Jacksonville Greets the 20th Century: The Pictorial Legacy of Leah Mary Cox.

Gainesville, Tallahassee: University Press of Florida, 1021 Oblong octavo, hardcover (cloth & boards), gilt letters, xix, 125 pp. Fine in a Fine dust jacket. From dust jacket: Through striking architectural photographs and lively, readable narrative, this pictorial account of early-twentieth-century Jacksonville tells the triumphant story of photographer Leah Mary Cox while revealing Jacksonville’s architectural history. Nearly 50 years after Cox’s death, a treasure trove of more than 4,000 glass negatives was discovered, stashed in the basement of her home. Cox’s images capture Jacksonville at the turn of the century. Ranging from the Spanish-American War and the Great Fire of 1901 to the city’s rich architectural diversity and everyday street scenes, her photographs serve as one of the most significant visual records available of Jacksonville in the early 1900s. Ann Hyman takes 61 captivating photographs from this vast collection and reconstructs an image of life in Jacksonville, weaving it together with pieces of Cox’s life to create an engaging narrative. Background insights, such as Cox’s determination to keep her family together after the death of her father and the illness of her mother, provide the reader with a sense of context for her photography. This illustrated account of Jacksonville’s architectural achievements is an incredible find for photographers, Jacksonville historians, and those interested in early photography and women’s studies.