Description
Book SynopsisThe Legacy: South Florida Museum is an account of the origins, founding, and development in twentieth-century Florida of a people''s museum about archeology, Spanish exploration, manatees, and space. As a museum founded in the immediate post-World War II era, with its origins in the prehistoric past, its narrative reflects Florida''s changes through Spanish exploration, statehood, tourism, endangered manatees, and space development over a thousand years. The Legacy is a story of volunteerism, in the spirit of voluntary action for the common good, by dedicated individuals. It leads to today''s South Florida Museum and its several facilities, including the Bishop Planetarium, Parker Manatee Aquarium, and Spanish Plaza. For more information, please see the following article from The Herald-Tribune. http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101130/ARTICLE/11301026/1238?p=1&tc=pg
Trade ReviewAnticipated… -- Robert McCracken Peck, senior fellow, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
No stranger to Florida, Dr. Peter Bennett is also no stranger to museums. He has been president of the oldest natural history museum in the western hemisphere, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, as well as the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville and significantly, the South Florida Museum. This meticulously researched, historical account by a noted scholar and historian of science, weaves together the lives of extraordinary people from disparate walks of life who created a sense of community around the founding and growth of an iconic museum. The museum connects them all and tells their story —- the history of their place and its inhabitants. In this way, Bradenton and the South Florida Museum serve as a metaphor for Florida and all her cultural institutions. -- professor and director, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Douglas S. Jones, professor and director, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
A marvelous account of a museum and its constituency that together created a legacy, one that continues to educate us about Florida's past and present. Bennett's book is a great read. -- Jerald T. Milanich, PhD, author of Frolicking Bears, Wet Vultures, and Other Oddities: A New York City Journalist in Nineteenth-Century Florida
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 1 Early Years: Places and People Chapter 4 2 Montague Tallant and the Future Museum Chapter 5 3 De Soto and Museum Origins Chapter 6 4 The Manatee County Museum Chapter 7 5 Founding and Opening the South Florida Museum Chapter 8 6 The Museum's First Year Chapter 9 7 1949: "Baby" at the Museum Chapter 10 8 "The Little Museum Just Ran on Its Own. . ." Chapter 11 9 New Facilities for the South Florida Museum Chapter 12 10 Museum's Progress and Dedication of New Facilities Chapter 13 11 The Museum Opens Chapter 14 12 "From Stone Age to Space Age" Chapter 15 13 Laser Fantasies and a Spanish Plaza Chapter 16 14 Transition, 1982-1987 Chapter 17 15 New Beginnings Chapter 18 16 Strengthening the Legacy Chapter 19 17 Strengthening the Legacy Continues Chapter 20 18 Continuing Epilogue. . . Chapter 21 Abbreviations and Synonyms Chapter 22 Illustrations: List and Credits Chapter 23 Selected Bibliography Chapter 24 Index Chapter 25 About the Author
