A Visit to St. Petersburg's Brocante

Yesterday, my friend Sandy and I visited St. Petersburg's Brocante, a new vintage market with dozens of vendors and "15,000 square feet of vintage bliss."

The brocante is the brainchild of Sean and Celesta Carter, and it's open the first full weekend of every month.

That the brocante is restricted to once per month is a large part of its evident success. The Carters — and the many vendors who have joined them — obviously take the better part of each month to be selective in what is included, and also take the time to present vintage items in ways that are visually stimulating.

For example, all these items were grouped to suggest Dad's shop, and one can immediately imagine sitting in that chair and tying a few fishing flies or working on a kit.

Likewise, these religious icons were resting on a very long and substantial church pew.

In an area of filing cabinets and lockers, I noticed this cool cabinet that once held college microscopes.

Globes have a huge retro appeal today, and for the person with a keen eye, the brocante held a ready-made collection.

If my dining room ceiling weren't quite so low, I might have snapped up these vintage lamps.

How's this for vintage — spats!

Years ago somebody bought a white cigarette holder, a sophisticated choice and the only one missing from this set.

Have you ever heard of a Dorking Rooster? (Is he x-rated?) I was instantly attracted to this handsome image because it was an original 1870's lithograph. It doubtlessly was 19th-century advertising .

I'm continually intrigued by these old team photographs. Have you ever noticed that the sports teams at the turn of the last century almost always included guys who wouldn't rise above bat boy today?

With its enameled metal top, this old cabinet could be a fun piece of outdoor furniture.

You'll never guess what this is, so I'll just tell you — it a detail from a vintage lampshade.

My purchase for the day was this lithographed tin, a perfect companion piece to my Lucky Strike tin of the same era. It probably dates to around the 1880s and is in virtually mint condition — a great find!

St. Petersburg's Brocante is very well thought out, efficiently organized, fun to visit and a great addition to the area. If you're in St. Petersburg, here's what you need to know:

2200 2nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

www.brocantemarket.com

facebook.com/brocantemarket

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The Finest Cafeteria in the South

"The Finest Cafeteria in the South." So says an early postcard of St. Petersburg's Tramor Cafeteria, built in 1929.

A prime example of Mediterranean Revival architecture, the interior was designed to resemble the patio of a Spanish hacienda, complete with arches, balconies and a condiment station that could just as easily be a fountain. The ceiling is a painted sky, just as it was in 1929.

Back in the 1930s a small band would play on the balcony seen below. I wonder if lunch patrons ever danced to the music? I'll bet they did.

In 1980, the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) bought the Tramor and renovated it. The Tramor reopened as a staffer's cafeteria in 1985, and I've had many meals there. For a little privacy, the balcony area was always a good choice (below).

The publisher requested that I design a sign for the entrance, and I created this image, which is about five feet wide, maybe a little wider.

I wanted to convey a 1930s atmosphere, so I used a typeface called Mona Lisa. It was originally designed by Albert Auspurg in the 1930s, and updated for modern use in 1991 by Pat Hickson.

You'll notice that there are no people in these photographs and that this wonderful landmark looks quite bare. That's because financial strains have caused the newspaper to put the Tramor up for sale, and there are no takers in sight.

The Tramor is still open to newspaper staffers, but this is the only food served there these days.
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The Architect's Revenge

This is St. Mary's Catholic Church, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and designed by the architect Henry S. Taylor in the 1920s. There is a legend in this town that Mr. Taylor was angered that he never received full payment for his Romanesque Revival design. The story goes that shortly thereafter, he made a very low bid to ensure that he would be the one to design a waterfront restroom, Comfort Station One:

Comfort Station One has thereafter been popularly known as "Little St. Mary's." There are those who say that this story is an urban legend — and it might be — but I'll let you look at the architectural details and decide for yourself.

Regardless, it's wise

to pay for services received.

As a post script I am including a link to another site that might or might not refute this legend. The architect's wife said that he was paid in full, but that "it took some time." 

http://www.stpete.org/historic_preservation/history_of_st_petersburg/notable_architects/docs/Comfort_Station.pdf

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One Man's Passion — Sunken Gardens

One of St. Petersburg, Florida's favorite landmarks started out as a private garden. In 1903, a plumber and avid gardener named George Turner, Sr. bought a property with a shallow lake. He discovered that the lake had formed over an ancient sinkhole. Turner drained the lake, which then allowed him to create winding paths and garden areas that reach as low as 15 feet below street level.

There are surprises at every turn.

 

And there are beautiful flowers.

By 1924, word had spread of Turner's exotic creation, and visitors could stroll through the garden for a 25¢ admission. They could enjoy the carp . . .

. . . and later, exotic animals like Chilean Flamingos and Laughing Kookaburras from Australia.

Today Sunken Gardens has an amphitheater, a small shaded stage, and lots of areas to just sit and enjoy the surroundings.

The beautiful area below has become a popular spot for weddings.

In 1999, the Turner family sold Sunken Gardens to the City of St. Petersburg, which maintains it today. Many of Mr. Turner's original plants still exist.

I thought I'd end with a photo of this bench. It's fossilized limestone that was revealed when the lake was drained. Traditionally, every new Sunken Garden employee starts his first day at this spot.

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A Trip to Mazzaro's

A great destination in St. Petersburg, Florida, is Mazzaro's Italian Market, our premier food market. Over the years, Mazzaro's has grown from one small building to a giant complex that requires traffic control on holidays. It's not just a fine market, it's somewhat of a tourist attraction. Let's go in!

The first stop is the wine and cheese room. Mazzaro's encourages sales through sampling — the cheese, not the wine!

Throughout the store, there are lots of interesting artifacts, usually referencing Italian heritage.

Here's a passageway between rooms. Do you get the feeling that there might be something special about the wine below these figures??

I'll bet you didn't know that in 1900, John Deere was manufacturing coffee grinders?

Mazzaro's has the best bread in town (my opinion). Also in this photo are pastries, gellato, and in the background, a coffee bar.

How's this for a selection of olives? You're encouraged to sample. If it's olive oil you're looking for, you can fill a bottle from a tap or choose from a huge selection of prebottled brands.

Here's a wall of pasta. Below, that deli counter seems like a mile long if you don't have a clear choice in mind!

On the way out, there's still something to look at ...

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