By Community News | August 10, 2021 Image courtesy of HistoryMiami | Letter “B” neon sign (2019.001.088) and door pull (2019.001.087) from Burdines department store on the corner of Miami Avenue and Flagler Street.
These treasures are on display to the public, just in time to celebrate Miami’s 125th birthday, as well as the museum’s 81st anniversary.
“Our mission is to safeguard Miami Stories and one of the ways we do that is by collecting items that document the Miami experience,” said Jorge Zamanillo, HistoryMiami Museum executive director. “This is truly the community’s collection, and we hope everyone will visit and enjoy these highlights that capture the uniqueness of our city.”
“It’s a Miami Thing” was curated from over 30,000 objects and millions of archival items in the museum’s collection, which are carefully preserved. The exhibition includes the Burdines sign from the original flagship store, Seminole patchwork clothing, architectural drawings of Miami buildings, prints from naturalist John James Audubon’s Birds of America and treasure salvaged from the 1622 Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck discovered 35 years ago off the coast of the Florida Keys. There also is an interactive component inviting visitors to reflect on and share their “Miami thing.”
“It’s a Miami Thing,” on display at HistoryMiami Museum, located at 101 W. Flagler St., will remain in place through Jan. 9, 2022. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, noon-4 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum currently is offering complimentary admission through Aug. 31. Starting Sept. 1, admission is $10 for adults; seniors and students with ID are $8; children ages 6-12 are $5; museum members and children under 6 are free.
The exhibition is sponsored in part by Miami Dade County, State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Bermont Gold Wealth Advisory of Raymond James, and Mark Migdal & Hayden.
For more information, visit historymiami.org.
