Since the 1920s, sporting events and institutions have both mirrored and shaped the growth of South Florida. Miami Jai-Alai and Hialeah Park two of the area’s earliest sporting attractions, lured northern tourists with, respectively, the spectacles of jai alai, an ancient Basque game imported from Cuba, and horse racing. Along with the annual collegiate Orange Bowl Game, these quickly became world-famous draws and by the mid-century were helping fuel the public fascination with South Florida as a locus of sun, fun, and leisure. It was an image that eventually would draw not only visitors, but transplants to the region.

For forty years, photojournalist Tim Chapman documented the history of South Florida and beyond. His career with the Miami Herald began in 1972, ended in 2012, and included coverage of The Jonestown Massacre, the Mariel Boatlift, the Cocaine Cowboys era, and Hurricane Andrew, among other local and international events. In 2013, Chapman donated his life’s work to HistoryMiami Museum, and Newsmanshowcases images from this collection, selected by longtime Miami Heraldphotographer Al Diaz. The displayed images, along with cameras, press passes, notebooks, and other artifacts, chronicle Chapman’s storied career.

In celebration of Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday, HistoryMiami Museum will feature Sinatra: An American Icon, a multi-media exhibition exploring the life of the multiple GRAMMY Award winner. The exhibition, curated by the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, traces 100 years of Sinatra’s career and impact on American culture, from Hoboken, N.J., through superstardom. Chronicling the […]

EXILE’s art bookstore features an experimental selection of zines that plot histories, locations, and experiences alongside their collection of artists’ books available for purchase. Zines are small circulation, DIY publications that are easy to produce and distributed for a small amount of money. These publications engage all members of the community, providing an independent and […]

For the first year, HistoryMiami Museum will host the Miami Street Photography Festival (MSPF) during Art Basel Week, from December 3-6, 2015, featuring various street photography exhibitions and public programs. In conjunction with the festival, the Museum will exhibit the finalists of MSPF’s international street photography competition. This exhibition will run from November 20, 2015 […]

In 1891, Jamaica’s economy was in the doldrums. In response, a group of Jamaican businessmen hired the studio of Valentine & Sons of Dundee, Scotland to create a photographic portrait of the island as a commercial and tourist paradise. Valentine & Sons, in business since 1851, was a prominent maker of landscape photographs and travel […]

Imagine leaving your homeland as a child, without your parents, to live in a foreign country. Will you ever return home? Will you ever see your parents again? What does your future hold? That was the reality for the more than 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban boys and girls who left their homeland to come to the United States in what became the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere, which lasted from 1960-1962.

The Birds of America, by John James Audubon, contains some of the most famous and spectacular prints ever made. The images have been reproduced countless times, and Audubon’s name has become synonymous with antique bird prints and modern environmental conservation. The beauty of the original prints, however, far exceeds the reproductions. In 1820 John James […]

HistoryMiami offers a retrospective exhibition featuring the work of renowned Cuban-American photographer Mario Algaze. A Respect for Light: The Photography of Mario Algaze, curated by HistoryMiami deputy director Jorge Zamanillo, is the first comprehensive exhibition highlighting his work in Latin America. The 4,000 s.f. exhibition, on view November 14, 2014 – January 18, 2015, features […]

Fifty years ago The Beatles came to America. On Friday, February 7, 1964, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr arrived from the U.K. and stepped onto American soil for the first time as a band. After appearances in New York City and Washington, D.C., on Sunday, February 16, 1964, The Beatles flew […]