Development," examines Jacksonville’s physical attributes. The fifth episode, "Hazardous Waste," looks at issues regarding waste disposal in the community. The final episode of the series, "Moving Jacksonville into the Future," features a panel discussion with local and state stakeholders about air pollution, waste disposal, recycling, and development.