SOUTH BEACH: Stories of a Renaissance
Recently, the Miami Beach Design Preservation League (MDPL) selected “SOUTH BEACH: Stories of a Renaissance” as its feature book for MDPL Reads, a community reading program. The “coffee table” souvenir book was also featured during Art Deco Weekend, an annual event organized by MDPL that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, Lincoln Road and the other storied streets of South Beach.
“The book is a treasure trove of stories, photos and original artwork that brings South Beach to life,” says Goldstein, noting it took more than two years of interviews and research to create the book. “We have featured the people who transformed the empty, mosquito infested island of the early 1900s into the most recognized international resort in the world.” For “SOUTH BEACH: Stories of a Renaissance,” Kropke interviewed nearly 50 influential leaders of South Beach, and their stories fill the 244-page hardcover book. South Florida painter Joe Davis created a beautiful teal and yellow cover that represents the Art Deco spirit of South Beach, as well as four fold-out original illustrations of key South Beach locales.
Miami Beach 100 Years of Making Waves
Noted author and adventurer, Charles J. Kropke traces the Illustrious 100 year history of Miami Beach (1815-2015). The book celebrates the Miami Beach Centennial, tracing the illustrious history of this storied island from the mid-1800s to present. It will highlight the lives of early pioneers and the visionary civic and business leaders who turned an uninhabited sandy island into today’s international visitor destination – and the many booms and busts along the way.
“Miami Beach has welcomed many waves of people through the decades,” Kropke says. In the 1910s and ’20s, tens of thousands of winter visitors from the northern states came each year, and hotels, restaurants and other businesses sprung up to cater to their needs. Then came a wave of retirees from the Northeast in the 1930s, followed by the military personnel who trained on the Beach during World War II. Later waves included Cuban refugees during the 1980s and the international influx of investors and visitors who turned South Beach into one of the world’s most glamorous destinations.-
THE UNSEEN EVERGLADES: A Legendary Wilderness
Flowing southward for hundreds of miles from its headwaters near Kissimmee to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida’s unique “river of grass” is one of the world’s most precious natural resources. “THE UNSEEN EVERGLADES: A Legendary Wilderness,” which aired on PBS TV station WXEL, examines the many aspects of this complex ecosystem, its role in the state’s history and the challenges it faces today.
“We want to give viewers a better understanding of the size, scale and importance of the Everglades for our entire planet,” says Charles J. Kropke, who will host the documentary. “When people think the Everglades, some visualize airboats racing over the shallow waters, while others think of a mysterious jungle with odd-looking mangroves and cypress trees. In fact, Florida’s natural wilderness has more than a dozen different ecosystems that interact with each other in surprising ways to create diverse habitats for alligators, crocodiles, wading birds and the elusive Florida panther.”
Miami Beach 100 Years of Making Waves DVD
As he does in the book, noted author and adventurer, Charles J. Kropke traces the Illustrious 100 year history of Miami Beach (1815-2015). The film celebrates the Miami Beach Centennial, tracing the illustrious history of this storied island from the mid-1800s to present. It will highlight the lives of early pioneers and the visionary civic and business leaders who turned an uninhabited sandy island into today’s international visitor destination – and the many booms and busts along the way.
“Miami Beach has welcomed many waves of people through the decades,” Kropke says. In the 1910s and ’20s, tens of thousands of winter visitors from the northern states came each year, and hotels, restaurants and other businesses sprung up to cater to their needs. Then came a wave of retirees from the Northeast in the 1930s, followed by the military personnel who trained on the Beach during World War II. Later waves included Cuban refugees during the 1980s and the international influx of investors and visitors who turned South Beach into one of the world’s most glamorous destinations.
