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Title

  • Killing Time.

Summary

  • Highways to the southern states of the United States opened up during the second decade of the 20th century, allowing men and women from around the country to see the unique sites of Florida's interior, away from the cities on the east and west coasts. After the completion of the highway from Montreal to Miami in 1915, the number of automobile tourists increased dramatically. The original "tin can tourists" of the 1920s pioneered camper travel, and the practice became ever more popular after World War II, as young families as well as with increasingly mobile retirees journeyed south. Trailer parks developed to cater to these new visitors who brought their accommodations with them. Likewise, roadside attractions and amusement parks developed facilities to meet the needs of campers and trailers. The Tin Can Tourists of the World, an organization of camping and trailering enthusiasts, was founded at a Tampa, Florida, campground in 1919. Its goals were to provide its members with safe and clean camping areas, wholesome entertainment, and high moral values. This image of John and Lizzie Wilson and their trailer in Bradenton, Florida, in 1951 shows an example of post-World War II tin can tourists. The sign at the back of the trailer identifies the Wilsons as from Boston, Massachusetts. The photograph is by Joseph Janney Steinmetz, a world-renowned commercial photographer whose images appeared in such publications as the Saturday Evening Post, Life, Look, Time, Holiday, Collier's, and Town & Country. His work has been referred to as "an American social history," which documented diverse scenes of American life. Steinmetz moved from Philadelphia to Sarasota, Florida, in 1941.

Names

  • Steinmetz, Joseph Janney, 1905-1985 Photographer.

Created / Published

  • New York : Fotofolio, 1951.

Headings

  • -  United States of America--Florida--Bradenton
  • -  1951
  • -  Camping
  • -  Camps
  • -  Fishing rods
  • -  Garden ornaments and furniture
  • -  Gardens
  • -  Motor homes
  • -  Recreational vehicles
  • -  Tourism
  • -  Wilson, John
  • -  Wilson, Lizzie

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 postcard : black and white ; 15 x 11 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: State Library and Archives of Florida.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021670724

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Steinmetz, Joseph Janney, Photographer. Killing Time. Florida Bradenton United States of America, 1951. New York: Fotofolio. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670724/.

APA citation style:

Steinmetz, J. J. (1951) Killing Time. Florida Bradenton United States of America, 1951. New York: Fotofolio. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670724/.

MLA citation style:

Steinmetz, Joseph Janney, Photographer. Killing Time. New York: Fotofolio. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670724/>.