The Florida Chautauqua

13th Annual Session of The Florida Chautauqua: DeFuniak Springs, Fla. [1897 Winter Assembly Program] [Victorian Advertising Archive] [Social History Primary Source]

A comprehensive 26-page primary record of the 1897 Florida Chautauqua, a premier late-Victorian 'Winter Assembly' that defined the cultural life of the Florida Panhandle.

This program documents the 13th annual session (February 18 to March 17, 1897), serving as a fascinating snapshot of high-society educational tourism in the 19th century. Beyond the lecture schedules—which featured prominent figures like Hon. Wallace Bruce and Dr. W. L. Davidson—the booklet acts as a robust business directory for DeFuniak Springs, showcasing a level of commercial sophistication (Opera Houses, Sanatoriums, and Law Firms) rarely seen in rural Florida during this era.

KEY FEATURES 
+++ Date: 1897 (Stated on cover). 
+++ Lecturer Archive: Includes portraits and bios of the 'Fine Talent Secured,' including Hon. Wallace Bruce and musical director Dr. H. R. Palmer. 
+++ Advertising Density: Contains over a dozen detailed full and half-page advertisements for local businesses like W. L. Gawthon & Co.'s Dry Goods, The Opera House Store, and the Albertson Sanatorium. 
+++ Educational Content: Details the Department of Instruction, including classes in China Painting, Kindergarten methods, and Physical Culture. 
+++ Railroad Data: Features a 'Railroad Information section for the L. & N. (Louisville & Nashville) and B. & O. lines. 
+++ Specs: Stapled paper wraps; 4 x 9.25 inches; 26 pages.

CONDITION: Fair/Good -- Stapled wraps remain intact, though the final page is detached. Age-related toning throughout. A fragile but complete surviving record of 19th-century Florida ephemera.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
The Florida Chautauqua was essential to the 'New South' narrative, proving that Florida could be a destination for intellectual rigor, not just citrus or swamps. This document provides a rare look at the Walton County economy before the rise of the coastal tourism boom, highlighting DeFuniak Springs as a major railway destination and a center for the Florida State Normal College.

SUBJECTS: DeFuniak Springs, Florida Panhandle History, Chautauqua Movement, Victorian Advertising, 19th Century Education, Walton County, Ephemera, Program Archive, Social History, Association Copy (Regional).

Item #21584

Price: $165.00