1946 Jungle Gardens Prayer Sarasota FL Postcard

About This Vintage Postcard

Dating to the mid-1940s, this linen-era postcard offers a serene glimpse into Sarasota Jungle Gardens, one of Florida’s oldest continuously operating roadside attractions. The image captures a lush tropical path and rustic bridge, framed by a poignant verse titled "The Prayer of the Woods." The text personifies the forest as a lifelong companion to humanity, from the wood of a cradle to the board of a table, concluding with a plea for preservation: "Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer: harm me not." This card beautifully reflects the intersection of early Florida tourism and a burgeoning respect for the state's exotic natural landscapes.

Details

Era: Linen (circa 1946)
City: Sarasota
State or Region: Florida
Country: United States
Topic: Roadside Attractions and Botanical Gardens
Condition: Uncirculated
Postage: None
Address Side: Divided Back
Orientation: Horizontal (Landscape)
Artist / Photographer: Unknown
Publisher: M. E. Russell, Sarasota, Florida
Printer: Curt Teich and Co., Chicago, Ill.
Print Type: Lithograph

Additional Information

The back of this card explains that the featured verse is translated from "Ancient Portuguese" and has been used in the forest reservations of Portugal for over a thousand years. It notes that this specific prayer is displayed at the entrance of Sarasota Jungle Gardens.