At a glance

Bertha Palmer 2010 Celebration

• 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Mrs. Bertha Honoré Palmer (Mrs. Potter Palmer) in Sarasota.
• Many organizations from all segments and interest groups of the county have initiated a wide range of local and international projects during the year to commemorate various aspects of Mrs. Palmer’s remarkable achievements and interests (see list attached) as well as her enduring impact upon Sarasota today.
• The Historical Society of Sarasota County and an Executive Committee coordinate the projects with the participation of both city and county elected officials.
• An Honorary Committee, with broad representation from political, cultural and business leaders, has been established to provide guidance and support.

Initiated and coordinated by Hans Johnsson, a board member of the Historical Society of Sarasota County, and led by an executive committee with county and city officials, and with representatives of  historical and women’s organizations, the plans for a county wide celebration have taken the form of a series of events and activities throughout the year sponsored by an amazing variety of organizations. (Please see attached calendar of events to date).
The Bertha Palmer Celebrations planned for 2010 will be the biggest celebration of Sarasota´s history ever. It is the biggest celebration ever of a Sarasota woman pioneer. It would also be hard to find any event in Sarasota County history with more wide-reaching community support, from North to South, from East to West, from Sarasotans of widely different backgrounds.
The link to one of Sarasota´s greatest pioneers makes small events more visible and puts big events in a context. It combines specially crafted events with events that would have taken place anyway and gives them added attraction. The fact that Bertha Palmer´s interests were so diverse makes it possible to connect a broad range of events to her personality.

Background:

The reasons to celebrate Bertha Palmer are obvious to most Sarasotans interested in the region´s background and development, how the Sarasota of the early 20th century became the Sarasota of today.

Bertha Palmer (1849 – 1918) came to Sarasota in 1910. She was one of the most significant pioneers in the early build-up period of the Sarasota that we know today, on a par with the Ringlings, the Selbys, the Owens and others. She had a background in big events management, not least from her involvement as President of the Board of Lady Managers for the Woman´s Pavilion at the Chicago Columbian Exhibition of 1893. She was a courageous and astute businesswoman, who went far beyond what was considered “a woman´s place” in that period. When she moved to Sarasota as a widow, she showed that a single woman could manage her life and her business interests without relying on the support of a man. She was wealthy and showed that she could use her money and intellectual resources to accomplish unusual things in agriculture, land development and other fields. Her wide range of interests also included arts, music, gardening and other pursuits. It is hard to imagine what Sarasota would be like today, if she had not chosen to move here at the time she did. The only thing we can be sure of is that it would not have been the same.

The Bertha Palmer Project Development:

Gulf Coast Historical Association Collection

The “2010 – Sarasota County Bertha Palmer Celebrations” project was initiated in the fall of 2007 by Hans V A Johnsson, and immediately gained strong support from a wide range of organizations and civic and business leaders. The Historical Society of Sarasota County was the first organization to adopt the ideas. Historic Spanish Point, which has cultivated much of the Bertha Palmer heritage over the years, joined in very early. Other organizations followed. The County Commission of Sarasota, with Shannon Staub as Chair, and the City Commission of Sarasota, with then Mayor Lou Ann Palmer, opened doors, gave valuable advice and support, and took positions of responsibility from the start and onwards.  A Sarasota County and City Proclamation declaring 2010 as the “Bertha Palmer Year” was issued in January 2008.

Guidelines for the project were developed at an early stage. Important guideline items include the conditions that each part project would be self-financed, and that each project was to have a sponsoring organization and a fully responsible project manager. A set of complete guidelines is available from the project coordinator.

A logotype was developed as a pro bono project by Sara Mantle, senior student at the Ringling School of Art and Design in 2008. The logotype (see top of p. 1) will serve as a common link between all projects.
A Women´s Advisory Committee with representatives of Sarasota women´s organization has been established, with Andrea Rogers of the Sarasota County League of Women Voters as Chair.

The number of projects submitted has grown and is still growing at this time.   For a complete and updated calendar of events and further information, please visit www.BerthaPalmerAlive.com. 
Those who are interested can also follow Bertha Palmer on Facebook and Twitter.

Project Coordination and Management:
Executive Committee:
• Richard Clapp, Mayor, the City of Sarasota
• Bonnie Beth Greenball, Associate Director, Institute for Public Policy and Leadership
• University of South Florida/, Sarasota/Manatee Campus
• Betty Intagliata, Chair, Sarasota County Historical Commission      
• Hans V.A. Johnsson, Initiator and coordinator of the 2010 Bertha Palmer Celebrations
• Board member, Historical Society of Sarasota County
• Jane Kirschner-Tucillo,  President, Historical Society of Sarasota County
• Linda Mansperger, Executive Director, Historic Spanish Point
• Lou Ann Palmer, Former Mayor, City of Sarasota
• Andrea Rogers, Director, League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
• Shannon Staub, Commissioner, Sarasota County Commission
• Gayle Williams, President, Vision PR & Marketing

Historic Advisor:   Hope Black, MA