Florida Conversations Celebrates Golden Age of Florida Advertising

From bathing beauties to alligator wrestling, the Tampa Bay History Center takes a look at classic Florida advertising during the Florida Conversations Lecture Series on Thursday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Cultural historian Tim Hollis dives into the golden era of Florida tourism in Selling the Sunshine State, a compendium of brochures, postcards, souvenirs, and photos culled from Hollis' personal collection of Floridiana. Hollis will discuss his book and how for nearly a century, bright, kitschy print advertisements and roadside attractions worked to lure tourists to the Sunshine State.

Tim Hollis is the author of numerous books celebrating Southern popular culture and history, including Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Fun and Florida's Miracle Strip: From Redneck Riviera to Emerald Coast.

Florida Conversations is co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media and features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Public parking is available at Tampa Bay Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org. Free.