Barbara Baer Capitman, the founder of MDPL, ran for the office of Miami Beach Commission back in 1983. Although she lost the election, her vision for Miami Beach endures to this day. Her campaign slogan was “Restore Our Paradise”. Shown is an archival political ad for her campaign including a notice for meetups and swim parties every Wednesday at the Sans Souci Hotel for her committee members. Also shown is her campaign poster and shopping bag. All from MDPL’s Barbara Baer Capitman Archives.
Shopping bag for Barbara Baer Capitman’s Campaign for City Commission with slogan “Restore Our Paradise”Political ad for Barbara Capitman’s campaign including a notice for meetups and swim parties every Wednesday at the Sans Souci Hotel for her committee members.
Barbara Baer Capitman, the founder of MDPL, ran for the office of Miami Beach Commission back in 1983. Here is her campaign poster.
What would Miami Beach be like without Historic Art Deco, Mediterranean, and MiMo buildings?
Join Us: Become a Member
Help MDPL remain independent and sustain our mission to preserve, protect, and promote. Annual memberships start at $50 and include free walking tours and more.
Read Time: 3mins In 1988, the Miami Design Preservation League held its 11th Annual Art Deco Weekend. The festival’s theme was Streamline Dreamtime. Ocean Drive and the Art Deco District were slowly progressing from a hopeful dream to an innovative reality.
Read Time: 3mins Hosted annually from 1978 through the 1990s, the Moon Over Miami Ball was a black-tie soiree held to fundraise for the Miami Design Preservation League. The event featured a lively evening with a 1930s nightclub atmosphere, held at several hotels in the historic Art Deco district, and featuring a variety of celebrities each year highlighting a unique theme. Over the years, the Balls brought in some of the greatest talent in the industry, including Cab Calloway, Eartha Kitt, the Xavier Cugat Orchestra, the Incomparable Hildegarde, Lionel Hampton and the Swing Classics.
Read Time: 2mins Before Miami Beach fully embraced its turnaround in the 1980s and 1990s, developers and preservationists alike had to come together to form a progressive and innovative plan for the future of the city. Part of this involved finding the best approach to planning and approvals within the district – a challenge given its status as the first 20th-century urban district in the United States listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
