The Sanibel Public Library recently announced an all-out effort to add photos to their digital vintage photo collection.

The Library has teamed with Eric Pfeifer, Broker-Owner of Pfeifer Realty Group, who is funding the scanning of all the photos. Each photo will be added on the Library’s online vintage collection.

Browse The Pfeifer Vintage Photo Collection

People who have photo collections can bring them to the Library, or mail them to Vintage Photo Collection, Sanibel Public Library. 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, FL 33957. Please include the number of items and any identification of persons, places, or dates regarding the image. All photos will be returned once they are scanned.

“Residents and visitors alike are fascinated by Sanibel and how it evolved into its current state, and photos from our earlier times are invaluable in telling that story,” said Library Archivist Betty Anholt.”

Eric Pfeifer is equally excited about the project. "Our community is paradise because many islanders before us were dedicated to protecting these islands. Preserving Sanibel and Captiva history with documentaries and expanding this Sanibel Library's photo collection is a privilege and a project we are proud to support,” he said.

When longtime Sanibel seasonal visitor Linda Toth spotted an “Old Sanibel Photo Album” on eBay,, she had no idea what she would find. Taking a chance, she bid $12. She won.

When the package came, she opened a treasure trove of 82 photos from a family’s visits to Sanibel in 1931-1933. The photos showed a family from Detroit and many of their friends on three Sanibel vacations.

Those photos have now been scanned and will be added to the Sanibel Public Library’s Pfeifer Vintage Photo Collection online.

People who have photo collections can bring them to the Library, or mail them to Vintage Photo Collection, Sanibel Public Library. 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, FL 33957. Please include the number of items and any identification of persons, places, or dates regarding the image. All photos will be returned once they are scanned. For those who would like to have their photos picked up and returned, email contact@sanibelstories.com.

After they are scanned, the photos will be a part of the library’s major upgrade, which will be completed in late-2018. Part of the updated facilities will include a digitization lab with a high-end photo scanner and the greatly enhanced vintage photo collection.

Eric Pfeifer, Broker-Owner of Pfeifer Realty Group has agreed to fund the scanning of the Library’s vintage photo additions.

Photos submitted may also be selected for Postcards & Photos from Sanibel, Part 2, a documentary produced by Emmy-winning filmmaker David E. Carter. The film will premiere at The Sanibel Community house in early 2018, sponsored by Pfeifer Realty Group.

Learn More About Eric Pfeifer's Community Service on Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Want to GIVE BACK to the Islands? Learn more about Sanibel and Captiva Island Non-Profit Organizations.

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