Florida Seminole Tourism

Cowboys and Camps: Doubleday’s Sensational Seminole Photos

Welcome back to our latest installation in our Seminole Snapshots series! In this series, we highlight photographic collections or photographers who have captured pivotal moments in Seminole history, tourism, industry, or culture. This week, we are looking at the work of Ralph R. Doubleday. A prolific photographer, part of his body of work covered hundreds of photos of Seminoles during the early 20th century tourist era. This includes iconic tourist camps like Musa Isle and Silver Springs, and featured many prominent figures. Below, join us to explore this exciting collection!

Today in our featured image you can see a black and white image of a group of Seminoles in front of a chickee. You can see they are all lined up, and all wear traditional clothing. This is just one example of an image of Doubleday’s being made into a Real Photo postcard. (2003.15.62, ATTK Museum)

 

Ralph R. Doubleday

Ralph R. Doubleday was born in 1881 in Jackson County, Iowa. Most famous for his rodeo photography, Doubleday is credited with capturing the “golden age of rodeo” as well as photographing some of the most impressive rodeo action shots of the time. He would begin his career in 1910, and continue his photography career for almost half a century.

Like with his photos of Seminoles, he also often turned his rodeo images into Real Photo postcards for sale. He also was well-known for his focus on lifetstyle imagery. Even during his rodeo photographs, he would also take pictures of the athletes doing their chores, behind the scenes, and in day-to-day life.  Today, his postcards are still in high demand due to their incredible quality and dynamic imagery.

Doubleday’s images of Seminole tourist camps were most likely taken around and during his travels along the rodeo circuit. He would travel throughout the country taking rodeo images, and other areas that piqued his interest. Seminole tourist camps appeared to be in this group, and his collection at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum spans a number of decades.

Below, Ralph R. Doubleday stands next to an alligator sculpture at a Seminole tourist camp. He is in front of some chickees. Doubleday can be seen in a small handful of his photographs, including the one below.

2013.3.160, ATTK Museum

 

Seminole Tourism and Economic Agency

As with many examples of photographs of indigenous people, there is always an underling question: Do these images represent exploitation? The tourist photographs and postcards were sold at both tourist camps and beyond through Western companies and photographers. Unfortunately, it is impossible to know how much of this money went back into the pockets of Seminole families for all of these postcards. This would have been especially murky in camps run by Westerners. But something that has been an underlying thread of conversation throughout our many posts about Seminole tourism has been the concept of agency.

For Seminoles, economic opportunities like those found at tourist camps were incredibly important to their survival, both in the moment and long term as a community. Many of the camps on Tamiami Trail were owned and run by Seminoles. These economic opportunities allowed them agency over their own life trajectories and helped support them through camp proceeds and arts and crafts sales. The legacy of this can be still seen today, where alligator wrestling and tourist camps are an important part of Seminole history.

Although the early 20th century was still marked by economic hardship, tourist camps like these also let the community survive and stay together, eventually leading to federal recognition. The people within these images were seen at the time as cultural commodities, with their images bought on vacation and sent home. However, Seminoles turned around and charged for it and used the profits to protect their Tribe, community, and way of life.

2013.3.105, ATTK Museum

Above, you can see a group of Seminole men, women, and children in two long canoes. They all wear traditional clothing. The caption reads “Seminole Indians from Musa Isle at Hialeah Park, Derby Day (Doubleday)” This image was taken and made into a Real Photo Postcard.

 

What are Real Photo Postcards?

Many of Doubleday’s photos were turned into Real Photo postcards. During the turn of the 20th century and beyond, postcards were an incredibly popular pastime and way to communicate. People would purchase postcards or a postcard book while on their vacation, and send it back home to their friends and family. Real photo postcards are just that – postcards made from real images.

They emerged in the early 1900s, with the invention of a camera which allowed for any image taken to be turned into a postcard. The popularity of Real Photo postcards soon skyrocketed, with the majority being taken by amateur photographers in real time. Over time, Real Photo postcards would become mass produced, and postcard books would be sold. Eventually, as technologies improved, they would be replaced by linen and photochrome postcards.

Seminole tourism in particular was heavily impacted by Real Photo postcards. They were incredibly popular during the biggest tourist camp boom, from the 1920s through to the 1940s. Images like those found in Doubleday’s collection also showed shifts in the Seminole tourist industry, and things like changing fashions and new economies can be traced through the postcard images. Since they are real photos, they also contain a lot of prominent leaders during this era.

A couple that we can see in the images shared today are people like Cory Osceola and Josie Billie. Today, they remain a well preserved and important facet of Seminole history, one that reflects a time of great change, hardship, and survival. These images also worked to share Seminole culture and the Seminole experience beyond Florida, elevating them into the public consciousness in a way that wasn’t accessible without the cards.

 

Explore Doubleday’s Images In the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Collection

 

2001.75.5, ATTK Museum

Cory Osceola was often featured in Doubleday’s photos, both at Musa Isle and at his own camp on Tamiami Trail. He was head man at Musa Isle for a time. Osceola, who we have discussed before on the blog, was a very important figure during this tourist era and beyond.

 

2013.3.40, ATTK Museum

Above, we have three Seminole men and a woman at Pirate’s Cove. The caption mentions it was taken as part of a Seminole wedding. Standing second from the left is a young Josie Billie.

 

Seminole Weddings

2003.15.56, ATTK Museum

Seminole weddings were also a popular tourist event for the time. Above, you can see a shot taken by Doubleday at the wedding of Cowboy Billy (middle left) and Annie Tiger. These weddings were often staged events, with the couple having been married for some time and often also already having children. They were popular at Musa Isle, and intended to draw in tourists and boost sales. This image was most likely taken at the February 26, 1930 wedding of Cowboy Billy and Annie Tiger at Musa Isle.

 

2003.15.134, ATTK Museum

Seminole weddings at Musa Isle began in 1923. In the above image, another couple marries in front of a crowd at Musa Isle on February 18, 1932. From left to right, the people on stage are Tom Billie, John Willie, Josie Billie, John Motlow (Bird Clan), Jane Motlow (Otter Clan) and Cory Osceola. According to Patsy West, the very first Seminole wedding at Musa Isle was between Cory Osceola and Juanita Cypress in 1923 (West 61). They were incredibly popular tourist attractions. In 1985, their son O.B translated for his mother in an interview, sharing “Yeah [they had] a celebration for them. When they do that, they advertised a lot and they get a lot of people in the village, a lot of excitement. At the same time, they make a lot of money too. That’s part of the game.” (West 61)

 

Live Camp Demonstrations

2000.30.5, ATTK Museum

Here, Cowboy Bill seen from one of the earlier images wrestles an alligator at Musa Isle. Seminole alligator wrestling was also one of the incredible events advertised and performed for tourists.

 

2013.3.102, ATTK Museum

Above, you can see a group of Seminole men demonstrating at a tourist camp with bows and arrows. Demonstrations like this were one of the many ways that Seminoles entertained and enticed visitors at tourist camps. Other demonstrations that were also popular were wood and canoe carving, patchwork sewing, cooking, and other traditional Seminole craft work. This image in particular was taken at Silver Springs, FL.

 

2013.3.127, ATTK Museum

A Seminole woman sews under a tent on a platform at Chestnut Billie’s Camp on Tamiami Trail. Interestingly, it looks like the tent is made with some kind of canvas instead of the typical chickee construction. She wears patchwork as well as hundreds of necklaces, which was a typical fashion of the time. The invention of the sewing machine, in particular small, portable ones like the one shown above, had an incredible impact on Seminole fashion, tourism, and economy.

 

…and Beyond!

The images that we have featured today are only a small snippet of Doubleday’s portfolio. Many more are hosted in the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Collection, as well as online in other sources. We encourage you to explore these collections, and learn more about this fascinating part of Seminole tourism history!

 

West’s book was accessed digitally while researching this article. So, page reference numbers may not align with paper and hardback copies.

West, Patsy. The Enduring Seminoles: From Alligator Wresting To Casino Gaming, Revised and Expanded Edition. 2008. University Press of Florida. Digital.

 

Author Bio

Originally from Washington state, Deanna Butler received her BA in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Washington in 2014. Deanna moved to Florida in 2016. Soon, she began working for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Deanna was the THPO’s Archaeological Collections Assistant from 2017-2021. While at the THPO, Deanna worked to preserve, support, and process the Tribe’s archaeological collection. She often wrote the popular Artifact of the Month series and worked on many community and educational outreach programs. She lives in Lakeland, FL with her husband, two sons, and dog.

Post a Comment