Guide to African American Resources in the State Library and Archives of Florida

Film and Video Collection

The films and video tapes included in the Florida Photographic Collection date from 1917 to the present and were donated to the State Archives of Florida by a variety of individuals and organizations. The majority of the films were produced by the Florida Development Commission, which later became the Florida Department of Commerce. The films were intended to help develop Florida, to boost the economy, and to gain attention in national and global marketplaces. They show us Florida as it was and sometimes, admittedly, as the promoters wanted us to see it. Through the monumental distribution efforts of the Florida Development Commission people everywhere saw Florida as a place of unlimited fishing, ample free parking, zany attractions, glorious beaches, and economic opportunities that flowed like orange juice.

The Film and Video Collection of the Florida Photographic Collection also includes films produced by WFSU Television, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Natural Resources, as well as a number of individual donations and home movies. Unlike the Florida Development Commission films, the majority of this footage is not promotional in nature and presents a more candid portrayal of the state. This diverse film footage covers a variety of topics including education, environment, family life, industry, integration, politics, and World War II.

A number of items in the Film and Video Collection reflect the black experience in Florida. Individual videos of interest can be identified by referring to Filming Florida: Images of the Sunshine State, a catalog describing many of the videos in this collection, available from the State Archives in print form.

Florida. Division of Tourism.
Florida Promotional Films, 1948-1978, 1,528 films
S 828

This series consists of videotapes produced for or by the Florida Department of Commerce's Division of Tourism, or its predecessor agencies, the Division of Community Development, the Florida Development Commission, or the Florida State Advertising Commission. The majority of the films are in color and with sound. There are some black and white films and a few silent films. The films were produced to create and build the Florida tourism industry by encouraging tourists from other states and countries to visit Florida. The wide range of the subject matter of the films highlights Florida's tourist attractions (Disney World, Busch Gardens, historic St. Augustine), communities (DeLand, Lakeland, Pensacola), industry (sugar, citrus, space exploration), sports (Gator Bowl, Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier, golf), wildlife (alligators, dolphins, fishing), and government. They serve as an interesting visual time capsule of Florida and Floridians over a thirty-year span.

WFSU-TV (Television station: Tallahassee, Fla.)
Films, 1960-1989, 482 films
S 1239

WFSU-TV is a public broadcast station for educational television located at Florida State University. It provides programming for county schools, university telecourses, and general community audiences. It is licensed to the Board of Regents on and in behalf of the Florida State University. The station is part of the state-wide educational television network that was developed by the Florida Educational Television Commission beginning in 1958 (Ch. 57-312, Laws).

This series contains 16 mm. films produced by WFSU-TV of Florida State University between 1960 and 1989. The films cover a broad spectrum of topics, such as famous people, historic sites, festivals, special events, recreation, interviews, and public affairs.