1. McCarthy Album 11, Photograph 114-1

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McCarthy Album 11, Photograph 114

Parent Collection:

William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection

Date:

7/2/1934

Subject:

Slaughtered Turtles, Key West

Description:

Caption: "400 Pound Turtles Ready for Shipment -- Key West July 2, 1934." Several slaughtered sea turtles on a wharf in Key West. Turtle meat and eggs were popular food items in the early-to-mid twentieth century; turtle fat was especially prized for making turtle soup. Turtle kraals (corrals) and a cannery were built as the Key West area began to develop. However, the turtle population plummeted in the Florida Keys and surrounding areas as the twentieth century progressed and demand for turtle meat, eggs, and fat increased. The Key West turtle fishing industry halted after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1971. Turtle populations have since started to recover. The cannery now serves as the Key West Turtle Museum.

Identifier:

96-07-08-alb11-114

Contributor:

No data available for this field

Publisher:

California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State's Office

Right:

© 2017 by the California State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s Office. Contact the owner for more information at ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov or (916) 653-2246.

Source:

Image of an item within the William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection (96-07-08)

Format:

JPEG, scanned at 400 DPI, 24-bit color

Language:

English

Type:

Still Image