Weeki Wachee (ca. 1957, Frank Koza Collection)

“Weeki Wachee“ (ca. 1957, Frank Koza Collection, 16mm, color, silent) Two women perform in a “live mermaid show“ at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs. They glide and twirl underwater, sip from their breathing hoses, and eventually sit down for a drink and a banana. Entrepreneur Newton Perry founded the mermaid attraction in 1947. The performances occur in a natural pool that connects with the springs and a seven-mile river, with a limestone theater where viewers can look through glass to watch the shows.