UNFULFILLED John Ringling’s Unfinished Ritz Carlton on Longboat Key Sarasota, Florida circa 1952

“I waited for low tide to gain access to this dank and gloomy space under the unfinished Ritz Carlton Hotel on the south end of Longboat Key. It was John Ringling’s unfulfilled dream, more than a half million dollars of construction that fell victim to the Great Depression.”

“In the 1930s, the abandoned Ritz was somewhat of a novelty for sightseers. My dad would drive us out on a Sunday afternoon, and we’d poke around in the empty spaces that would have been grand ballrooms and luxury accommodations. I remember taking the photographs displayed below when I was a teenager. I was so impressed with the structure with its massive columns and solid brick and mortar construction.”

“In 1952, I revisited the site and did this painting on the spot. It is somewhat of a departure from the abstract realism of my other paintings. However, even in creating an accurate visual recording, I still wanted to capture the ambience of the ruins. The tidal waters filled the room and reflected a grandeur that was never realized.”

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A Study of John Ringling’s Unfinished Ritz Carlton c. 1935 Photographs by George Earl Fox