Key West; Images of the Past

Langley, Joan and Langley, Wright

Published by Christopher C. Belland & Edwin O. Swift, III, Key West, 1982

About this Item

The format is approximately 7 inches by 10 inches. 132 pages. Illustrations. Map. Inscribed on the title page by the co-author Wright Langley. The inscription reads For Bill Currie---Who appreciates the history of this exciting island. Best, Wright Langley July 21, 1982. Wright Langley's business card laid in. Decorative front cover has some wear and soiling. The cover became detached and has been reglued in place. Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it constitutes the City of Key West. The island of Key West is about 4 miles long and 1 mile wide, with a total land area of 4.2 square miles. Within Florida, it is 130 miles southwest of Miami by air, about 165 miles by road. The official city motto is "One Human Family". Wright Langley was a photographer, newsman, historian, and publisher. He left his imprint on Key West. Langley s life spanned 1935-2000. He found his way to Key West through marriage. In 1958, Langley and Joan Knowles were married. Joan a fourth generation Conch. Langley had earlier received one of the Rochester Institute of Technology s first bachelor degrees in photography. Several years later, a Masters of Science in Journalism from Boston University. His thesis concerned photography. Nineteen sixty found Langley interested in telling turtle fishing s story via photos. Turtle fishing a major Key West industry at the time. He became a reporter and photographer for the Key West Citizen in 1965. Three years later, he went to work for the Miami Herald as Key West Bureau Chief. Nineteen seventy-seven found Langley in a new position. One where he had the opportunity to do much good for his adopted community. He became Director of the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board. A position he held till 1993. Langley collected photos from all eras of Keys. Where the camera was in use, of course. He also photographed anything and everything during those years. In 1982, Langley started a publishing business. Not so much for money. Rather to assist Key West s many writers who otherwise might not have been published. He co-authored several books. Some with his wife Joan. Three of the co-authored books were Key West-Images of the Past, Key West and the Spanish American War, and Yesterday s Asheville. Wright Langley. A newsman who became an historian. A man who preserved Key West history. He came, he saw, he photographed, he collected, and left behind a treasure trove of history.

Seller Inventory # 86461

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Key West; Images of the Past
• Publisher: Christopher C. Belland & Edwin O. Swift, III, Key West
• Publication Date: 1982
• Binding: Trade paperback
• Illustrator: Wright Langley
• Edition: Presumed First Edition, First printing.
• Condition: Fair
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)