Miami Design Preservation League is pleased to make a selection of archival photos, documents, and collectibles available online. Please see below for our most recent posts. Keep this page in your bookmarks and come back to see the latest postings of history, memorabilia, and more! Our archives are interactive and we encourage discussion in the comments section of each post. Stay tuned as we work on new updates and features.
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March 2021 marks the 41st anniversary of the world-famous artist Andy Warhol’s visit to the South Beach Art Deco District. As one of the pioneering
To honor the boys who served and were stationed in Miami Beach during WWII, we searched our archive collection for postcards from that era that
In celebration of Black History Month….The downtown Burdines had a place of real significance when the nation entered the civil right’s era. Burdines was the flagship
The Deauville Hotel, 6701 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach was designed by Melvin Grossman in 1957. This MIMO style hotel was named “Hotel of The
February 2021 is the 33rd anniversary of when preservationists campaigned to expand South Beach’s Historic District to include the triangle of 18 blocks east of
In honor of Black History Month we explore the interesting history of this hotel and its involvement with the civil rights of African Americans. The
In honor of Black History Month….did you know The ROYAL PALM HOTEL at 1545 Collins Avenue in 2002 was the first full-service luxury hotel in
The Georgian Hotel was located on 1621 Collins Avenue near Lincoln Road. It was designed by architect Joseph J. DeBrita and built in 1940 at
From 1925 to 1992, Gatti Restaurant at 1427 West Avenue held its place as a shining star with Miami Beach eateries, serving up delicious Northern
Being that last weekend was our virtual Art Deco Weekend, we wanted to bring you a flashback to a year when the festival was also
The Boulevard Hotel is lost but not forgotten….located on Dade Blvd. & Meridian Avenue, it was one of the last hotels developed by Carl Fisher.
The Flamingo Hotel was built by pioneering Miami Beach developer Carl G. Fisher on 15th Street & Bay Road. It was designed by Rubush &
Curry’s Restaurant located at 7433 Collins Avenue was a North Beach favorite among many locals far and wide. It was built in 1937 as an
The Plymouth Hotel is located at 336 21st Street in the Collins Park neighborhood. It was designed by Anton Skislewicz in 1940, as a three
Espanola Way Village, which is so popular with tourists and locals now, was the brainchild of developers William Whitman and N.B.T. Roney in the early
The White House Hotel at 15th Street and Ocean Drive was a three story, 178 room structure designed by Roy E. France in the Neocolonial
In the seventies, the porch at the Cardozo Hotel had no more than a row of aluminum chairs, with equal numbers of senior citizens who lived
In 1934, the young artist Earl LaPan, a Massachusettes native came to Miami Beach in search of work. Between 1934 and 1939, he painted murals
Excerpt from 1940 Life Magazine article entitled “Miami & Miami Beach; Biggest U.S. Winter resort has biggest boom”….. “In 1912 Miami, Fla., was a sleepy town
The many shades of 1430 Ocean Drive…MDPL 1940’s archival postcard of the Clyde Hotel designed by L. Murray Dixon in 1941. In the 1970’s the
Miami Beach sunbathers in the early 20th century would flock to Casinos, which actually were “bathing pavilions” that had nothing to do with gambling. The
“It used to be called Motel Row. And for good reason. Dozens of two-story motels lined Collins Avenue. Some had whimsical themes and architectural flourishes.
This past year MDPL member Nancy Usatschew generously donated her family’s vintage photographs and articles from the 1930’s- 1940’s. In the 1940’s, twenty-four year old
Buttons that had a saying or a political statement were a very popular item to wear in the 1970’s – 1990’s. Courtesy of the Kinerk-Wilhelm
Barbara Baer Capitman was always an art and design lover. Perhaps she inherited this passion from her mother, Mrs. Myrtle Baer, who was an artist in her
Developer Carl G. Fisher (1874–1939)—was a self-made millionaire who transformed Miami Beach into a winter tourist destination at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was Fisher
This past July 2020 we honored what would have been the 75th birthday of Leonard Horowitz. Leonard Horowitz was a young furniture designer from New
La Flora Hotel at 1238 Collins Avenue, when opened in 1924, was a Mediterranean Revival Hotel designed by architect George L. Pfeiffer. It was three stories high
On June 1, 2020, artist Christo, known in South Florida for his public art project “Surrounded Islands”, passed away. Christo’s 30-month project to encircle eleven islands in Biscayne
The French Casino nightclub at 1235 Washington Avenue was built in 1934. Later converted to a motion picture house in 1937 by noted architect Thomas
Here at MDPL we love Art Deco buildings with decorative spires! Pictures from our 2001 archives of the Tudor, Kent and Tiffany Hotels were taken
Flamingo Plaza at 1051-1055 Meridian Avenue in the Flamingo Park area, was a classic Art Deco Hotel. Designed by L. Murray Dixon in 1937, this
1450 Collins Avenue is an Art Deco structure in the Nautical Moderne style that has had many lives. Built by Henry Hohauser in 1940, it
Synopsis of the November 1996 Ocean Drive article by Tom Austin with photographs by Bill Wisser entitled, “Mid Century Marvels; A new tour and increasing
Every year from 1978 through the 1990’s, there was a black-tie bash in Miami Beach benefiting the Miami Design Preservation League, called the “Moon Over Miami Ball”.
The following 1938 vintage black and white photographs show an early morning Easter service on the beach in Lummus Park which includes: Crowds attending the
Mrs. Olive Wofford, a widow in the early 20th century, opened a guest house in Miami Beach at 23rd and Collins Avenue. After seeing how
The Hampton Hotel located at the corner of Lincoln Road and Michigan Avenue is a 3-story building in the Mediterranean Revival style with Art Deco
The Nemo Hotel at 100 Collins Ave was considered to be a Mediterranean Revival gem that was built in 1921 by New Yorkers Sam Magrid,
The Strand Restaurant located at 671 Washington Avenue, designed by Yosse Friedman, was the keystone in 1986 to revitalizing dark Washington Avenue years before Micky Wolfson
The Neron Hotel previously located at 1110 Drexel Avenue, was a fine example of the Art Deco/Streamline Moderne architecture built by architect Henry Hohauser in
This excerpt comes from a March 4th, 1940, archival Life magazine article entitled, “Miami & Miami Beach; Biggest U.S. winter resort has biggest boom” “All
Originally opened in 1930, The Surf Club located at 9011 Collins Avenue was designed by pioneering Miami architect Russell Pancoast. It was the ultimate place to
These 1926 vintage photographs of the days after the “Great Miami” Hurricane were generously gifted to the MDPL in early 2018 by Alice McCollam Neary.
These 1920’s vintage photographs of Fisher’s yacht the “Shadow K”, and its passengers, were generously gifted to the MDPL in early 2018 by Alice McCollam
…depicting nude on blue background with palm leaves. Created by Woody Vondracek who stated, “A last minute decision by the Miami Beach Junior Chamber of
MDPL member, Nancy Usatschew has generously donated her family’s vintage photographs and articles about her uncle Tony Zukas. In the 1930s – 1940’s, he performed
The Coleman House at 36 Montford Ave. (where the Chamber of Commerce now sits) was a cause célèbre in the late 1970s when its owner,
On May 14th, 1979, the Miami Beach Art Deco District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the nation’s first urban 20th century
The Biscaya Hotel was a Mediterranean ten story structure (built in 1925 originally as The Floridian Hotel, which at the time replaced the Miami Beach
McCrory’s Department Store was located on the southeast corner of Washington Avenue and Espanola Way in Miami Beach. The commercial architect William F. Simpson designed
1940’s archival matchbook for “Kernel” Lew Mercur’s Nut Club located at 1827 Alton Road near Dade Blvd. Known in the 40’s as “The Gayest Spot in Town”
The landmark Colony Theatre at 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach opened January 25, 1935, and was built for the Paramount chain. It was a
Did you know that in between saving our Art Deco Historic District, the founder of MDPL Barbara Baer Capitman was a talented artist as well?
Miami News editorial photograph by A.G. Montanari with the caption “Protesters chained to Senator Hotel”. Description says “The waiting game at Miami Beach’s Senator Hotel
Handmade sign, marker on foam core with the inscription: “Is The Senator Worth Saving? sit down & think about it”. Originally displayed on the porch
Gianni Versace purchased the Revere Hotel at the corner of 11th Street and Ocean Drive which was next door to his building Casa Casuarina for
This hotel was a large resort built by railroad magnate Henry Flagler in Miami. Opened in 1897, the Royal Palm Hotel was one of the first hotels in the Miami area.
El Chico’s swank nightclub was located at 22nd St and Park Avenue in the new Art Deco Architectural District. In 1982…”the leaders of the MDPL
Andy Sweet was a gifted photographer who from 1977-1982, documented the residents of South Beach through his camera lens. In 1982 his life was tragically
Shown are two archival 1947 magazine ads for The Cromwell and The Pancoast Hotels. These ads referred to “Selected Clientele”and “Carefully Restricted Clientele”, and offering
The Essex House Hotel at 1001 Collins Avenue, is considered one of Henry Hohauser’s best designs. Built in 1938, the hotel has the streamlined
1940’s Postcard of the Lincoln Center Hotel at 630 Lincoln Road and the corner of Euclid Avenue. The Lincoln Center Hotel was designed in 1937
Between 1942 and 1945, Miami Beach played a significant role in WWII. Nearly half a million men, including matinee idol Clark Gable, were stationed there
Brochure for the Monterrey Motel, once located at 40 Island Avenue on Belle Isle was built in 1953 and designed by architect Norman Giller. Norman
The New Yorker Hotel once stood at 1611 Collins Avenue. It was the destruction of this iconic hotel in April 1981, considered by some the
1988 Flyer “LAST CALL TO SAVE THE SENATOR!” at Miami Beach City Hall on Convention Center Drive on June 1st. BE THERE TO WITNESS THE
MDPL archival postcard of Miami Beach Dog Track circa 1930’s-1940’s. Located at the southern tip of South Beach on 1st and Ocean Drive, it brought an
In January of 2020, MDPL contributed their digitized Andy Sweet archival files to the National Gallery of Arts, in conjunction with the Sweet’s family archives.
Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House was the brainchild of Wilfred “Wolfie” Cohen, who started his foodie career as a busboy in the Catskills. In the late
The Helen Mar Apartment Hotel at 2421 Lake Pancoast Drive was designed by Robert E. Collins in 1936 for John Marsa, a contractor. Helen, the
Built in 1916, Carl Fisher’s Clubhouse located on Dade Blvd. and Washington Avenue, is considered the oldest public building in Miami Beach. Designed by architect
On April 9th, 2020, we celebrated the centennial (100th) year anniversary of the birthday of MDPL’s founder, Barbara Baer Capitman. We will be forever be
Andy Sweet was a gifted photographer who documented the residents of South Beach with his associate Gary Monroe from 1977 – 1982. In 1982, Andy
Check out this postcard written in 1942 by a World War II vet stationed in Miami Beach to his mother, from MDPL’s Archives Collection. “Dear
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
1950’s Postcard of Parham’s Restaurant located at 73rd and Collins Avenue. Parham’s was opened in 1949 by two brothers Wesley and Harold Parham. Wesley ran