Booze, Bathing Suits, Building Boom Highlight History Center Exhibit

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay History Center will present the much-anticipated opening of "Decade of Change: Florida in the 1920s," an exhibition curated by Brad Massey, Ph.D., of Saunders Foundation curator of public history.

This temporary exhibit, which opens Nov. 4 and runs through July 14, 2024, will transport visitors back to an era marked by bootleggers, flappers and a transformative wave of social, political and cultural shifts.

According to Massey, "Decade of Change" offers a fascinating exploration of Florida’s first modern decade. From the lively jazz tunes of the Roaring Twenties to the architectural evolution witnessed in the construction of bungalows and Mediterranean Revival-style homes, the exhibition provides a snapshot of the diverse facets that defined Florida in the 1920s.

“One of the interactive elements in the show will teach visitors how to do the Foxtrot while boogying to ‘You Better Keep Babying, Baby,’ a 1920s hit,” said Massey.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a collection of swimsuits that encapsulate the revolution in beachwear during the era. The daring departure from the conservative Bathing Suit Regulations of 1917 is told through the stories of innovators like Jane Fisher, who played a role in introducing fabric-light suits to the beaches of South Florida.

Alongside bathing attire, "Decade of Change" features artifacts that tell the story of Prohibition in Florida, with items such as a pro-Prohibition Polk County newsletter and photographs of Tampa Judge Leo Stalnaker, a staunch Prohibition champion.

The 1920s marked the rise of the motoring tourist, and the exhibition sheds light on this transformative trend. With approximately 2.5 million tourists visiting Florida in 1925 alone, the display showcases the evolution of transportation and the establishment of motorist camps, including Tampa’s historic DeSoto Park.

Sports enthusiasts can explore the popularity of baseball, golf and tennis during the 1920s. The exhibit features a look into the thriving sports culture, from the Davis Islands Tennis Club hosting the Dixie Cup in 1925 to the emergence of Florida as a premier golf destination with legends like Babe Zaharias, Bobbie Jones and Walter Hagen gracing the newly constructed courses.

"Decade of Change" concludes with a thought-provoking examination of Jim Crow politics, architectural transformations and the rise of religious fundamentalism and Pentecostalism during this tumultuous period.

The Tampa Bay History Center invites the community to this immersive journey through the 1920s.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Massey and Rodney Kite-Powell, director of the Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education at the Tampa Bay History Center, will present a lecture on "Florida Conversations: Florida in the 1920s" on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m.

Registration is required. Click here.

Located at 801 Water St., Tampa, the history center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Click here for tickets.