Spanish Pathways exhibit at Polk History Center
PHOTO BY MARY CANNADAY
Reproduction headgear, swords and other equipment that would have been worn by Ponce De'Leon's contingent during their 1513 entry into Florida, are part of the display in the Polk County History Museum during "Viva Florida," statewide 500th anniversary celebration. Admission is free of charge.
PHOTO BY MARY CANNADAY
Maria Trippe, Museum Assistant, arranges a cardboard cutout of a Spanish dancer in the lobby of the Polk County History Center. The center is hosting "Spanish Pathways," an exhibit related to the ,Viva Florida 500 campaign, which celebrates 500 years of Florida history since the arrival of Ponce de Leon in 1513.
PHOTO BY MARY CANNADAY
This display, a mixture of reproduction and original artifacts, shows Polk Historical Museum visitors the swords that were worn by the Ponce De' Leon's Spanish contingent as they arrived in the territory now called Florida. In the red case is a display of shoe buckles and other genuine artifacts from that period in history, on loan to the museum.
Heralding the celebration of Florida’s 500th birthday, or more specifically, 500 years of Florida history since Ponce de Leon came ashore in 1513, the Polk County History Center is displaying the “Spanish Pathways” exhibit. The educational display opened Friday at the center with a lecture, “The African Presence in Spanish Florida,” by Rosalyn Howard, Ph.D, director of North American Indian Studies at the University of Central Florida. The lecture was sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council.
A reception followed, with an opportunity to view the exhibit, sponsored locally by Madrid Engineering and the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.
