Silver Springs

The 1940s calling Miami Int’l Airport

MIA MOZERT phone

A wonderful exhibition of 20 kitschy black & white underwater prints from the 1940s and 1950s is on view at Miami International Airport (MIA) by Gate D31.

The images are by photographer Bruce Mozert, whose keen eye and whimsical photos helped document and promote Florida’s tourist destinations, especially Silver Springs, an aquatic attraction with glass bottom boats.

MIA MOZERT TABLE

Here are some notes from exhibition flyer:

“Silver Springs, tucked away in the middle of Florida, has drawn teams of visitors to its crystal clear waters since pre-Civil War days and saw a surge in popularity in the 1940s, largely due to Mozert’s publicity photographs. A renowned innovator in underwater photography, Mozert’s vivid images of beautiful models in Florida’s pristine waters were sent out on wire services from the 1940s through the 1970s, attracting snowbirds and tourists in droves.”

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The attraction is now Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boats are still there. You probably won’t see beautiful girls talking on underwater telephones, but the park promises that you’ll see unusual formations, ancient artifacts and movie props from some early underwater films made for Hollywood.