Historic Photos of Tallahassee
Book Review - A Photographic Journey of Florida’s State Capital
Oct 21, 2007
Historic Photos of Tallahassee (2007) is a collection of black and white photographs from the 1800s and 1900s documenting the evolution of Tallahassee into a twentieth century state capital. Historian Andrew N. Edel has compiled the delightful coffee table book with images from the State Archives of Florida and captioned with nuggets of Tallahassee trivia and history.
Tallahassee’s Historic Journey
Historic Photos of Tallahassee is not the first historic photo book published about Florida’s state capital, but in the nearly two hundred images, old-time Tallahasseans will certainly learn something new about the city’s past. Tallahassee newcomers will appreciate learning the city’s beginnings and gain a better understanding of the community’s heritage and tradition.
The book is divided into four eras: "A Capital Beginning" (1824 – 1900), "A Capital Idea" (1901 – 1920), "A Capital City" (1921 – 1940) and" A Capital Complex" (1941 – 1970). Each chapter has an introduction highlighting the socioeconomic factors influencing Tallahassee’s evolution, ranging from the end of the Civil War (1865) to the Civil Rights Movement (1960s). Most pages contain a single photo with a handful of photos spread over two pages.
Edel introduces readers to the people who shaped Tallahassee, such as “golddusters” (Tallahassee’s middle to upper class) and “hominy huskers” (the agricultural poor) (p. 40). Famous people who visited Tallahassee include Harriet Beecher Stowe, Helen Keller and President William McKinley, the first U.S. president sitting in office to visit Florida’s state capital. Most entertaining is learning about the people key in shaping Florida’s capital city and making the connection to Tallahassee place-names, such as Frederick Towle Myers, president of the Florida Senate in 1897. Myers Park is named for him.
Many of the photographs show Tallahassee landmarks or would-be landmarks, buildings either destroyed by fire or demolished to make way for new buildings. The importance of Tallahassee's Spanish moss draped oak trees is evident in photos from the early twentieth century.
Is the Book Worth Reading?
Historic Photos of Tallahassee is not a page-turner. It’s better than that. It’s a coffee table book deserving each page be savored and enjoyed like a good cup of java. Reading the book is like flipping through the family photo album from grandma’s attic and cherishing the legacy. Anyone who's called Tallahassee home, whether for a fall semester or lifetime, will appreciate the book.
About Andrew N. Edel
President of the Tallahassee Historical Society, Andrew N. Edel spent his childhood in Florida’s capital city and north Florida. Retired from the Air Force, Edel has worked as a historian for museum exhibits for Florida State Parks, Florida Department of State and the Supreme Court of Florida. He currently works with the Historic Capitol Museum, Supreme Court of Florida and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
About Turner Publishing Company
Published by Turner Publishing Company, Historic Photos of Tallahassee is one of the U.S. cities featured in the Historic Photos series. The book is hardcover, 10" x 10," 216 pages and is $39.95 U.S.
