{"id":784,"date":"2024-04-15T20:15:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/?p=784"},"modified":"2024-04-15T20:15:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T00:15:07","slug":"photography-the-construction-of-a-new-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/uncategorized\/photography-the-construction-of-a-new-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Photography & the Construction of a “New Florida”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The selected piece of media is an advertisement for the 1961 Guide to Florida Vacations book. The publishers of this advertisement are offering interested readers the chance to receive a free copy of the updated edition of a 100-page long book containing information regarding the various vacation regions of Florida. This advertisement was published in Life Magazine between May and June of 1961 (v. 50). The advertisement specifically chooses to highlight the Northwest Region of the state. In the bottom left hand corner of the advertisement, there is a coupon that has been included. The advertisement itself consists of three primary sections: a coupon, images, and captions. First, regarding the coupon, the reader of the magazine had the opportunity to cut it out, fill in their personal information, mail it back, and receive a free copy of the brochure. Secondly, the advertisement consists of 3 individual photographs, each seeming to represent some of the great activities that this region has to offer. Third, the captions provide more information regarding the images in terms of their locations and the activities depicted within them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Through analysis of this advertisement, I highlight how visual representations perpetuating heteronormative, racialized, and class based-ideas contributed to the fabrication of an un-objective \u201cNew Florida\u201d that served to sell not only the promise of a great destination, but also an idealized and fantastical lifestyle\/utopia that was accessible to only a select group.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advertisements such as the one seen here were not only popular for increasing interest in Florida, but a number of other regions around the world, including the Caribbean. In the work \u201cThe Evidence of Things Not Photographed: Slavery and Historical Memory in the British West Indies\u201d, author Krista Thompson talks about the role that photography played in Jamaica’s transition from a slavery economy to the modern tourism economy in the late nineteenth century. Thompson highlights that during this transition, photography was used to formulate a \u201cNew Jamaica\u201d in an attempt to dispel the widespread opinion that Jamaica had been destroyed by emancipation (p. 45). Jamaica’s efforts were primarily aimed at being perceived as a socially organized island: one that, despite emancipation, still had a labor system in place that would keep the island\u2019s widely feared \u201cscattered population of negro squatters\u201d under control (Thompson 2011, p. 45). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way that photographs of Jamaica were published in an attempt to make a \u201cNew Jamaica\u201d, images such as the ones used in this advertisement were used to formulate a \u201cNew Florida\u201d. Florida\u2019s situation was unique, because instead of depicting their \u201cundesirable\u201d population (aka Black workers) as orderly and \u201ccontrolled\u201d as was done in photographs of Jamaica, the photographs perpetuating the \u201cNew Florida\u201d excluded certain populations entirely as if they did not exist (often those individuals who were non-white, non-heterosexual, and non-Christian). As accessible, economical, and cheap as this \u201cNew Florida\u201d seemed to readers of the widely distributed advertisements, most people who viewed such publications would never be able to access the Florida that they perpetuated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While thinking about this \u201cNew Florida\u201d as a space of exclusion, it is important to consider the similarity among all of the individuals\/families pictured enjoying the various experiences Florida has to offer: they are all white. Not a single person of color is depicted in any of these photos, and this is not unique only to this advertisement of \u201cNew Florida\u201d. This is ironic when looking at the photos captions, specifically, the topmost photo that specifically claims that Florida provides \u201ctake-it-easy fun for everyone!\u201d Clearly, this depiction of Florida is not for everyone, just those that are white, heterosexual, and middle class: those who could seamlessly conform to the desired portrayal of the \u201cNew Florida\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diving into the formal elements of the selected advertisement that contributes to the development of this message, it can be argued that each of these images (absent the captions) lack a certain aura. Walter Benjamin\u2019s commentary on the aura in his article \u201cA short history of photography\u201d (1972) is interesting to think about in the context of this advertisement specifically, and advertisements for the \u201cNew Florida\u201d as a whole.  To quote the words of Benjamin himself, he defines the aura of an image as \u201ca peculiar web of space and time: the unique manifestation of a distance, however near it may be\u201d (p. 20). Simply put, the aura refers to the sense of time and place within an image. In his paper, Benjamin argues that he does not see the removal of the aura as a negative thing, in fact, he actually thinks of it as positive. Benjamin argues that when we lose the aura within an image, we are not losing everything, but rather are gaining new opportunities for creative possibilities and speculation. The loss of the aura opens up the possibility of creating photo montages and of positioning photos with others in ways that might help to construct a historical narrative of what actually might have happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As briefly mentioned above, although the captions for the photographs provide information regarding specific locations, when simply looking at the images, it appears that these images could have been taken at any beach around the state. This is important because although this advertisement is specifically highlighting the beauties of the Northeast region, the book being advertised technically includes information about all of Florida’s \u201cNine Vacation Regions\u201d. By including photographs that lack an aura at a first glance, the publishers are trying to perpetuate their desired depiction of the state in its entirety as a nearby tropical getaway. Benjamin’s claims are interesting to ponder, considering that through the loss of the aura within the photos in this advertisement, the history that Life Magazine is helping to create is not one that is entirely objective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I would argue that the depiction of Florida as a picturesque, fantastical yet accessible tropical oasis for everyone is not objective in the slightest. Just like every other state throughout the country, Florida is not short of its problems, and I am positive that not every member of its population is living out this dream-life as many advertisements of the state might try to suggest. While the large tourist destinations might seem pristine and socially organized to the average visitor, the state is not a place of escape for many, but rather a place of struggle. For example, Florida\u2019s largest tourist destination, Disney World, is located in Orlando. As a frequent Orlando visitor with family in the area I can confirm that outside the park’s borders, the surrounding communities and region of central Florida as a whole is no stranger to economic hardships. However, images of these parts of Florida are never included in such advertisements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although, as the name implies, Life Magazine is often thought of as a magazine that attempts to depict \u201ctrue life\u201d, the images such as those used in this advertisement do not provide an objective version of history. While this advertisement initially looks like a simple ad to promote the use of the 1961 Florida Vacation Guide to book a Florida vacation, in actuality, it is trying to sell the particular lifestyle that could hypothetically be found within this \u201cNew Florida\u201d (for the limited group who was able to access it). The fabricated images seemed to build, transform and advertise a \u201cNew Florida” that, for many, didn\u2019t exist beyond the photographs and helped formulate Florida into an idea that could be consumed by those who wanted\/were able to buy into the fantasy, rather than an actual place. Effectively, Florida became a spectacle that could be consumed, a reality that holds true to today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, advertisements such as the one included in this post demonstrate how visual representation can be used to formulate a desired image of a place, while often ignoring or erasing less favorable aspects of reality. This advertisement is representative of the fact that ads do not just try to promote products, but are more often used to fabricate unachievable, false, idealized, and\/or fantastical lifestyles and identities. The included imagery perpetuating, heteronormative, racial and class-based ideals demonstrates the power of imagery in forming public outlook and opinion. It was advertisements such as these that helped develop Florida into the massive tourist destination that it is today and has been for the better part of the past 75 years. Because of the false histories photographs can perpetuate, such as that of the \u201cNew Florida\u201d it is important to question the objectivity of such depictions and challenge the initial thoughts and beliefs that might arise at first glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin, W. (1972). A short history of photography. Screen<\/em>, 13<\/em>(1), 5\u201326. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thompson K. (2011). The Evidence of Things Not Photographed: Slavery and Historical Memory in the British West Indies. Representations <\/em>113 (2011): 37\u201371.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The selected piece of media is an advertisement for the 1961 Guide to Florida Vacations book. The publishers of this advertisement are offering interested readers the chance to receive a free copy of the updated edition of a 100-page long book containing information regarding the various vacation regions of Florida. This advertisement was published in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":794,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions\/794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arth.hamiltonlits.org\/fa-23-110\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}