Miami Beach

Images of America: Florida

by Seth H. Bramson

Miami Beach began its rise to the top of the world's resort scene when Carl Fisher, builder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, arrived prior to 1920. The lure of "The World's Playground" was impossible to ignore for many, as hotels and restaurants flourished, even through the Great Depression. The images in this volume evoke poignant memories of Miami Beach's great past, almost inevitable downturn, and return to life with the discovery of South Beach and a renewed interest in art deco. Among the vintage views, most of which have never before been published, are early Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue; Miami Beach High School; Parham's; Junior's; Wolfies; Pumperniks; the first hotel on Miami Beach, Brown's; the Roney Plaza; the Fontainebleau; and, of course, the people who helped create this modern paradise.

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2005

Reviews

[John Galluzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I trust in Seth Bramson as an historian. His passion for South Florida is evident. I also trust in his instinct that too much has been lost.

This book is both a celebration of the Miami Beach region and a lament for what has been lost. Keeping in mind that the book was published in 2005, and that much has happened since that time, his sense that Miami's best has come and gone.

Thanks to books like this one we can get a glimpse of that bygone age, when marvelous mansions graced the shoreline, in a time when there was shoreline aplenty for all. He gives us the sense that it must have been wonderful to be among the vacationing pioneers and the first homeowners of Miami Beach, He, too, though, reminds us that not all were welcome, that antisemitism ruled and that racism was a given.

Of particular interest to me were the many aerial shots showing the land before the settlement, or as roads were being laid out. Those formative days for any community, in America, anyway, are generally gone. Yes, there are always homes and high rises being built, but we're no longer pioneering, starting communities from the ground up.

Miami Beach went through ages, epochs, even just in the hundred or so years studied in this book. Mansions gave way to small hotels which gave way to bigger buildings that blotted out and monopolized ocean views. Las Vegas and the Caribbean bit into the tourism apple that sustained Miami Beach for the first half of its life. Bramson is right to say that too much has been lost. He is hopeful, though, that through the rescuing of the Art Deco architecture left and heightened awareness of Miami Beach's history maybe some will be lost, but not all.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost wish Bramson had done a multi-volume set of Miami history as Cash did of overall Florida hsitory. But if these little volumes are what we get, I'll take 'em.

Unlike so much of the Arcadia series, where novices string Google searches together, send it in and Arcadia publishes it, Bramson was there, knows who dun it and pulls so much never to be found via Google. This is one of the better of his efforts. Filled with images from private collections, a treasure trove awaits those who wish to know what came before the onslaught of condo-fever.

The captions are also more genuine than the Google searchers. Bramson tends towards a more objective view of history, often writing of various angles of views, physical and narrative-wise.

Another Branson gem.

Bottom line: I recommended this book. 10 out of ten points.

[Elizabeth Garberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little dry, with some good information!