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The Eleni during filming
During the filming of Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953), the sponge boat Eleni was painted to look as though it had been burned by the rival Key West Conch sponge fishermen. After the filming ended, the boat was restored to its original condition.…
Lloyd Bridges with townspeople
Actor Lloyd Bridges poses with townspeople at the Sponge Docks during the filming of 16 Fathoms Deep (1948) in Tarpon Springs. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, both this film and Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) created a romantic aura around…
St. Nicholas Boat Line
In 1924 the Billiris family created one of the early sponge industry attractions. St. Nicholas Boat Line Sponge Diving Exhibition still functions as a cruise from the Sponge Docks up the Anclote River that incorporates an exhibition of hard-hat…
group in Greek clothing
A Greek school group dressed for a Greek cultural celebration poses on the Sponge Docks during the 1940s. The two sponge divers to the left behind them are Emmanuel Mehas and John Maillis. The front row is unidentified Greek school teacher,…
Samarkos Bros. sponge boats
Sponge boats Samarkos Bros, Eleni, Posidon, Anna, Democratia, and Anastases are moored at the Sponge Docks in 1949. Despite the many boats seen here, by the late 1940s the sponge beds had been devastated by a red tide that killed sponges, many…
waiting for sponge auction 1978
Buyers examine sponge lots during a large sale at the Sponge Exchange on June 19, 1978. Unlike sponge sales in Greece, sales at the Sponge Exchange were generally conducted through silent auctions. Each potential buyer submitted his bid on a piece of…
hauling sponges off the Eleni
On October 2, 1970, the crew of the sponge boat Eleni hauls strings of sponges off the boat to store in the Sponge Exchange until they are auctioned later in the day.
saleswoman with tourist
A Greek saleswoman explains the properties of a vase sponge inside a tourist store near the Sponge Docks, 1936. Shops very similar to this one remain today, together with specialized and general tourist shops.