The Architecture of Leisure: The Florida Resort Hotels of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant (The Florida History and Culture Series)

About this book

"A major contribution to Florida and American architectural history. . . . Bradens exhaustive research and excellent writing have brought the story of Flagler and Plants hotel empires to vivid life."--Donald Curl Florida Atlantic University "Through an impressive blending of images architectural analysis and cultural perspective Braden uncovers the multi-layered meaning of the Florida resort hotel."--Carroll Van West Center for Historic Preservation As the rail barons who transformed Florida pushed their lines southward they also created a string of resort hotels to attract wealthy northerners with an appetite for balmy climates and luxurious accommodations. Susan Braden tells the story of the magnificent pleasure palaces created by Plant and Flagler and the impact of their conspicuous scale and opulence on the Florida wilderness. Braden traces the enterprises that brought Plant and Flagler to Florida and then examines each of their hotels describing the architecture how they physically functioned and what they offered their guests in the way of recreation and leisure. From the Spanish Renaissance of St. Augustines Ponce de Leon to Georgian Revival in Palm Beachs Royal Poinciana to the Islamic Revival of the Tampa Bay Hotel and the Alpine ambience of the nearby Belleview her individual profiles of each hotel show how the builders mixed recognizable style with physical and functional independence and then capped both with an aura of blatant luxury on a scale previously unknown in Florida. The hotels creators by catering to the newly realized needs and demands of their affluent patrons brought civilization to the frontier and established the legacy of tropical fantasy and escape that endures in Florida to this day. Bradens research draws upon architectural plans and archival resources as well as memoirs and accounts written by Gilded Age visitors and employees to re-create the experience of Floridas winter resorts. Floor plans and abundant illustrations--many never before published--make this book a richly visual documentation that will appeal to architectural historians preservationists and general readers curious about Floridas pioneering tradition of exotic escape and the resplendent structures in which it was born. Susan R. Braden is assistant professor of art history at Auburn University.