TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Banking On Nostalgia

ADVERTISEMENT

By PHILIP MORGAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2007

TAMPA - Sending holiday cards featuring pictures of the city's historical buildings would be a great way to promote the hometown bank, its president figured.

That was nearly two decades ago, and Jerry Divers is amazed at the nostalgic nerve the The Bank of Tampa's cards seem to strike.

"I can't tell you how many people over the years have told me they collect them," he says.

Each year since 1988, the bank has commissioned Tampa area artist Frank Sasso to illustrate a different landmark. This year's card features an exterior shot of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, a downtown Tampa edifice that remains beautifully intact.

That's not the case every year. In past holiday seasons, the cards have featured some celebrated but long-gone selections, including the swank Tampa Terrace Hotel and the stunning county courthouse, which fell to the wreckers in 1960.

"It never should have been torn down," says Divers, who grew up in the Bay area.

Divers got the idea for the promotion from the Bank of New York, which for years featured elegant etchings of historical but no longer extant New York City buildings.

Divers, who chooses each year's selection, thought the project might also raise awareness of historic preservation.

Other buildings featured in past years included the old El Pasaje Hotel in Ybor City, Tampa Union Station, Vicente Martinez Ybor's factory, The Cuban Club, the Italian Club and the defunct Ballast Point Pavilion. With each card is a short description of the building and its significance.

Reporter Philip Morgan can be reached at (813) 259-7609 or

pmorgan@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT