Florida - Sarasota, Aerial View

Sarasota, Florida
Aerial view of the beautiful Bayfront Drive along Sarasota's downtown and the marina in the foreground.

Photo by Martin Gordash
2002

Florida - Map of Baseball Teams

Florida Baseball
Spring Training in South and Central Florida.
Let's Play Ball!

Lake Buena Vista Braves
Kissimmee Astros
Viera Nationals
Winter Haven Indians
Vero Beach Dodgers
Lakeland Tigers
Port St. Lucie Mets
Jupiter Marlins
Jupiter Cardinals
Ft. Lauderdale Orioles
Ft. Myers Red Sox
Ft. Myers Twins
Port Charlotte Rangers
Sarasota Reds
Bradenton Pirates
St. Petersburg Devil Rays
Clearwater Philies
Dunedin Blue Jays
Tampa Yankees
Haines City Royals
2010

Florida - Sarasota, Aerial View with Ringling Bridge

Sarasota, Florida
A nice view of downtown Sarasota coming from the Ringling Bridge.

Photo by Martin Gordash
2010

Florida - Sarasota, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

The East Facade, Ca'd Zan
Winter home of John and Mable Ringling

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Sarasota, Florida

Florida - Sarasota, Lido Beach at Sunset

Greetings from Lido Beach in Sarasota, Florida!
2013

Florida - Sarasota, The Smake drive In

The Smack Drive In Restaurant
U.S. Route 41, Sarasota, Fla.

On Main St., two blocks from the center of town.  The best of food expertly prepared and served in your car.  Plenty of parking space with quick, courteous service.

Florida - Sarasota, John Ringling Mansion and Museum of Art

Entrance to Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida
Entrance to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, fabulous home of famous paintings and objects of art collected by John Ringling.  Colorful tropical plantings like the purple bougainvillea add to the beauty of the grounds.
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Ringling Plaza Approach to Ringling Art Museum, Showing Statue of Neptune, Sarasota, Florida
Stately Royal Palms line the wide plaza entrance to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, fabulous home of famous paintings and objects of art collected by John Ringling.  Colorful tropical plantings the purple bougainvillea add to the beauty of the grounds.
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Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida
Court Showing David Statue
A bronze reproduction of Michelangelo's colossal white marble David with the exact measurements of the original stand guard over the treasures of the courtyard.  Directly beneath David are huge bronze statues of Father Nile  and Father Tiber.  The original white marble statue of Divid is in Florence, Italy.  Thousands of visitors and art lovers visit this museum yearly.

From a set of 12 postcards in a booklet.
The inside of the front cover reads:

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art
located in the city of Sarasota, Florida, houses one of the outstanding art collections in America and said to be next to the Louvre in Paris for its representations of the Old Masters works.  The collection represents thirty-five years of untiring efforts on the part of Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling, seeking out only the bet of Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and English masters and their outstanding paintings.  Well known names are well represented thruout the entire collection.  Other items of art works are well represented too, the Inner Court with its well arranged statuary, fountains and ancient columns in a setting of a terraced Italian sunken garden with tropical shrubs and flowers.  Wishing to leave a Memorial, Mr. Ringling left this entire Estate of thirty acres, his three million dollar Mansion and the estimated fourteen million dollar Art Museum to the State of Florida which now carries on in ownership and management.  The State of Florida intends to make this gift one of the most famous of Art Museums, from a standpoint of education, America could ever hope for.  The Museum building is detailed in Italian Renaissance and a visit to Europe is your by taking a tour thru this Museum.

The inside of the back cover reads:

The John Ringling Mansion ... a Venetian Palace, is situated back of the Art Museum on the shore of Sarasota Bay.  This was the home of John and Mabel Ringling for many years and it too houses outstanding objets d'art.  Period furniture, massive bed-room suites, mural ceilings, imported floor coverings, tapestry hangings and an inventory of choice collector's items abound in every room.  A visit thru this Mansion convinces one of the cultured life John and Mabel Ringling enjoyed.  This Estate named Ca'D'Zan (the house of John) is one of the outstanding tourist attractions in Florida and a stop here will convince the most critical, he has seen the best America has to offer in this line of sightseeing adventure.

Florida - Sarasota, John Ringling Mansion and Museum of Art

Corner of Court of  Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida

The John and Mabel Ringling  Museum of Art holds a rare collection of original paintings and sculpture collected over a period of 35 years by the late Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling.  The inner court is filled with stone and bronze reproductions of many of the best known pieces of statuary from old Greek and Roman masters to comparatively modern times including the Discus Thrower, Atlas, Dying Gaul, the Laocoon, Perseus and many others.
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Looking East In Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida
Both nature and man have combined forces to make the Ringling Museum of Art one of the nations's most beautiful spots.  In the long galleries that border this lovely court, out-standing works of some of the world's most famous artists are displayed.  The 76 life size statues surmounting the building represent characters from ancient history and mythology.  An atmosphere of old Europe prevails throughout the entire visit to the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art.
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Famous Fountain of Turtles at Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida
Representing the consummation of an ideal, there has been builded by Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling one of the largest Art Museums in the U.S.  The building has 22 side lighted galleries from 40 to 110 ft. long.  For the most part the 450 original paintings from every important school from the 13th century to the 19th hang in separate period rooms.  76 life size statues overlook the garden or patio.  The Famous Fountain of Turtles from Rome was restored by Alexander VII, Pope of Rome, and brought to the U.S. to become an art treasure here.

From a set of 12 postcards in a booklet.
The inside of the front cover reads:

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art
located in the city of Sarasota, Florida, houses one of the outstanding art collections in America and said to be next to the Louvre in Paris for its representations of the Old Masters works.  The collection represents thirty-five years of untiring efforts on the part of Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling, seeking out only the bet of Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and English masters and their outstanding paintings.  Well known names are well represented thruout the entire collection.  Other items of art works are well represented too, the Inner Court with its well arranged statuary, fountains and ancient columns in a setting of a terraced Italian sunken garden with tropical shrubs and flowers.  Wishing to leave a Memorial, Mr. Ringling left this entire Estate of thirty acres, his three million dollar Mansion and the estimated fourteen million dollar Art Museum to the State of Florida which now carries on in ownership and management.  The State of Florida intends to make this gift one of the most famous of Art Museums, from a standpoint of education, America could ever hope for.  The Museum building is detailed in Italian Renaissance and a visit to Europe is your by taking a tour thru this Museum.

The inside of the back cover reads:

The John Ringling Mansion ... a Venetian Palace, is situated back of the Art Museum on the shore of Sarasota Bay.  This was the home of John and Mabel Ringling for many years and it too houses outstanding objets d'art.  Period furniture, massive bed-room suites, mural ceilings, imported floor coverings, tapestry hangings and an inventory of choice collector's items abound in every room.  A visit thru this Mansion convinces one of the cultured life John and Mabel Ringling enjoyed.  This Estate named Ca'D'Zan (the house of John) is one of the outstanding tourist attractions in Florida and a stop here will convince the most critical, he has seen the best America has to offer in this line of sightseeing adventure.

Florida - Sarasota, John Ringling Mansion and Museum of Art

The John Ringling Mansion, Sarasota, Florida

The John Ringling Mansion stands on the shore of Sarasota Bay, said to be the most beautiful bay in America.  Directly back of this mansion is the 30 acre estate known as Ca'D' Zan (meaning the home of John).  The mansion was designed by the celebrated architect Dwight James Baum and was over two years in construction.  On the same estate stands the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art housing one of the best collections in America of original paintings by old masters.

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Archway along Inner Court of Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art was established by the late circus king in 1930 as a memorial to his wife.  In a setting of incomparable beauty specially designed to house his famous art treasures.  The collection includes works of such artists as Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Franz, Hals, Van Dyck, Reynolds, Gainsborough, El Greco, Murillo, and many others.  All the columns and door-ways are original marble pieces mostly of the 18th Century period.
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The John Ringling Estate, Sarasota, Florida
The John Ringling Estate is located on Sarasota Bay just north of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  This beautiful thirty (30) acre estate has many winding roads and paths lined with exotic figures and statues.  The tropical plantings and the outdoor swimming pool are just a few of the attractions.

From a set of 12 postcards in a booklet.
The inside of the front cover reads:

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art
located in the city of Sarasota, Florida, houses one of the outstanding art collections in America and said to be next to the Louvre in Paris for its representations of the Old Masters works.  The collection represents thirty-five years of untiring efforts on the part of Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling, seeking out only the bet of Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and English masters and their outstanding paintings.  Well known names are well represented thruout the entire collection.  Other items of art works are well represented too, the Inner Court with its well arranged statuary, fountains and ancient columns in a setting of a terraced Italian sunken garden with tropical shrubs and flowers.  Wishing to leave a Memorial, Mr. Ringling left this entire Estate of thirty acres, his three million dollar Mansion and the estimated fourteen million dollar Art Museum to the State of Florida which now carries on in ownership and management.  The State of Florida intends to make this gift one of the most famous of Art Museums, from a standpoint of education, America could ever hope for.  The Museum building is detailed in Italian Renaissance and a visit to Europe is your by taking a tour thru this Museum.

The inside of the back cover reads:

The John Ringling Mansion ... a Venetian Palace, is situated back of the Art Museum on the shore of Sarasota Bay.  This was the home of John and Mabel Ringling for many years and it too houses outstanding objets d'art.  Period furniture, massive bed-room suites, mural ceilings, imported floor coverings, tapestry hangings and an inventory of choice collector's items abound in every room.  A visit thru this Mansion convinces one of the cultured life John and Mabel Ringling enjoyed.  This Estate named Ca'D'Zan (the house of John) is one of the outstanding tourist attractions in Florida and a stop here will convince the most critical, he has seen the best America has to offer in this line of sightseeing adventure.

Florida - Sarasota, John Ringling Mansion and Museum of Art

Living Room, John Ringling Mansion, Sarasota, Florida
This view shows the organ and two well-known portraits of John and Mabel Ringling.  Here the late circus magnate entertained statesmen, diplomats and leaders in the artistic and professional world.

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Entrance to John Ringling Mansion, Sarasota, Florida
Thousands of people pass through this gate annually to visit the internationally famous home of John Ringling, the late circus magnate.  The Home and the Museum, located on the shores of beautiful Sarasota Bay, are open daily.

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Master Bedroom, John Ringling Mansion, Sarasota, Florida
John Ringling's Bedroom is furnished in ornate Empire, consisting of a fine replica of the bedroom furniture of Napoleon III.  A large painting covers the entire ceiling.  The painting on the wall is of Pauline Bonaparte.

From a set of 12 postcards in a booklet.
The inside of the front cover reads:

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art
located in the city of Sarasota, Florida, houses one of the outstanding art collections in America and said to be next to the Louvre in Paris for its representations of the Old Masters works.  The collection represents thirty-five years of untiring efforts on the part of Mr. and Mrs. John Ringling, seeking out only the bet of Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, French and English masters and their outstanding paintings.  Well known names are well represented thruout the entire collection.  Other items of art works are well represented too, the Inner Court with its well arranged statuary, fountains and ancient columns in a setting of a terraced Italian sunken garden with tropical shrubs and flowers.  Wishing to leave a Memorial, Mr. Ringling left this entire Estate of thirty acres, his three million dollar Mansion and the estimated fourteen million dollar Art Museum to the State of Florida which now carries on in ownership and management.  The State of Florida intends to make this gift one of the most famous of Art Museums, from a standpoint of education, America could ever hope for.  The Museum building is detailed in Italian Renaissance and a visit to Europe is your by taking a tour thru this Museum.

The inside of the back cover reads:

The John Ringling Mansion ... a Venetian Palace, is situated back of the Art Museum on the shore of Sarasota Bay.  This was the home of John and Mabel Ringling for many years and it too houses outstanding objets d'art.  Period furniture, massive bed-room suites, mural ceilings, imported floor coverings, tapestry hangings and an inventory of choice collector's items abound in every room.  A visit thru this Mansion convinces one of the cultured life John and Mabel Ringling enjoyed.  This Estate named Ca'D'Zan (the house of John) is one of the outstanding tourist attractions in Florida and a stop here will convince the most critical, he has seen the best America has to offer in this line of sightseeing adventure.

David Statue at Sunset, Sarasota, Florida

David at Sunset
Chiurazzi Foundry, David, ca. 1920, Bronze, 198 3/4 in.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida
Photo: Terry Schank
2011