Sandy Arpen, the Director of the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society (MMHS), asked me to photographically document the remaining historic structures and views in Mandarin. For 2021, it was a perfect project. I stayed close to home and met some of the descendants from the early days of the community. Got to hear their stories and see and photograph their homes. I was assisted by the Mandarin Museum and the Mandarin Community Club and was introduced to Wayne W. Wood.
Within the collection, there are various black and white images that are featured in the book "Images of America MANDARIN" by Susan Ford. Similarly, several of the color images of Mandarin were also published in Wayne Wood's book "Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage Bicentennial Edition."
There's also a unique location in Mandarin that's filled with live oaks and breathtaking gardens that I had the privilege of photographing. I've compiled a collection of photos from this location in a separate gallery, which is accessible by clicking on this link - Mandarin's Garden.
