snakehammock

Wagon load of orchids.

from Florida Memory

• acoustic fang said:

  This photo is a point of interest and I feel is noteworthy. Photo date is 1916, and is pure evidence the Everglades were poached for it's rare and unique orchids. My Grandmother native to Sarasota traveled to Miami quite often and shared with me the fact that native orchids were often sold by roadside vendors on old Tamiami Trail now US41 Tamiami was named for "Tampa to Miami". It saddens me in a way seeing this sort of poaching and that these were sold to unsuspecting tourist on vacation and I know how rare it is to see and photograph native orchids in the wild-Everglades today. Yes, my Grandmother did purchase one she called it "The Cigar Orchid" (Cyrtopodium punctatum) and is still alive and well at my cousins house in North Port, FL. I stumbled across this photo because I follow the State Library and Archives of Florida. I'm 4th generation, my Great Grandparents came here from Richmond VA. Hope you enjoy the photo and history lesson! Stuart

• Florida Memory said:

  Thanks for the comments Stuart. For more history related to this photo, see the photographer and botanist J.K. Small's collection at: floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/collections/?id=41