Our collections consist of books, maps, newspaper clippings, and an extensive group of photographs submitted and donated over a 25-year period.
Two collections stand out the most.
Gladys Marie Prevatt Jeffcoat (1925-2012) began her photographic career in the 1940s. Born and raised in Plant City, Jeffcoat’s fascination with photography started as a teenager. She convinced Myrtle Young, who ran the Hollywood Studio on Reynolds St., to hire her for $1.00 weekly and progressed in her experience and education. By 1945, Jeffcoat decided to open a studio, purchasing Kramer Photo Services from Ray Kramer. In 1946, Gladys passed her exam and became one of the few female photographers accepted into the Florida Photographers Association. With a new license, Gladys made Arcade Studio a success and the first camera shop and Eastman Kodak dealership in Plant City.
While raising a family, she intermittently continued her photography work.
Gladys was an official photographer for the Florida Strawberry Festival and The Plant City Courier, photographing numerous weddings and social events. She also photographed the school annuals for Plant City High School, Turkey Creek High School, and Pinecrest High School. She retired in 1990 and left the business to her son, Harry Jeffcoat. In 2008, Gladys donated her photographic material and extensive camera collection.
William John “Bill” Friend (1927-1999) was one of Plant City’s leading photographers for over 40 years. He grew up in Lakeland, developing an interest in photography while attending high school. After enlisting with the Marines Corps in 1948, Friend returned from duty abroad in 1952. He followed his brother George to Plant City, where he purchased photographer Ray Kramer’s Studio in 1953. Originally located on Reynolds St., Bill Friend’s Studio eventually moved to Palmer St. in the 1970s and remained open until Friend’s passing in 1999.
Along with his colleague, Gladys Jeffcoat, Friend became an official photographer for the Strawberry Festival, provided photos for The Courier, and photographed local school and organizational events. In 1962, he documented a shipment of strawberries from the farms at Parkesdale Farms to their loading onto an Eastern Air Lines plane. Passengers had the chance to enjoy some of the berries during the flight to Pennsylvania. He continued to capture the journey of the crates onto trucks for delivery at an Eat’ n Park coffee shop, where the berries were prepared and served as delicious strawberry pies.