A crowd gathers to inspect power boats at the Poinciana docks. Boat races were a popular form of entertainment during the season.

Early Ballroom

A rare view of the Hotel Royal Poinciana depicting the east side of the Ballroom (center) and a fleet of bicycle chairs and drivers.

Big Fish

The pier originally served as a port where ships unloaded cargo onto railcars. The tracks spanned the island to West Palm Beach. The tracks were used as the trolley line after the bridge was moved from the north side of Whitehall to its current location on Royal Poinciana Way.

The Hotel Royal Poinciana looms in the distance (center.) The pier was destroyed in the 1925 hurricane. Remnants are still visible on a clear day.

The Front Walk

A view of the grounds taken in 1903 before the east/west Piazza was built. The picture shows a view of the walk leading from the main entrance of the hotel (to the back of photographer Burr McIntosh) looking west to the docks. The portion of the walk on the right leads to the north along the front of the hotel.

This photo from the University of California, shows the same walk, about mid-way, taken from the opposite direction. 

Henry Flagler- The Movie

The gentleman in this stereograph from the University of California collection is unidentified. Of course we know it's Henry Morrison Flagler sitting in front of his newly completed mansion "Whitehall." The marble bench is still there, just inside the entrance gate.

Gibson Girls

Three young ladies, looking straight out of a Charles Dana Gibson cartoon pose on the Lake Trail in 1903. Henry Flagler's 60,000 square foot Gilded Age masterpiece, Whitehall, completed a year earlier, looms in the background.

Photo by Burr McIntosh

Dancing With the Palms

In this photograph, taken in 1903 by actor/photographer Burr McIntosh, hotel guests are seated around the dance floor in the Cocoanut Grove listening to a concert performed by the hotel band.

On the Jungle Trail

Since learning my new trick I can't resist creating little two-frame movies from stereographs. This card depicts what appears to be a family- father and attractive daughter in the front with Mother and son close behind. The drivers, wearing tunics and badges on their caps, work for the hotel.  This area appears to be the Jungle Trail- a winding, zig-zagging path that was located south of the middle bridge near the Society of the Four Arts. Alligator Joe's attraction was conveniently located at the south end of the trail where Worth Avenue is located.

The Boating Party

The docks were situated on the south side of the north bridge where the Royal Poinciana Theater now stands. In this animated stereograph, guests from the hotels (the Hotel Royal Poinciana is in the background) embark on a sightseeing trip.

Boat Party

The original stereograph comes from the University of California and is captioned "Party on the boat, Palm Beach, Florida. Taken ca. 1900, once you get past the past the flashing movement you really get the feel of being a passenger.

The Party's Over!

As the party boat hasn't met a Titanic-style disaster, "women and children" disembark in reverse order.

Looking For the Bar?

Turn left at the pillar. You can get there via "Hypocrite's Row." Just look for the door inside the men's room.

Pictured here is an animated gif of this stereograph. I'll be adding more gifs this week.

The North Entrance

This picture, courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, was taken just inside the north entrance of the hotel. The window on the right faces north. Outside the door, a long piazza stretched to the little train station. The tennis courts were on the east side of the piazza. From here, guests started their very long walk to the front desk.

The picture is rich in detail. The room looks to be set up for a high tea. Note the elegant lace tablecloths and curtains. A string surrounds the table beneath the sconce (center left) to keep guests away from some very fancy glass and china.

The china on the table to the right is white with green and orange trim. Examples are on display at The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum located in the restored courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida.      

Ragtime

A clipping of a newspaper rotogravure page showing a view of the north entrance lobby taken from the same spot as this one, in a different year. Guests were treated to music throughout the hotel- there was at least one more piano, placed just outside the Garden Grill.

Photogravure courtesy of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.