The
Burgert Brothers Photographic
Collection
by Angela Judge
Whether
it's the industrialism of
H.B. Plant, tales of Teddy
Roosevelt and the Rough Riders,
the ingenuity of Vincente
Martinez Ybor, or the colorful
tales of invasions of pirates,
like Jose Gaspar, as told
during the winter celebration
of Gasparilla, all of these
images embrace the legacy,
and the allure, that is Tampa.
Welcome
to the Hidden Treasure of
the Burgert Brothers photographic
collection. Housed at the
John F. Germany Public Library
in downtown Tampa, the collection
boasts nearly 15,000 black
and white images that record
the diverse history of Tampa
Bay and the West Coast of
Florida. Pioneers in commercial
photography, brothers Al and
Jean Burgert recorded the
history of 
Tampa
in a way that only few have
seen. History tells us that
in May, 1539, Hernando de
Soto and his crew from Spain
eased into Tampa Bay to plunder
it of its gold. Although there
are no reports of gold found,
we have an advantage over
those who first searched the
bay: many of our Tampa Bay
treasures, such as the Burgert
Brothers photographic collection,
are hidden on plain view.
For more information, visit
the Tampa-Hillsborough
Public Library System.
Angela
F. Judge,
a Tampa native, is an avid
creative and technical writer.
Although she saw glimpses
of this passion in high school,
she sharpened her skills during
varied corporate experiences.
Returning to her first love
of writing, Ms. Judge is now
the CEO & Principle Partner
of NDueCzon Publishing Group,
a fresh and exciting firm
offering authors an investment-based
opportunity to publish their
literary and musical projects.
Her firm creatively guides
authors to ensure that their
final products are contextually
sound, visually engaging,
and commercially marketable.
You may contact Ms. Judge
via email at NdueCzon@aol.com.
