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Photo, Print, Drawing African American Man Wrestling an Alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

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About this Item

Title

  • African American Man Wrestling an Alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

Summary

  • One of the symbols of the state of Florida in the popular imagination is the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). From the earliest European explorers to the present day, visitors have been fascinated by this cold-blooded freshwater reptile. With a name derived from the Spanish word lagarto (the lizard), alligators can grow to an average of 13--15 feet (4--4.6 meters) and weigh 500--1,000 pounds (227--453 kilograms). The alligator used to be prized for its meat and skin, was once hunted and harvested to near extinction, and was listed as an endangered species from 1967 to 1987. However, the alligator has thrived in recent years, although its natural habitat has not. "Gators" are part of Florida's popular culture, from tourist attractions and alligator wrestlers to postcards and team mascots. One of Florida's earliest themed tourist attractions, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, opened for business in 1893. At the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and other tourist attractions such as Gatorland and the Silver Springs Nature Park, "taming" or hypnotizing alligators was a popular trick, along with other performances such as alligator wrestling, as shown in this undated photograph.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1950.

Headings

  • -  United States of America--Florida--Saint Augustine
  • -  1950
  • -  African American men
  • -  Alligators
  • -  Attractions
  • -  Entertainers
  • -  Tourism

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 photoprint : black and white ; 4 x 5 inches.
  • -  Original resource at: State Library and Archives of Florida.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Department of Commerce Collection

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021669945

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

African American Man Wrestling an Alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Florida United States of America Saint Augustine, 1950. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669945/.

APA citation style:

(1950) African American Man Wrestling an Alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Florida United States of America Saint Augustine, 1950. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669945/.

MLA citation style:

African American Man Wrestling an Alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021669945/>.