Florida in the late 1800s was a paradise waiting to be discovered. During this period, two visionary tycoons of the Gilded Age set out on separate ventures that would transform the Sunshine State from America's last frontier into a destination for the rich and famous. The grand hotels that Henry M. Flagler and Henry B. Plant opened at their planned resort sites offered a fantasy stay surrounded by all the accoutrements expected by sophisticated, Gilded Age patrons. Florida's Grand Hotels from the Gilded Age provides a look at these magnificent structures during their glory years, along with the fashionable entertainment and social and recreational pastimes that engaged their gilded guests.
About the Author
Author R. Wayne Ayers is a reporter and feature writer for Tampa Bay Newspapers and serves on the board of directors of the Indian Rocks Beach Historical Museum. He is the author of Tampa Bay’s Gulf Beaches, Tampa Bay’s Gulf Beaches: The Fabulous 1950s and 1960s, and St. Petersburg: The Sunshine City in the Images of America series. Ayers uses vintage images from a variety of sources, including Flagler College, the Plant Museum, Florida State Archives, and private collections, to create this unique and entertaining “living history” of Florida’s grand hotels.
