Tampa Bay is always evolving, and these vintage postcards from the State Archives of Florida show just how much the area has changed in the past century, starting in the early 1900s to the late 1990s.
Skyline of Tampa, Florida, published sometime before 1907.The Hillsborough River near Tampa, published sometime before 1908.Union Bus Station, Tampa, published sometime in the 1920s.South Florida Fair and Gasparilla Carnival, February 3-12, 1921Ann Avenue in suburb beautiful, Tampa, published 1922.Hotel Tampa Terrace, cocktail lounge and restaurant, published sometime before 1924.Hyde Park Avenue, published 1905.Tampa International Airport, published 1952.Bird’s eye view looking east on Lafayette Street in Tampa, published between 1933 and 1953.Plant Park, published 1946.Yacht Club, publish date unknown.Floritel Motor Court at 7602 Nebraska Ave. in Tampa, published not before 1956.Private residences on Grand Central Avenue, publish date unknown.Unloading bananas, Tampa, published sometime before 1961.Children’s Gasparilla Festival Parade, Tampa, published in 1949.Interior of coliseum on Davis Island, Tampa, published 1932.Looking north on Florida Avenue in Tampa, published 1955.Hospitality House at Busch Gardens, publish date unknown.Franklin Street looking south by night in Tampa, published 1947.Skyline and harbor, Tampa, published in 1945.Florida Fair Grounds, Tampa, publish sometime before 1940.Crowds on way to South Florida Fair, Feb. 3-12-1921 – Tampa, Florida, published in 1921.4th Street and Central Avenue – Saint Petersburg, Florida. Publish date unknown.Greetings from Greater Tampa, Florida. Published sometime after 1931.Tourists using long escalator at the Busch Gardens brewery attraction in Tampa. Publish date unknown.Schlitz brewery in Tampa. Published in 1959.Greetings from Drew Field, published 1940.Ristorante Donatello, published 1984.Foot of Inman Avenue, Suburb Beautiful, Tampa, published sometime in the 1920s.Aerial view of Tampa, Florida, publish date unknown.Bird’s eye view of harbor, Tampa, published 1912.Steamers “Favorite” and “Manatee” on Tampa Bay, published 1913.Promenade, Tampa Bay Hotel grounds, publish date unknown.Tampa Bay Hotel and grounds, published 1911.City Hall, publish date unknown.Tampa Bay Hotel and grounds, publish date unknown.Court House and Confederate Monument, published 1914.Skyline by Moonlight, Tampa, published 1939.Main entrance, South Florida Fair grounds, published 1921.Ballast Point, on old Tampa Bay, publish date unknown.Gasparilla entering harbor at Tampa, Florida. Publish date unknown.Greetings from MacDill Field. Published in 1940.Lafayette Street Bridge from city park, publish date unknown.Beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, published 1938.Looking north on Florida Ave. in front of the Tampa Terrace Hotel, published sometime in the 1940s.Tony Jannus Park, publish date unknown.Hotel Floridan, publish date unknown.Hillsboro Hotel, publish date unknown.Hillsborough River, Plant Park, publish date not before 1933.Lafayette Street Bridge, publish date unknown.Michigan Avenue Grammar School, publish date unknown.Spanish Sanatorium, publish date unknown.Hillsborough County courthouse, publish date unknown.Columbia Spanish Restaurant, published 1938.The Casino near Tampa, publish date unknown.Gandy Bridge across Tampa Bay, between Tampa and Saint Petersburg, published 1958.Municipal Hospital on Davis Islands Collection, published 1938.The De Sota Oak, De Sota’s headquarters, published not after 1941Beautiful Bay Shore Drive, publish date unknown.Seminole Culture Center, publish date unknown.Seminole Culture Center, publish date unknown.Mirasol Hotel, publish date unknown.De Soto Hotel, publish date unknown.First Baptist Church, publish date unknown.Church of the Sacred Heart, publish date unknown.Ballast Point water view, publish date unknown.The casino from old oaks, Ballast Point, publish date unknown.Custom house and Catholic church, publish date unknown.PostcardsHillsborough County Courthouse in Tampa, published sometime in the 1950s.Hotel Tampa Terrace, published sometime in the 1950s.The parlor, Tampa Bay Hotel, published in 1932.View of downtown Tampa, publish date unknown.Bird’s-eye view of Davis Islands, showing airport, published 1937.Union Depot, Tampa, published 1912.Credit: Photo via Florida MemoryTampa General Hospital, publish date unknown.Beautiful Bayshore Blvd. showing the statue of Christopher Columbus in Tampa, published 1956.Bel-Air Motel in Tampa, published 1953.A tropical street scene, suburb beautiful, Tampa, publish date unknown.Skyline of Tampa, from Davis Island, Tampa, published sometime before 1953.On Hillsborough River at sulphur springs, publish date unknown.Sulphur Springs – Tampa, publish date unknown.Sailing by moonlight on Tampa Bay – Saint Petersburg, Florida, publish date unknown.Bird’s eye view Tampa, publish date unknown.Just a ditch in tropical Tampa, publish date unknown.Fort Brooke – Tampa, publish date unknown.Three views of the Bay View Hotel in Tampa, publish date unknown.Tampa, Florida from tropical man-made Davis Islands, published sometime before 1946.Bridge over Hillsboro River, Sulphur Springs, publish date unknown.Port Tampa – Tampa, publish date unknown.Port Tampa, publish date unknown.Carol Motel in Ruskin, publish date unknown.Six Mile Creek, Tampa, published sometime before 1909.Steamer Gypsy, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Pass-a-Grille Line, publish date unknown.Souvenir of Columbia, the gem of Spanish restaurants – Ybor City, publish date unknown.Franklin Street looking north from Lafayette Street – Tampa, publish date unknown.Tampa skyline from Municipal Hospital, publish date unknown.People at Spa Beach near the Recreation Pier on Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, published sometime before 1962.Tampa Port and Inn – Tampa, publish date unknown.Clearwater Beach scene. Publish date unknown.Tampa West TraveLodge. Published sometime in the 1940s.Greetings from Tampa. Publish date unknown.Lakeland float in the Gasparilla Carnival parade in Tampa, date unknown Credit: https://www.floridamemory.com/Maas Brothers, home of tropical fashions – Saint Petersburg. Publish date unknown. Credit: Photo via Florida MemoryThe John and Mable Ringling Art Museum. Publish date unknown.Tampa Greyhound Track and grandstand. Publish date unknown.Sulphur Springs water tower, 210 feet high, Tampa. Publish date unknown.nterior view of the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, published in 1963.Tally Ho drive-in restaurant at 10604 Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg. Publish date unknown.Sweden House Smorgasbord – Clearwater, publish date unknown.Hillsborough Motel and adjoining restaurant in Tampa. Publish date unknown.Aerial view looking north toward the mouth of the Hillsborough River in Tampa. Publish date unknown.Old Swiss House restaurant at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Publish date unknown.Toboggan water slide, Sulphur Springs. Publish 1922.Aerial view looking north over the Paradise Trailer-Home Park in Ruskin. Published sometime before 1957.Concert at municipal band shell – Tampa, Florida. Published sometime before 1924.
