The MGM Bounty Exhibit was Florida's first Marine-Historical attraction dedicated to the romance and history of an era long past. It was at the Vinoy Basin adjoining the Municipal Pier in St. Petersburg. The ship was built in 1960 in Nova Scotia, following every detail from the original blueprints on file in the British Museum for the 1787 Royal Navy sailing ship the HMS Bounty. It took 9 months to complete for the 1962 film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando. When the movie was nearing completion, Marlon Brando insisted on not letting the ship be burned at the end of the film as planned and MGM agreed and kept the vessel.
After filming and a worldwide tour, the ship was berthed on exhibit in St. Petersburg as a permanent tourist attraction and became a huge money maker for MGM. On land was a Tahitian village with a large and unusual gift shop that featured exotic items such as wood carvings from the Pitcairn Islands. There were South Pacific stamps available for philatelists. The ship stayed there until the mid 1980s when it was purchased by Ted Turner and used for the filming of Treasure Island. In 1993 it was donated to the Tall Ship Bounty Foundation as an educational venture. In 2001 it was sold to the HMS Bounty Organization. It was moored during the winters in St. Petersburg and used in the movies Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
On October 25, 2012 it left Connecticut heading for St. Petersburg. It was caught up in Hurricane Sandy off the coast of North Carolina with 16 people aboard. The ship sank on October 29, 2012 and 14 people were rescued. Sadly, the Captain and one of the crew members were lost at sea.
Included in this listing is a three part series that was published in the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. Each section is a full newspaper size and contains 10 pages of articles, photos, illustrations and stories. What a great remembrance of the tragedy that happened to the crew and the ship. It was published on the anniversary of the sinking during Hurricane Sandy of the East Coast of the United States. The newspaper sections are in excellent condition with normal folds in the paper and on the edges.
Part One - The Last Voyage of the Bounty - Sunday, October 27, 2013
This tri-fold brochure is in very good vintage condition as you can see by the enlarged photographs. It has a bent corner at the top left that also shows on the crease on the inside of the top fold, there is also a small bend in the right to corner. It opens up to approximately 9 inches by 12 inches. There are 10 color photographs and a map. There are two close up views of the ship, one on the front cover in daylight and one on the back at night.
This would make a great addition to you collection of vintage brochures. It is also a true piece of history since the tragic destruction of the great sailing ship in 2012..
This will be sent 1st Class Mail carefully packaged between 2 layers of cardboard, with Tracking/Delivery Confirmation. For more information about me and booth policies, click on Starfisher's Stars at the top of this page, it will take you to the main page of my booth. Thanks for visiting!