A treasure trove of St. Pete images from the 1920s was recently discovered in a scrapbook titled "Journeyings of George A. Abeel." Abeel played oboe and other instruments for the Sousa Band and the Royal Scotch Highlanders. Many of the photos were taken in 1922-23 while he was working here as a musician during the winter tourist season. The scrapbook was found at an upstate New York estate auction and individual photos are for sale on eBay. These photographs open a window into our neighborhood's past.
Jungle Yacht Basin
This photo is described as being on the border of the golf course. It appears to be the Jungle yacht basin (now called the Admiral Farragut Academy boat basin) with Boca Ciega Bay in the distance.
After colorization:
Jungle Scenes
Click on the images to enlarge.
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| Photo of the 14th and 15th fairways on the Jungle course. The photographer was facing southwest near the present day 1500 block of Robinson Drive. Country Club Road can be seen on the right. |
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| 14th and 15th fairways – 1922 photo colorized. |
The Photographer
George Albert Abeel (1891-1982)
1891 born in Syracuse, NY
1915 graduated from Cornell University, degree in Agriculture
1917-19 World War I: National Guard, Musician 3rd Class
1923-24 Sousa Band tour (oboe)
1923 Royal Scotch Highlanders (14 weeks in St. Pete)
1929 first chair, English horn, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
1930 (census) occupation: piano tuner
1943 marries Marrianne Douglas, originally from Manchester, England
1950 (census) occupation: musician, piano tuner
1982 dies at age 91, buried Pompey Hill Cemetery, Pompey NY
Photographs of the photographer grayscale and colorized:
Royal Scotch Highlander Band in St. Pete: (click on images to enlarge)
More 1922 St. Pete Photos From the Scrapbook
Click on image to enlarge.
Sources for this post include eBay, Find-a-Grave, ancestry.com and newspapers.com.
