In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency sent photographers all over the country as part of the DOCUMERICA project. The project was intended to capture areas of environmental concern, but many of the photographers also ended up perfectly preserving this era in time and the spirit of the people around them. Photographer Flip Schulke captured these photos around South Florida and the Keys in 1975:
- Tricycle Club of the Century Village Retirement Community Meets Each Morning.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- Beach at Little Duck Key. Camping Is Popular Throughout the Keys, and Many Have Large Commercial Facilities. These Do Not Yet Exist at Little Duck, But Camping and Trailers Are Permitted.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Tourists Find Refreshment at the Public Beach Pier.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Residents Take Part in Organized Daily Exercises in One of the Public Pools at Century Village Retirement Community.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- Lives of the Many Elderly Persons Who Have Chosen South Beach for Their Retirement Years Revolve Around the Beach. It Is the Longest Stretch of Public Beach in the Area.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- At Bahia Honda State Park, on Bahia Honda Key.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Residents of the Century Village Retirement Community Gather Around Pool for Daily Exercise Session.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- American Dreams at Little Duck Key. Commercial Camping Sites and Travel Trailer Courts Have Sprung Up Throughout the Keys. Even on the Smaller Keys Like Little Duck, Where No Facilities Have Yet Been Constructed, Camping Is Permitted by Local Authorities.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Big Touring Car Abandoned at Little Duck Key, a Small Undeveloped and Uninhabited Island in the Lower Florida Keys Usually Used for Fishing and Camping.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Members of the Large Retirement Population of South Beach These Ladies Live in One of the Many Residential Hotels That Border the Public Beach.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- Resident of a South Beach Retirement Hotel.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- Inexpensive Retirement Hotels Are a Hallmark of the South Beach Area. A Favored Place Is the Front Porch, Where Residents Sit and Chat Or Watch the Activities on the Beach.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- Leaving Their “Travel-Trailer” on the Side of the Road, This Retired Couple From California Stops to Fish Off the Embankment at Spanish Harbor Key. Trailers Like This Are Highly Popular with Visitors to the Florida Keys.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- On the Croquet Court at Century Village Retirement Community.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- On the Public Beach Pier.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Swiss Mother and Child on the Beach at Long Key State Park Family Is on a Tour of the United States, Camping Along the Way.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Vacationer From Ohio Relaxes near His Motorcycle During Sightseeing Tour of the Keys.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- The South Beach Area of Miami Beach Has Attracted a Growing Colony of People of Retirement Age. This Group Waits for a Bus after a Shopping Trip.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- Photograph of Line Waiting to Play Shuffleboard at the Century Village Retirement Community.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- South Beach Has the Longest Stretch of Public Beach in the Miami Area. Thousands of Retired Persons Have Settled Here in Inexpensive Residential Hotels Built Within Walking Distance of the Beach. The Area Now Faces Problems of Over-Development.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Miami Beach
- Snorkeler Observes the Coral and Sea Life at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park near Key Largo. Water Clarity Has Noticeably Decreased in Recent Years Because of Dredging and Landfill Operations by Developers.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Florida Keys.
- Souvenir Seashells for Sale at the Southernmost Point of the United States.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- Playing “Mah-Jong” at the Clubhouse of the Century Village Retirement Community.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr West Palm Beach
- Lobster Fishermen of Conch Key with a String of Newly Painted Floats. This Is the Off-Season, When Lobstering Is Prohibited and Fishermen Repair Their Gear.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
- A Retired Couple From California Stop to Fish Off Embankment at Spanish Harbor Key. Travel-Trailers of the Kind Owned by This Couple Are Highly Popular Among Visitors to the Keys.
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr Key West
What did you think about these photos? Do you have any memories of South Florida or the Keys in the ’70s?
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr
West Palm Beach
Key West
Miami Beach
Florida Keys.
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