c. 1910 Bi-Fold Brochure - The Breakers by the Sea - Seabreeze, FL - with Ask Mr. Foster Stamp

This is a rare early 20th-century promotional brochure for The Breakers in Seabreeze (now Daytona Beach), featuring the prominent distribution stamp of the legendary 'Ask Mr. Foster' travel bureau. It highlights the hotel's prime location directly in front of the famous beach automobile racing course.

Key Features:
+++ Visuals: Exterior photograph of the hotel with flag flying; Interior view of the office/lobby with period rocking chairs and staircase.
+++ Content: Advertises rates starting at $2.50/day and the 'famous Automobile course' directly in front of the hotel referencing the early days of Daytona beach racing. Notably promotes 'All Northern Help'—a significant historical detail regarding the labor demographics of the resort.
+++ Associated Names: Mrs. R. Van A. Webster (Proprietor - also of Island House, Mackinac Island, Mich); W.P. Hill (Manager); H.C. Kochersperger (Cottages).
+++ Provenance: Bears the purple ink stamp of the 'Standard Guide Information Bureau - Ask Mr. Foster' from St. Augustine, Florida.

Physical Specs:
+++ Date: Circa 1905-1915
+++ Dimensions: 3.25 x 5.5 inches (closed) / 11 inches wide (open)
+++ Format: Single-fold cardstock brochure

Condition Report: Good -- The paper shows age-appropriate toning. The central hinge is tender, common for paper of this age, but remains intact. There are no rips, tears, or writing other than the vintage bureau stamp.

Historical Significance--
This brochure represents a fascinating intersection of four distinct tourism histories.

(1) It documents the 'Seabreeze' era of Daytona history when the beach was world-famous as an 'Automobile course' for land-speed records.
(2) The 'Ask Mr. Foster' stamp connects the item to Ward G. Foster, whose St. Augustine travel agency became the first nationwide travel concierge service in the US.
(3) The listed proprietor connects this Florida winter resort to the historic 'Island House' on Mackinac Island, Michigan, illustrating the seasonal migration of hotel staff and wealthy guests during the Edwardian era.
(4) The text documents the specific social dynamics of the Jim Crow South. The phrase 'All Northern Help' was a common marketing code of the period, used to signal to guests that the service staff was exclusively white—imported seasonally from the proprietor's Michigan hotel—rather than local Black labor.

Keywords: Seabreeze Florida, Daytona Beach History, Ask Mr. Foster, Ward G Foster, Beach Auto Racing, Mackinac Island History, Island House Michigan, Vintage Travel Ephemera, Hotel Breakers, Early Florida Tourism, Jim Crow History, Social History, Segregation Era, Labor History, 1910s Tourism.

Item #21481

Price: $85.00