Historical Photos
Historical Photos
Journey through maps and images of Grand Bahama's life and early development through the decades. See early settlements, traditional arts, developing coastlines and more.
1600's - 1900's
Isles Lucayes map, 1686
Map of Golf of Florida and Bahama Banks published in 1816 by favor of Captn. T. Rogers
1775 Map
Sponging - Taking Sponges from the Bottom with a Pole Hook
Sponging - Packing Sponges in a Sponge Yard
Map of the Bahama Islands 1905
West Indian Hurricanes August 1878-1903
West Indian Hurricanes July 1878-1903
West Indian Hurricanes May 1878-1903
An Accurate Map of the West Indies with Adjacent Coast of America 1796 by Cartographer John Reid
Section of 1796 Map by Cartographer John Reid showing an enlarged view of the Bahamas
Map of the Isles Lucayes by Cartographer Alain Mallet 1686
Map of Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali, C 1740 by Catographer Willem Janzoon Blaeu
Map of the West Indies and Bermuda Islands by Cartographer Joseph Hutchins Colton c 1865
1940's
Original saw mill at Pine Ridge, 1940's
Pine Ridge lumber operation, 1940's
Pine Ridge outdoor movie theatre viewing platform, 1940's
Generator at the Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, 1940's
Locomotive Number 5, Pine Ridge Railroad
Grand Bahama beach, 1940's
Stoking the firebox of steam turbine, Pine Ridge, 1940's
Locomotive Number 5 at Pine Ridge, 1946
Washing of logs prior to entering mill
Remains of crawfish canning business, 1940's
Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, 1940's
Lumber being loaded from narrow gauge rail car at Freeport Harbour
Dolly and Grey Russell, 1940's
Collecting Palm Fronds
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 10
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 9
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 8
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 7
Witch's Light and Poolside Lounge
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 5
The Grand Bahama Hotel & Country Club
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 2
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 2
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 1
Grand Bahama Club Brochure - 1956
Passengers Arrive from Mystery Flight
Brigadier-General Alfred Cecil Critchley
Iconic pool-side fountains at Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Mystery Flight lands in West End, 1950
Holiday King Billy Butlin playing host to Mystery Flight travellers to West End.
First guests arrive to half-finished Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Chalet Accommodation, Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Woman Plaiting Straw
Children Plaiting Straw
Billy Butlin surrounded by autograph hunters in 1947
1950's
Aerial view of Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, August 1956
Locomotive Number 5 with sway-backed flat cars
Pine Ridge family and home, 1950
Excavation of Freeport Harbour by dredge Seahaven 1957
Pine Ridge power plant, 1950's
Removing bark from pine tree by hand
Aerial view of Freeport Harbour, April 1957
Aerial view of Pine Ridge, 1956
Aerial view of Hawksbill Creek, July 15, 1955
Plaiting styles
Pink House at Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Plaiting styles
Aerial view of Grand Bahama, July 1955
Abaco Lumber Company's office building, 1950's
Aerial view of early Freeport, April 22, 1957
Dredging of Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Abaco Lumber Company Store, 1956
Aerial view of Hawksbill Creek, 1957
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, 1959
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, 1950's
Arrival of dredge, Seahaven, September 1956
South Shore Slip, 1955
Aerial view of Eight Mile Rock settlement, 1950's
Wallace Groves and acting governor Gardner-Brown signing the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, 1955
Pine Ridge lumber truck, 1950's
Pine Ridge lumber truck, 1950's
Pine Ridge buildings, 1950's
Guiding logs into the mill at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Construction of Power Plant, 1950's
A train of flatcars carrying logs to the mill in Pine Ridge, 1951
Pine Ridge lumber bundled for shipment, 1950's
Bulldozing paths into the pine forests, 1950's
Abaco Lumber Company building, 1950's
Offices of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, 1950's
The Freeport School building designed by Alfred Browing Parker, 1950's
Aerial view of the settlement of Pinders Point, 1950
Aerial view of Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, August 1956
Freeport early housing, 1950's
Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, 1955
The old community church at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Aerial view of South Shore Slip, 1954
Locomotive at Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, 1952
Aerial view looking due west over Smith's Point, 1957
Aerial view of Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Aerial view of south shore looking southeast, 1950's
Signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, 1955
Aerial view of south shore, April 22, 1957
Signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, August 1955
The Freeport School, 1950's
Caravel Club guest room, 1950's
The Caravel Club, Freeport's first hotel, 1958
Aerial view of Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Aerial view of harbour and Freeport Bunkering, 1950's
The Grand Bahama Port Authority offices on Pioneer's Way, 1950's
Freeport School classroom building, 1950's
The Pink House at harbour, 1950's
Aerial view of Pine Ridge, 1950's
Letter from Sir Robert Neville to Wallace Groves about Freeport project, 1951
Wallace Groves' January 19, 1955 letter to Lord Ranfurly
North shore view with seaplane and Pine Ridge train tracks
Housing at construction site of U.S. missile base at Gold Rock Creek, 1950's
Aerial view of loading lumber at Harbour, 1954
Removing bark from pine trees at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Loading dock at early Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Governor Robert Neville to Wallace Groves about his "Freeport" project, 1951
Loading of lumber at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Transportation of cut lumber at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Lumber awaiting shipment at Pine Ridge, 1950's
Pine Ridge Lumber Camp, 1950's
Pine Ridge lumber stockpiles
Loading lumber onto barges at Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Freeport Harbour during Pine Ridge lumber operation, 1950's
Off shore loading of lumber onto to a ship
Interior view of Pine Ridge Clinic, 1950's
Pine Ridge Clinic interior, 1950's
Owana Gottlieb outside home in Pine Ridge
Lumber being loaded from narrow gauge rail car at Freeport Harbour
Flag Raising at Gold Rock Creek Campsite, 1950
Arrival of U.S. Military Personnel for Missile Base, West End, 1950
Camp site at Missile Base at Gold Rock Creek, 1950
Aerial view of the Freeport Harbour, 1950's
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, late 1950's
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, late 1950's
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, late 1950's
Original Port Authority building on Pioneers Way, 1950's
Post Office and Customs Immigration building at Pine Ridge, 1955
Freeport Airport designed by Alfred Browning Parker
Butlin's Bahamas Vacation Village logo, 1950's
Hawksbill Creek Agreement, November 24, 1955
Aerial view of Hawksbill Tidal Creek, July 15, 1955
Aerial view of Hawksbill Creek and settlement of Eight Mile Rock, July 15, 1955
Marco City temporary housing, 1950's
Collecting Palm Fronds
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 10
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 9
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 8
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 7
Witch's Light and Poolside Lounge
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 5
The Grand Bahama Hotel & Country Club
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 2
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 2
Grand Bahama Club - West End - 1
Hawksbill Creek Agreement Seal
Grand Bahama Club Brochure - 1956
Passengers Arrive from Mystery Flight
Brigadier-General Alfred Cecil Critchley
Iconic pool-side fountains at Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Mystery Flight lands in West End, 1950
Holiday King Billy Butlin playing host to Mystery Flight travellers to West End.
First guests arrive to half-finished Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Chalet Accommodation, Butlin’s Vacation Village, 1950
Woman Plaiting Straw
Children Plaiting Straw
Billy Butlin surrounded by autograph hunters in 1947
1960's
The Mall under construction, 1966
Freeport's floating hotel, formerly SS Italia, 1964
Sir Charles Hayward and Ernie Skogg, Freeport Airport
Lucayan Beach subdivision, 1961
Lucayan Beach Hotel "Lighthouse", 1963
Construction of El Casino dome, International Bazaar
Lucayan Beach Hotel, 1960's
Ships in Freeport Harbour, 1960's
Aerial view of Freeport International Airport, 1964
First jet to land at Freeport International Airport, 1967
Grand Bahama Waterway under construction, 1960's
Aerial view of Grand Bahama Hotel, West End, 1960's
Atlantic Beach Hotel construction, 1966
International Bazaar under construction, 1960's
Bell Channel jetty, December 1962
Bahama Cement plant under construction, 1963
Sculpture of Sir Winston Churchill
Commissioner's residence, Eight Mile Rock 1964
Bahama Cement plant under construction, 1963
Santa Claus arriving at Freeport Airport, 1960'a
Barclays Bank designed by Alfred Browning Parker, 1960's
El Casino early construction, 1966
Beauty pageant contestants, 1960's
Site of the future Lucayan Beach Hotel, 1960's
Aerial view of construction of US Steel's cement plant, 1960's
Wallace Groves and Alfred Browning Parker at Freeport Airport
Lord Ranfurly at dedication of Freeport Airport
The "Great Slough" prior to the construction of the Grand Lucayan Waterway, July 1967
Fencing club, 1960's
Grand Bahama beach, 1960's
Freeport International Airport, 1960's
Junkanoo costume, 1960's
Old Hermitage, South Shore, 1960
Aerial view of Oceanus Hotel under constrction, 1960's
Holiday Inn under construction, 1964
Rand Memorial Hospital expansion, 1964
Aerial view of marina at Jack Tar Grand Bahama Hotel, West End, 1960's
Sports Day award ceremony, 1960's
Jansel Court Condominium under construction, 1960's
Expansion of King's Inn, November 1966
Interior view of Lucayan Beach Hotel during construction, 1963
Construction of the east wings of the Lucayan Beach Hotel, 1968
Lucayn Beach Hotel under construction, 1960's
Lucayan Country Club under construction, 1962
Lucayan Beach Hotel
Operation at Cement Plant, early 1960's
Lucayan Beach Hotel under construction, April 1963
Lucayan Beach Hotel under construction, April 1963
Grand Bahama Beach, by Roland Rose, 1960's
Lucayan Beach, May 11, 1962
Dedication of Freeport Airport, 1960's
Wallace Groves at Freeport Airport, 1960's
Mary Star of the Sea School student, early 1960's
Governor of the Bahamas, Lord Ranfurly and Wallace Groves, 1960's
Lord Ranfurly at dedication of Freeport Airport
Grand Bahama Beach by Roland Rose, 1960's
Panoramic view of the International Bazaar, March 1966
Wallace Groves at the dedication of the Freeport Airport, 1960's
Clearing land near the Anglican Church at High Rock
Arrival of the first British Air flight at early Freeport International Airport, 1960's
Tree planting by Wallace Groves at the Mercantile Building, 1960's
Commissioner's office and police station at West End, 1960's
Ceremony at Mary Star of the Sea School, early 1960's
Lord Ranfurly speaking at the dedication of the Freeport Airport
Pine Ridge community church, 1960's
Wallace Groves' home under construction on Lucayan Beach, 1960's
Lord Ranfurly at Freeport Airport, 1960's
The John Harvard Library under construction in downtown Freeport, 1960's
Rand Memorial Hospital under construction, 1960's
Policeman outside of the Barclays Bank building in downtown Freeport.
Public School at West End, 1960's
Aerial view of US Steel's cement plant under construction, 1960's
Bagpipe parade, early 1960's
Riviera Towers under construction, 1964
Aerial view of Kings Inn under construction, 1960's
Riviera Towers under construction, 1964
El Casino, 1960's
Silver Point Condominium under construction, March 1968
The Star Hotel, West End, 1967
Local shop in Eight Mile Rock, 1960's
Take Me Hotel in Eight Mile Rock, 1960's
Part of the recovered Lucayan treasure, 1960's
The Grand Lucayan Waterway under construction, October 1967
Children in front of West End barber shop
Grand Bahama Hotel, West End 1960's
Hong Kong Street in the International Bazaar, 1960's
The Social Club, 1960's
Interior view of the Caravel Club, 1960's
Aerial view of the Lucayan Beach Hotel and the Holiday Inn under construction, 1960's
Barclay's Bank on the Mall under construction, 1960's
Freeport's first grocery store, 1960's
Caravel Club guest room, 1960's
The bar at the Caravel Club
The Caravel Club
Freeport bunkering at the harbour, 1960's
Freeport Bunkering tanks
Freeport Harbour in early 1960's
Gas station at Queens Highway and Yellow Pine Street, 1960's
Construction of Holiday Inn, early 1960's
Mary Star of the Sea School dedication, 1960's
Freeport Bunkering, early 1960's
Pipelines from Freeport Bunkering, 1960's
Dr. Iza Horsfall
Ground breaking at the Cement Plant
The Windward Passage under construction at Freeport Harbour, 1960's
The Windward Passage under construction at Freeport Harbour, 1960's
The Caravel Club, early 1960's
The Windward Passage under construction at Freeport Harbour, 1960's
Tree planting by the Freeport Garden Club, 1960's
The Windward Passage under construction at Freeport Harbour, 1960's
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, 1960's
Wallace Groves at the Freeport airport, early 1960's
The Flavia entering Freeport Harbour, 1960's
Bahamas Customs inspection at the airport, early 1960's
Barclays Bank on Pioneer's Way and the Mall
Aerial view of Freeport Airport, 1960's
Aerial view of downtown Freeport, late 1960's
Mackey Airlines at Freeport Airport, early 1960's
Interior view of Freeport's first supermarket, 1960's
View of Freeport Airport's lobby, 1960
Freeport bunkering terminal, early 1960's
Lucayan Beach Hotel, 1964
Aerial view of Kings Inn under construction, 1960's
Aerial view of Lucayan Beach Hotel under construction, 1960's
Owens-Illinois brochure of Bahamas pulpwood operation at Pine Ridge
Holiday Inn under construction, 1964
Kings Inn construction, 1965
Grand Bahama Port Authority Plan #147
Collecting Palm Fronds
Generalized Land Use and Major Thoroughfare Plan Lucaya/Freeport, Grand Bahama 1960's
The Grand Bahama Development Company, Limited Lucaya/Freeport - Grand Bahama Island Master Plan
1964 Map of Freeport with Key
1961 Chart - Freeport Harbour and Approaches
1964 Map of Freeport
1960 Grand Bahama Port Authority Lucaya Map with Notations
Johnny Cake - A Bahamian Treat
Woman Plaiting Straw
Children Plaiting Straw
Aerial view of Freeport International Airport, 1960
1970's
Aerial view of BORCO oil refinery, 1970's
Edward St. George, Jack Hayward, Clement Meynard, George Moore and Albert Miller, 1970's
Rand Memorial Hospital, 1970's
Eight Mile Rock, 1970's
El Casino at the International Hotel, 1970's
International Hotel and El Casino, 1970's
Tanker ships off shore of BORCO oil refinery, 1970's
Straw Market, 1970's
Church of God Prophecy, West End 1971
Mrs. Drusila Laing, Pelican Point, 1970
Mr. Garnet Levarity MBE MP, 1970's
PGA Tournament at Lucayan Country Club, 1971
House at Deep Water Cay, 1971
Implements discovered at abandoned village, East End, 1970's
Implements discovered at abandoned village, East End, 1970's
Junkanoo costume, 1970's
View into an ocean hole near Old Freetown
Little Whale Cay, Berry Islands
Maurice Moore MP with Michael Pinder and Marguerite Pindling
Mrs. Joseph Bevin, Rocky Creek, East End, 1970
Northern Star Lodge and Temple, 1970's
Old House at West End, 1972
New school extension, McLeans Town, 1970's
The Poitiers en route to Water Cay, 1971
Remains of building at settlement near the South Shore
St. Stephen's Anglican Church, Eight Mile Rock, 1970
Grand Lucayan Waterway, 1970
Horace Gay at the dedication of the Garden of the Groves
1970 Lucaya/Freeport advertisement
Aerial view of construction of Bahamas Oil Refining Company, 1970's
Wallace Groves - The Bahamian Review - Vol. 23 No. 8 - Cover - August-September 1975
Aerial view of Bell Channel, 1970
Aerial view of Holiday Inn, June 2, 1970
Control Room of power plant, early 1970's
Aerial view of Grand Bahama Waterway, 1970's
Fire crew at Freeport Airport, 1970's
