If ever a place could embrace spirits and revelry as part of its heritage, Key West would have to be it. On Friday, November 20, from 6:00PM-7:30PM, Key West Art & Historical Society opens the doors to the Custom House Museum on 281 Front Street to present its newest exhibit: Bars, Blues & Brews: A History of Carousing in Key West.

But just why IS Key West so notorious for its history of imbibing & carousing?

“A loaded question, indeed!” says KWAHS Curator Cori Convertito, PhD. “With such an extensive military presence on the island, coupled with a transient seafarer community and the fact that Key West was essentially cut off from the remainder of the United States, the emergence of bars is not surprising.”

“On this lonely outpost, prior to the arrival of Flagler’s Overseas Railway in 1912, there was not much to do in terms of entertainment,” she continues. “Bars sprung up in the seaport area, and nearby present-day Truman Annex, which was then the naval base. These bars offered respite from a day’s hard labor, the opportunity to socialize with colleagues, a chance to win money in a game of cards or billiards and the possibility of meeting a nice young lady or two.”

As the tourism industry grew, so did the bar industry, cultivating a “mixed” feeling along with its “anything goes” attitude, says Convertito.

“There were gay bars, straight bars, military bars, tourist bars, and ethnic bars that catered to the Bahamian or Cuban community— all coexisting within a very small footprint.”

It might go without saying that personalities such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Captain Tony Tarracino, Jimmy Buffett, and Mel Fisher helped color the landscape of what happened in these bars, but KWAHS has made certain to capture this essence, too. The Society has organized an oral history component with a recording line (305-295-6563), a few of which will be featured in the exhibit.

“The community has been so generous with their storytelling,” says Convertito. “We’ve already had calls to the phone number, plus I had an exciting storytelling session with Tom Corcoran, former Key West bartender, author and lover of good bar stories.”

The exhibit will explore gambling, rum-running, music, and the military with KWAHS artifacts that include vintage booze bottles, advertisements from the 40s and 50s, photographs from the KWAHS archives, demijohn bottles from Key West’s rum-running days, and gambling equipment from the Habana Madrid Nightclub. Items on loan will include a rum-runner’s ship compass, vintage signage from Key West bars that are long gone, a section of bar from the Full Moon Saloon as well as small objects from bars such as matchbooks.

Gallery visitors can also delight in Wonderdog Productions’ replica of the Green Parrot Bar, one of the island’s most iconic watering holes and the exhibit’s major sponsor. The recreation will include some of the bar’s artwork, a video segment featuring co-owner John Vagnoni, and the celebrated jukebox playlist as it streams through gallery speakers.

The opening reception offers VIP access to members at 5:30PM and opens to the public at 6:00PM, featuring Barry Cuda on his piano, Green Parrot Session Ale on tap, and oral stories being recorded from guests willing to share their own tales of carousing in Key West.

“Key West bars serve as an excellent hub for learning, sometimes in more ways than one,” says Convertito.

Bars, Blues & Brews: A History of Carousing in Key West runs until March 29, 2016 and is sponsored in part by the Green Parrot Bar, Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Chloe & Rob Watters, Off The Hook Grill Key West and Azur Restaurant. For more information, contact Cori Convertito at 305.295.6616 x 112 or visit KWAHS.ORG.

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