West Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1910.
Whenever I come across these photographs, I’m always shocked by how many details it is possible to see in them.
Whenever I come across these photographs, I’m always shocked by how many details it is possible to see in them. I've always had a thing for complex and detailed photos (poor hands) because they offer a glimpse into the past like any other. People doing their daily activities, simple things like buying an ice cream, crossing the street, talking to someone, reading a book, or simply enjoying the beach tell so many stories that are now frozen forever in a photograph that is being seen more than 100 years later by millions of people around the world through a computer screen.
The intersection between history and photography is magical.
Today, I bring to you a colorized photograph taken in West Palm Beach in 1910.
Enjoy the ride!
Print available
History of West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach was the brainchild of Henry M. Flagler, Florida railroad magnate and Standard Oil partner. Founded as a commercial and residential center to support Flagler’s hotels, West Palm Beach rose from sandy scrub to become the leading metropolitan and governmental center for Palm Beach County. In 1894 it was much different. In fact, a resident described the town as “a stretch of the whitest of white sand, two steel rails, a few acres of pineapples, a couple of houses, and ‘scrub’ on every side!”
Henry M. Flagler visited the Lake Worth area in 1892 while scouting a route to extend his railroad south. He bought land on Palm Beach to construct the first of his two hotels, the Royal Poinciana (1894) on the west side of the island and in 1896 the Palm Beach Inn (later known as the Breakers Hotel) on the ocean. With the influx of workers, Flagler looked across the lake to the mainland to establish a residential and commercial center to support the resort. With $45,000, he purchased the O.S. Porter and Louis Hillhouse properties creating the nucleus of downtown. Read More
Muito agradecida por essa foto. É incrível ver a história através da fotografia e como a cultura é algo frágil, mutável e uma questão de consciência.
I am always astounded by the attention to detail in your work, and by the detail that is often captured in century-old photos, which you give a new lease of life to. Much as I love the feeling of black-and-white photography, I think there’s an immediacy in your colourisations that helps us (well, me anyway) to connect better with history. This particular photo is wonderfully rich in detail and social commentary. Thank you!