Commerce Collection--approximately 30,000 images of cities, industries, tourist attractions, rivers, and leisure activities taken by the Department of Commerce Division of Tourism and its predecessors between 1950 and 1996

Collection Number: S1047
Creator: Florida. Division of Tourism.
Title: Publicity Photographs, 1940-1996.
Quantity: 130 cubic feet
The images on this Web site represent a selection from the Commerce Collection. The entire collection can be viewed onsite at the State Archives of Florida in Tallahassee.

Description: The series contains publicity photographs, including prints, negatives, slides, and transparencies, produced by the Division of Tourism and its predecessor agencies, the Florida Development Commission and the Florida State Advertising Commission. The collection includes tens of thousands of images of Florida people, places, and events dating from the 1940s through 1996.

Historical Note: The Division of Tourism was established as part of the Dept. of Commerce in 1972 (Ch. 72-205, Laws). It replaced the Department's Division of Commercial Development which was created in 1969 to assume the duties of the Florida Development Commission (Ch. 69-109, Laws). The Division of Tourism planned, produced, and distributed advertising, publicity, and promotional literature designed to encourage visitors to come to Florida. It also promoted the location of conventions and sporting events within the state, helped provide recreational campaigns, assisted chambers of commerce in promotional programs, and was responsible for maintaining Welcome Stations.

In 1996, when the Department of Commerce was abolished (Ch. 96-320), some of its tourism functions were transferred to the new Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development in the Governor's Office. Other functions were privatized under the new Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corp. which the law directed the Florida Commission on Tourism to create.