Images of the Sponge Industry Folk Arts Festival

Arts, Greek

Greek Americans

Tsabouna

Musical instrument maker

Sponge divers

Occupational groups

Sponge fisheries

Sponges

Folk festivals

Special events

Food preparation

Cooks

One proof sheet with 36 black and white images (plus negatives). Images of sponge diving, sponge processing Greek cooking, Greek craft booths, and Tsimouris making a Tsabouna, a Greek bagpipe. The festival was held June 24-25, 1989 to celebrate Tarpon Springs heritage of sponge diving, a practice that dated back to the 1890s. By 1905, when 500 Greek immigrants answered an ad to be sponge divers, the town acquired a distinctive Greek flavor, as the Greek Americans thrived in the sponge industry. At one point, Florida provided 95% of the nation's sponges. Although today over fishing and synthetic materials have undercut the sponge diving industry, the tradition lives on in Greek families, and through tourism.

State Archives of Florida, Series S1672

1989-06-24

Florida Folklife Program

Still Image

S1672

1

5

Photographic prints

Sponge Industry Folk Arts Festival

Michael, Nancy

Reddy, David

Tsimouris, Nikitas, 1924-2001

Kindinis, George

Greek American

2398

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