Author: Miss Cellania / Source: Neatorama
Vacation souvenirs are the ultimate in kitsch, and nothing says “Florida vacation” more than knick-knacks featuring dolphins. Collectors who amass vintage Florida dolphin souvenirs know they can evoke fond memories of good times long ago, but they also capture a time that wasn’t so great for the dolphins involved.
The first Florida aquarium featuring dolphins opened in 1938 to enthusiastic crowds. A decade later, such attractions began training dolphins to perform tricks for paying audiences. The craze for dolphins peaked in the 1960s when the TV show Flipper became a hit. While the tourists kept coming to watch the intelligent marine mammals perform impressive stunts, research on dolphin intelligence plus the proliferation of smaller, cheaper attractions caused a shift in public…The post Day of the Dolphin: How Vintage Florida Kitsch Masked a Grim Reality appeared first on FeedBox.