Florida Memory Program Announces New Interactive Video Series, Florida Maps: Then & Now

TALLAHASSEE  –Florida Maps: Then & Now, a new video series using historic maps and Google Earth images to illustrate, in-depth, specific Florida places, is now available on the Florida Memory website. The first six videos cover: Jupiter Island; Wacahoota; Jacksonville; Ft. Lauderdale; the Matanzas River; and Key Biscayne. Videos can be streamed directly from the  website, and/or downloaded for free, at floridamemory.com/exhibits/floridamaps.

“The geography of Florida has shaped, and been shaped, by the people who have lived here. Native Americans, European colonists, United States citizens and immigrants from across the globe, have impacted Florida’s geographic history,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Old  maps that we now view as historic documents, were originally essential tools  for the settlement and development of the state, and Florida Memory has  added a wonderful resource for all to learn from and share.”

Each video brings the evolution of Florida’s landscape and inhabitants to life by taking the viewer on a virtual geographic tour, accompanied by narration and significant historical items related to the featured area. Watch and witness regional transformations as maps from the past merge with Google Earth technology. This project helps viewers understand the relationships between cultural, social and environmental changes in Florida’s history, and particularly how the environment has shaped the development of modern Florida.

The Florida Memory staff created this series using Google Earth, historic and modern maps, photographs, and primary source documents from the  collections of the State Library and Archives of Florida. Explore all of these resources on the Florida Memory website at floridamemory.com.

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About Florida Memory:

The Florida Memory Program provides free online access to significant photographs, films, sound recordings, and original documents from the collections of the State Library and Archives of Florida.  Florida  Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology  Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.