Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida's Magical WatersRickKilby. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.

Abstract

Finding the Fountain of Youth: de Leon and Florida's Magical Waters Rick Kilby. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.Beginning in 2013, celebrations like Vive Florida 500 commemorated the arrival of de Leon and other milestones in Florida history. As part of this observance, the University Press of Florida has designated this book as part of the Florida Quincentennial Books series. The author, a graphic designer living in Orlando, Florida, has undertaken what is a very personal project. He has pulled together in one volume what he designates as Ponceabilia, the reproductions of eye-catching postcards, vintage advertisements and photos, comic books, and other visual materials, many from his own collection. These visual images are reminders of the period when the explorer's image was used to promote Florida.According to the author, Florida has been transformed into a veritable Fountain of a playground of rejuvenating springs and beautiful underwater creatures in sites such as Silver Springs, known for crystal-clear underwater photographs and glass-bottomed boats. Kilby notes that he first found this fountain of youth during a Thanksgiving trip he made to St. Augustine several years ago and discovered what became an actual Fountain of Youth attraction, with mannequins in period garb, a small spring, a planetarium of the explorer's discovery using only stars, and displays of recent archaeological finds at the site. The author then ties together different themes which he explores through a series of interesting chapters.The introduction begins with the story of de Leon, the explorer who searched for the fountain of youth and reached the shores of Florida on April 2, 1513. He was actually looking for wealth, titles, power, and prestige. Historians have long since debunked the myth that the explorer found any fountain of youth, but the story has remained part of the fascinating lore of the Sunshine State.Chapter One, Ponce de Leon and the Myth of the Fountain of Youth, recounts what most historians consider to be the real facts about the Spanish explorer who is remembered for something he did find but is forgotten for his real discoveries, such as discovery of the Florida Current, or the Gulf Stream, a significant find for which de Leon is not remembered. Why is this? Most likely, the romanticism of a fountain of youth had more appeal than a geographical discovery which proved useful to later explorers on their future return trips to Europe.The next chapter, Magic in the Waters: The Fantasy of Florida Beckons Newcomers, focuses on the various issues that arise when a state has the largest concentration of springs in the world. These are now estimated at more than seven hundred. The State of Florida as a land of eternal health was a theme that some of its earliest promoters used to boost tourism as health spas and springs were developed in the late nineteenth century, with alleged cures for everything from consumption and jaundice to rheumatism and syphilis. …