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The
Florida Photographic Collection
The Florida
Photographic Collection is a nationally recognized component of the
State Archives of Florida and contains
over a million images,
and
over 6,000
movies and video tapes. Over 148,000 of the
photographs have been scanned and placed on this website.
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Joan
and Allen Morris, 1972 |
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The collection
spans a wide range of visual images from copies of mid 15th Century
maps to current photographs. Most of the holdings in the collection
have been obtained singly or in small groups. Together, they form the
most complete portrait of Florida available--one that draws its strength
from family pictures, the homes of Floridians, their work, and their
pastimes.
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Joan
and Allen Morris, 19-- |
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Allen Covington
Morris, distinguished historian, journalist, and author of numerous
books on Florida history and state government, officially established
the Florida Photographic Collection in 1952. But its origins go back
to when Morris began compiling photographs of Florida for his bi-annually
published book, The Florida Handbook, during the late 1940s.
Morris soon
discovered that historical images of Florida were difficult to acquire.
He realized that while a few organizations collected photographs of
specific areas or persons, no one was preserving historical images
for the state as a whole. With the assistance of Dr. Doak Campbell,
then president, the Florida Photographic Archives was begun in 1952
at Florida State University. Morris used his newspaper and political
connections to gather photographs of Florida's people and places. The
collection, housed first in Dodd Hall and later in the R.M. Strozier
Library, grew rapidly.
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Department
of Commerce presenting films to Florida Photographic Archives,
1964 |
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His wife
Joan Morris became the photographic archivist and curator of the collection
in 1970 when demands elsewhere prohibited Morris from continuing in
that position. In 1982, the collection moved to the State Archives
of Florida in the R.A. Gray Building, where today it continues to expand
in size and scope.
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Joan
and Allen Morris in revolutionary costume for one of their Christmas
cards, 1976 |
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Allen Morris
became the Clerk of the House of Representatives for the State of
Florida in 1966. One of Morris' former colleagues, journalist Jim Minter,
observed
that Morris was "the Grandfather of the Florida House and Senate,” a
spiritual guide who trained several generations of Florida's public
officials in the high ethics of practical politics. He remained as
House Clerk until his retirement in 1986, but continued on as Clerk
emeritus until 1996.
Morris passed
away in 2002. Joan Morris remained the collection's curator until her
retirement in 2004.
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Copies of
any photograph in the collection are available for a nominal fee. Click
here to access the current
fee schedule for obtaining reproductions. We hope you enjoy browsing
the images--and please, remember that this collection was built on
donations. If you have Florida-related images that you are interested
in donating or loaning, please contact the staff at Archives@dos.state.fl.us.
The State Archives of Florida appreciates your interest in the Florida
Memory Program. |
