Archive for June 2014
The Pensacola Dons And Another Promotion …
A good while ago, I posted a photo of a Dons player awarding a pretty girl in a bathing suit some flowers for winning a beauty contest. No one recognized the player or the girl, but the someone did identify the master of ceremonies for the event as a local radio personalty. In the background were the rest of the beauty contestants. Here is that photo again …
Note the suitcase that reads ” Philco ” that I guess contains the equipment to broadcast the event on local radio. I cannot identify what radio station, but I would imagine that it was either WCOA, WBSR or some other local station. So, since the Dons management had this event for all of the guys out in the audience, they needed to do some for all of the ladies sitting in the bleachers down at the Admiral Mason Park … a body builders contest. I do not know if this event was held on the same night or if it done on another night and as usual, I have no idea who any of the body builders are or who the young lady is awarding the winners. I cannot tell if she is this girl above or not, but she very well could be. So here goes … I am just going to post all of the photos and save my comment to the end …
After looking at these photos, I am going to say that the girl in the top photograph is the girl in these presenting the trophies to the body builders. As usual, I do not have a clue who any of these people are. I have been surprised that I have not received that many comments from people who attended the Dons games from back in the late 1950’s. I also am interested if anyone recorded any film from any of the games or of just random footage shot at the Admiral Mason Park during this era of the Dons. I realize that this will be a long shot, but I am interested in seeing if anyone shot anything. When I was looking through my scans of the Dons recently, I discovered that I have around 100 to 120 scans from the Dons years of 1957, 58 and 59, so I will try to throw up a few more in the next few weeks. Please check back and let me hear from you … Frank
Pensacola Dons with Bo Belinsky …
This is a group photo of the pitching staff of the Pensacola Dons from 1959. I am not 100% on the year, but I am pretty sure that was the year. Belinsky in the the back row on the far right side. I do not have a clue who any of the other pitchers are at this point … I will have to do some checking and see if I can find some names. I ran across a folder that I have scanned, but I have not cleaned any of the photos up and gotten ready to post. There might be 40 or so negatives that I have scanned in this folder. Some negatives are of a group of male body builders in their bathing suites and some girls giving them their awards. I have posted a photo of a beauty queen receiving a trophy from a ball player, but I have not done anything with the guys. I guess management figured if they did something for the men in the stands that they had better do something for the women so that they would not have a riot on their hands. I will work them up in the next few weeks and post them. Maybe the Blue Wahoos could learn a thing or two from the Dons, however the way that they pack that new stadium every game, they are certainly doing something right because it sure ain’t the way that they are playing!! Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
One more thing, here is a link to Bo Belinsky’s Wikipedia page. He was really an interesting guy, so just google him and read about him ….
Governor Dan McCarty of Florida …
This is Governor Dan McCarty of Florida photographed at Penton’s Feed Store in Milton. I am not sure of the exact date, but it had to have been taken sometime in 1953 because he was only governor for nine months. He passed away in September of 1953. Here is a link to a Wikipedia site on Gov. McCarty. I have posted some other photos of him in downtown Milton, but I had not posted this one yet. I believe that Penton’s is still open in Milton on Alabama Street. If anyone remembers him coming to Pensacola, please let us hear from you. Thanks for looking and please check back … Frank
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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