There’s nothing like a beautiful postcard. For Palm Beach, which was built with tourists in mind, that is especially true.
Visitors to Palm Beach who wanted to share a piece of their stay with loved ones back home had a wealth of postcards to choose, many of which can be found in the State Archives of Florida.
The postcards, most from 1900 to 1920, serve as a digital repository of days gone by, with colorful scenes of historic Palm Beach.
They feature scenes from long-gone favorite spots around the island. Palm-tree lined avenues, the Everglades Club golf course and sunbathers on the beach are pictured.
Some of the postcards show Alligator Joe’s tourist attraction, where visitors could watch men wrestle gators, used to be at the west end of what is now Worth Avenue.
The Breakers Casino — there was no gambling there — is featured as a spot where tourists could dip their toes into a saltwater pool, then retire to a private changing room after strolling along a luxurious veranda.
At Gus’ Baths, bathers could jump into a pool, just a few steps from the beach between Hammon and Worth avenues.
At The Patio restaurant, the roof retracted to allow patrons to dance under the stars, weather permitting.
Take a look back in time with this selection of postcards from Palm Beach’s history.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: See The Breakers, Mar-a-Lago, Worth Avenue and more historic postcards from Palm Beach
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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