Editors Note: The Barbara Baer Capitman archives “Historic Threads” project is partly sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida.
Though the dream was interrupted by World War II, Miami Beach was revived in the 1980s through the efforts of the Miami Design Preservation League, which succeeded in getting the Art Deco District listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979. As interest in Miami Beach’s historic resorts grew, iconic hotels such as the Carlyle and the Cardozo underwent extensive restorations to recapture their original elegance. These efforts, spearheaded by Andrew Capitman of the Art Deco Hotel Corp., won praise from preservationists and visitors alike.
Excerpts and quotes from the article are highlighted below in blue.
Too long forgotten, too long ignored, but now lovingly revitalized – Old Miami Beach is making a comeback with a striking flare for the glamor of the good life before World War II and a keen understanding of the 1980’s acationer.
In 1976, a small group of designers and preservation enthusiasts formed the Miami Design Preservation League with the goal of maintaining, as a national treasure, the resort area that once enthralled the country. They achieved success in 1979 when the more than 800 buildings in what is now known as the “Art Deco District” of Miami Beach won entry in the National Registry of Historic Places.
Overlooking the warm, blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Carlyle and Cardozo hotels – two landmarks of their original era – have been returned to the stylish elegance that drew worldwide approval at the time they first opened their doors.
“”We’ve been excited about this project from day one,” said Andrew Capitman, director of marketing for the Art Deco Hotel Corp. “It has been, quite frankly, an amazing experience. Not a day goes by without a note of congratulations or personal expression of encouragement from professionals in the field of historic preservation, architects, or just friendly visitors fascinated by what we’re doing.”
“We’re especially proud that our hotels are part of the area declared a historic preservation district by the United States government,” said Capitman. “We now share the same recognition as the French Quarter of New Orleans and Colonial Williamsburg.”
“Many of our first guests after we completed the restoration were professional architects and designers who were aware of the project,” said Capitman. “Now we are looking forward to serving not only those travelers who remember this area as it used to be, but also their children, maybe their grandchildren, who are looking for an experience that can’t be found anywhere in America.”
