Research material from noted author and historian, Arva Moore Parks McCabe (1939-2020). Born in Miami, Florida, Arva had written countless books on Florida's eclectic history, including The Forgotten Frontier: Florida through the Lens of Ralph Middleton Munroe, Miami, the Magic City, and George Merrick, Son of the South Wind: Visionary Creator of Coral Gables. She also served as chief curator, interim director, and chair of the Coral Gables Museum.
This collection focuses heavily on George E. Merrick, Coral Gables, and other research topics used in her writings. It also features a large assortment of archival material: booklets, books, magazines, posters, photographs, negatives, pamphlets, postcards, maps, ephemera, newspapers, and guides about Miami and other notable cities and famous people related to South Florida.
The Dante B. Fascell Congressional Papers contain legislative documents, government administrative records, periodicals, correspondence, photographs, film, video tapes, sound recordings, and memorabilia, all documenting 38 years of his involvement in United States politics. The collection also represents a unique resource for study and research relating to the history of South Florida from 1955-1993. Topics of research include American legislative history, Dante B. Fascell's committee assignments, Florida projects, the growth and development of South Florida, the impact of foreign affairs and international relations on the United States, and United States relations with Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.
This collection contains exhibit promotional materials, correspondence, periodicals, news clippings, sketchbooks, art work, photographs, audio-visual materials (VHS, CD-Rs, floppy disks, Hi8 videocassette tapes), administrative files, and other related archival materials from the local Miami artist, Karen Rifas.
“In his adopted home of South Florida he imaged a cuisine that would wed the raw and rustic powers of the diverse immigrant cultures that comprise the population there to the classic techniques of gastronomy that have survived the test of time and trends. The revolution for a new style of cooking was born and Norman christened it a 'New World Cuisine.'” - Norman Van Aken, Correspondence, 1993 December 2.
A 2016 MenuMasters Hall of Fame Inductee, noted restauranteur, and the first chef to use the term "fusion cuisine" in its modern definition, Norman Van Aken (1951- ) is a celebrity chef primarily known for his "New World" fusion cuisine. Drawing from the flavors and culinary traditions of Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, Asia, and Africa, his impact on the culinary arts has been internationally recognized since the start of his career. His culinary influences on Florida's own local cuisine and restaurant culture are still observable to this day, especially to those who dine nightly at his Orlando restaurant.
This collection serves as a meaningful look into his career as a chef and culinary expert, and his personal life as a man with a deep interest in his family's past and present. The Norman Van Aken papers include documents, correspondence, photographs, manuscript drafts, menus, ephemera, recipes, and more, which showcase the personal life and professional career of one of South Florida's most celebrated chefs. Researchers with an interest in gastronomy, the history of South Florida's restaurant and food culture during the 1990s-2000s, or interpersonal relationships between celebrity chefs, may find this collection useful in their studies.
"An archive of ephemera detailing the short-lived Miami punk band, Screaming Sneakers, compiled by their drummer Mark Evans. The collection includes artwork, flyers, 28 letters, 12 photographs, maquettes, newspaper clippings, promotional material, and other items collected between 1981 and 1983 by Evans.
These items show the early days of the band in 1979 and their do-it-yourself rise to their only recordings in 1982. Featured throughout are various letters from fans and inquiring music writers including Mick Mercer of the English zines, ZigZag Mag and Panache Fanzine. In his letter he writes to frontwoman, Lisa, asking for an interview and saying, 'you seem to be a special sort of band.' Another letter is a retained copy of a note written by Mark to Blondie guitarist, Chris Stein, asking if his new record label, Animal Records, would be interested in the band. A group of 12 black and white band photos showing them posed around New York is featured here. A promotional poster for the band features a piece from the Miami News on Lisa which reads, 'she is more interesting simply sitting at her table than any of the bands cavorting on stage.'
Formed in 1979, the Screaming Sneakers were a punk, New Wave band based in Miami, Florida. The band consisted of then 17 year-old front woman Lisa Nash, Mark Evans (drums), Bud Gangemi (bass), and Gary Sunshine (guitar). Part of South Florida’s fleeting punk and new wave scene, the band was active mostly throughout Dade and Broward County. In 1982 they cut a four-song EP titled Marching Orders, which prompted new management, a move to New York, and a brief glimmer of fame, but despite their best efforts the band slowly faded into obscurity. Little enough is written on them, though they were recently featured in Gary McLaughlin’s 2012 documentary Invisible Bands, which covers the South Florida music scene between 1979 through the mid-1980’s.
An interesting collection of ephemera following a female fronted Miami punk Band’s short-lived time in the 1980s punk scene." -Between the Covers Rare Books
The Senator Mel Martinez Papers, donated to the University of Miami in 2010, consist primarily of records created during Martinez’s service as a United States Senator for Florida from 2005 to 2009. Comprised of 89 boxes, the collection includes legislative and committee files, schedules and appointments, correspondence with constituents and colleagues, speeches and floor statements, media coverage, casework files, campaign files, and administrative office records. The collection also includes photographs, audiovisual materials, and electronic records that date primarily from 1998 to 2009, but also includes scans of photographs and memorabilia relating to Martinez’s childhood in Cuba and immigration to the United States. Topics of research include American legislative history, Mel Martinez’s committee assignments, Florida projects, immigration, United States relations with Cuba, services for the elderly, and Florida’s environment, including issues relating to offshore oil drilling.
This collection contains promotional materials, club guidelines, news clippings relating to Students Toward a New Democracy, and newspapers with articles relevant to Overtown and labor campaigns.
