Barbara Baer Capitman Memorial

Barbara Baer Capitman Memorial WWP

Photo credit - Wikipedia

During the 39th Annual Art Deco Weekend on January 16th, 2016, the memorial for Barbara Capitman was dedicated.

Barbara Baer Capitman (1920-1990) was an author and journalist who moved to Miami Beach with her husband in 1973. Growing up with an artistic mother and being surrounded by art made her appreciative of its beauty and esthetics. Upon her relocation to the art deco district, she was amazed by the large art deco concentration that was even more special due to the tropical surroundings.

Seeing the potential of the building and understanding that a fight to preserve the historic buildings from demolishing, she co-founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976. The effort to protect and preserve the neglected Art Deco District included protests, marches, lobbying politicians, and even physically facing the bulldozers. It led to the registration of the Art Deco District as a National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Painting the buildings in different colors, renovating, preserving, and restoring others led to the district thriving and becoming one of the top touristic destinations in Miami. MDPL actions inspired activism preservation in other areas in the US.

In 2011, the MDPL decided to create a memorial to its founder. It took five years of planning, permitting, and fundraising from 30 institutions and individuals to get the monument ready on time for its dedication during the Art Deco Weekend.

The memorial features a bronze bust on a white pedestal. It was created by Capitman’s mother, the artist Myrtle Bachrach Baer, in 1939 and depicted Barbara as a young woman. It stands at Lummus Park, a short distance from Cardozo Hotel, the district’s first restored hotel.

Barbara's Crusade

Barbara Capitman is credited with saving much of Miami Beach's Art Deco District from the wrecking ball. Her campaign to draw attention to the Beach's unique collection of buildings, constructed in the years following the disastrous 1926 hurricane, resulted in the creation of the first historic preservation district on the Beach. Barbara worked with designer Leonard Horowitz to create a color palette used to paint the buildings to highlight their distinctive architectural and design features.

#ExperienceMiamiBeach

Share:

This post is also available in:
Español

Official Website



Watch and Learn More

 

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

Address

Piazza Barbara in Lummus Park, 1303 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139



Barbara's Crusade

Barbara Capitman is credited with saving much of Miami Beach's Art Deco District from the wrecking ball. Her campaign to draw attention to the Beach's unique collection of buildings, constructed in the years following the disastrous 1926 hurricane, resulted in the creation of the first historic preservation district on the Beach. Barbara worked with designer Leonard Horowitz to create a color palette used to paint the buildings to highlight their distinctive architectural and design features.

#ExperienceMiamiBeach
Share:

This post is also available in: Español

Tags: Places in Florida USA

Hidden

Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On

To get the most out of your form, we suggest that you sync this form with an email add-on. To learn more about your email add-on options, visit the following page (https://www.gravityforms.com/the-8-best-email-plugins-for-wordpress-in-2020/). Important: Delete this tip before you publish the form.
Check out this fun, inspiring, and challenging activity about extraordinary women.
You'll also be subscribing to our monthly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.

Shop & Support


Donate & Support
 
Our feminist project of wanderlust and equality-aspired community maps the HerStories of worldwide wonder women.
Explore the website for excellent guided tours, travel tips, unique landmarks, fun girlfriend getaways, events, and in-depth articles about gender, equality, space, and (not-told-enough) female legacy.

About the Project

 

Subscribe to
our Newsletter

Julia-Tuttle-Statue-WWP
Memorial & Statue

Julia Tuttle Statue

Miami, FL, USA

A 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Julia Tuttle, who is considered the “Mother of Miami,” is standing in Bayfront Park, overlooking the seaport she envisioned at the end of the 19th century when South Florida was a swampland with few orange groves. Tuttle relocated to Fort Dallas, Florida, from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891. At that time, she was a widow with two kids and inherited her parents’ land. She purchased 640 acres on the north side of the Miami river and set it as her home. Seeing the potential to establish a city on the Miami River, she convinced Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Fort Dallas (Miami). She offered him a free piece of her land and showed him that the area is a perfect destination to grow oranges after the Great Freeze of 1894-1895. On April 22nd, 1896, the Florida East Coast Railway’s train service came to the area, and a few months later, on July 28th, male residents voted to incorporate a new city, Miami. Ironically, Tuttle was not one of the voters since she was a woman. The project to commemorate Tuttle started only in 1996 by the Miami Commission on the Status of Women. It took 14 years and joint efforts with the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women to raise funds and choose the artists Daub and Firmin. The statue was unveiled on July 28th, 2010, the city’s 114th birthday, in a dedication ceremony honored with Tuttle family members. The statue is depicting Tuttle looking to the horizon, to the future, holding a basket of oranges in one hand and orange blossom on the other, the proof she gave Flagler. Her skirt is adorned with symbols of Miami’s history, the area’s first settlers, images of local flora and fauna, and the train that connected Miami to Florida. Tuttle is the only woman who founded an American city.   Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Mary McLeod Bethune Home WWP
Museum

Mary McLeod Bethune Home

Daytona Beach, FL, USA

The Mary McLeod Bethune House is a national historic landmark and a museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the life and legacy of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, who lived in the house from 1913 until her death on May 18, 1955. Her last resting place resides nearby. Mary Mcleod Bethune was an educator, women’s and civil rights activist, the founder and president of schools and organizations, the federal government advisor, and director. She was born in 1875, the 15th of 17 children to enslaved people in South Carolina, and was the first in her family to go to school. From a young age, she believed in the power of education and taught her siblings what she had learned at school. In 1904, Bethune established a boarding school for girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. The class grew from six girls to more than 30 within a year. She succeeded in fundraising to expand the school, and it grew every year. In 1931, her school merged with the boys’ Cookman Institute, and in 1941 achieved full college status as Bethune-Cookman College. The house is located in the heart of Bethune-Cookman University campus and kept as when Bethune lived there. It contains fascinating memorabilia and artifacts, her original library, furniture, family heirlooms, and photos of famous visitors and US presidents. Also on campus grounds is a tall bronze statue of Bethune, standing outside the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, just a few minutes walk from the Mary McLeod Bethune House. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Mary McLeod Bethune Statue in Daytona Beach WWP
Memorial & Statue

Mary McLeod Bethune Statue in Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, FL, USA

The Mary McLeod Bethune bronze statue is located outside the Bethune-Cookman University’s Performing Arts Center. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden with plaques inscribed with parts of Bethune’s well-known writing, Last Will and Testament. Bethune was an educator and an activist for equal rights for African-American and women. She was the founder of many schools and organizations. In 1904 she opened the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, which expended over the years to become what is today the Bethune-Cookman University.   The statue depicts her standing tall, holding a cane in her right hand, wearing a big smile. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Princess Ulele Statues WWP
Memorial & Statue

Princess Ulele Statues

Tampa, FL, USA

Two larger-than-life statues of princess Ulele stand on the grounds of Ulele restaurant near Water Works Park in Tampa Riverwalk, Florida. Ulele was a Native American woman, the daughter of the chief of the Tocobaga tribe, who lived in the Tampa Bay area during the 1500s. The legend tells that her tribe captured soldiers of a Spanish expedition, and as revenge for the brutal act the Spanish soldiers did to their tribe, they intended to kill them. According to legend, when Juan Ortiz, the last and youngest soldier, was lying on the hot coals, about to get roasted to death, Ulele stepped forward asking to spare his life, and she saved him. Some say she felt sorry for him, others that she had feelings for him. Even though the event happed years before Pocahontas met Jhon Smith, since the similarity to the story of Pocahontas, Ulele became known in recent years as Florida’s Pocahontas. The Arizona artist Vala Ola created both statues. She featured Ulele as a strong woman, wearing traditional clothes, tattoos, and jewelry, made of shells and pearls. The Ulele Monument is a 7-foot tall bronze standing statue unveiled on April 22nd, 2015. Ulele stands on hot coals with a pool of water below them. Her right hand is on her heart while her left hand is in the air, stopping her father from killing the soldier. It stands next to a restored spring that also bears her name. On December 22nd, 2017, a second statue was installed. It is an 11-foot tall, 1,800-pound bronze bust titled “LOST TRIBES, Legend of Ulele,” representing the Native American tribes who were extinct. Vala Ola’s words about it – “Ulele is floating like an ethereal memory yet never to be forgotten.” Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
View all

 

*Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information on this page is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Learn more here.