Miami Beach Memories: A Nostalgic Chronicle of Days Gone by

by Joann Biondi

Miami Beach has lots of memories to share. Memories of the 1920s, when Johnny Weissmuller flaunted his freestyle skills at local pools; of the 1930s, when Desi Arnaz strummed his first guitar; of World War II, when Clark Gable romanced more than one local girl; of the Fabulous Fifties, when the Rat Pack owned the joint; and of the 1960s, when Muhammad Ali snagged the heavyweight championship of the world in the Miami Beach Auditorium.

A tiny spit of sand barely 15 miles long and a mile wide, the island is known throughout the world as a tropical haven and vacation playground—a neon-lit Garden of Eden dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. And yet, serious things have gone on there. Dark things, like the blatant anti-Semitism of the 1930s, that have been intentionally forgotten from the collective psyche. In that sense, Miami Beach is a sandbox full of paradoxes.

To unravel those paradoxes, Biondi interviewed more than one hundred current and former residents of the lawyers and land developers, doctors and teachers, artists and politicians, waiters and maids, photographers and strippers, comedians and singers. There’s even a Native Indian chief and a former U.S. Attorney General in the bunch. Their personal memories, along with stunning black-and-white photographs, document the island's history in a way no third-person history can.
 The many great images include Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Edna Buchanan in a bikini (she wanted to show off); boxer Jack Dempsey holding eight ice cream cones on the beach; the Beatles/Judy Garland/Jackie Gleason posing with hairdresser Ruth Regina (not together, of course); all the strippers in their stripping glory; and tons of evocative family portraits. The book also features social artifacts from the era, including original ID cards that African-American workers were made to carry in the 1930s, war posters, and restaurant menus.

A nostalgic chronicle of days gone by, Miami Beach Memories is a chorus of varied voices and diverse points of view, a mosaic of poignant anecdotes, and an eclectic collage that paints a portrait of what life was once like on this tiny but fascinating island.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mike Moskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the course of a week, I read three coffee table books on the history of Miami Beach; this was the best of the three. While it has many historical photos, it concentrates on reminisces from people who lived, worked, and grew up on the beach. Much more interesting than the normal dry history of a place.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a coffee table book, but a fun one at that with interesting photos (although I say the autographs on the Beatles photo are fake) and reminiscences from famous and not so famous folks. I had no idea how heavily segregated it was until the 1960s. My great grands lived there briefly in the Thirties, so they must have been living south of 5th - in the so-called 'Jewish Ghetto' of Miami Beach.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic look back at the Real Miami beach before the Poseurs and tourists and others ruined it. Still Beautiful, But gone are the days of the famous stars and events as such, now more of a snowbirds recluse, Book has pictures/info On Sinatra,Jackie Gleason, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, The Gambling Syndicate(Bookies), And so much more.

[Barbara Drake-Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This eminently readable book introduces the history of Miami Beach over the decades, as told by those who lived there.

The author spent two years interviewing people from all walks of life -- chorus girls, gangsters, business owners, service people -- and that effort shows in both the well edited anecdotes and original photographs.

I especially like how this book delves into racism and how that -- against Jews and Black people -- shaped the construction of the resort town and its ongoing evolution.

I wish this book were back in print! If you can get your hands on a copy, don't hesitate.

[Jean-paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

that book is a kind of paparazzi book. beside celebs pictures back in the days in Miami, there's nothing really interesting into that book. no architecture, no history of south Florida, just celebs..
globally a pointless book. unless of course if you're interested into old celebrities