New Venice exhibit highlights the city’s ‘eyes and ears’ of the 1950s

VENICE, Fla. - To get the latest stories from one of the most influential news personalities of the 1950s, look no further than the Venice Museum.

Its newest photo exhibit showcases the creative works of Woody Thayer.

Thayer was a well-known news writer, radio personality and photographer, who kept Floridians informed for decades.

Woody Thayer's image on display as part of the exhibit. 

The exhibit is titled ‘Woody Thayer: Venice’s Eyes and Ears of the 1950s, and showcases what life was like when he was a reporter.

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"He was really the source of news. He was our representative, our main guy that got the news out there and a lot of people relied on him," explained Jon Watson, curator and collections manager at the museum. "There wasn't multiple news channels back in the 40s, 50s and 60s, especially in Venice. He was really that first local guy that you relied on to get your local news about Venice."

Black and white image on display in the Woody Thayer exhibit. 

The photographs selected for the exhibit cover a variety of topics – from police finding loot, to a man getting his hand stuck in a mail chute.

The city has more than 3,000 photos and articles from Thayer, but only a select few are included in the exhibit.

The exhibit is dedicated to Woody Thayer who many relied on to report the news in Venice. 

Click here to learn more about the exhibit at the Venice Museum.

The exhibit is open until Jan. 17, 2024.