Editing Gibsonton, Florida (section)

==International Independent Showmen's Association and Museum==

Gibsonton is the location of the International Independent Showmen's Association (Gibtown Showmen's Club), a non-profit private organization made up of people in the outdoor amusement industry. The original club building opened in 1966 and expanded to be the largest showmen's association in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gibtownshowmensclub.com/|title=International Independent Showmen's Association (IISA)|website=www.gibtownshowmensclub.com}}</ref> There are over 4,500 members from all over the United States and several foreign countries.

Gibsonton is also the home of the largest trade show in the [[traveling carnival|carnival]] industry. Exhibits include rides, food supplies and equipment, concession trailers, electrical supplies, insurance companies, novelty items, plush toys, and jewelry.<ref>[http://www.gibtownshowmensclub.com/events/trade_show/tradeshow.asp International Independent Showmen's Association Trade Show]</ref>

Gibtown's International Independent Showmen's Museum houses on two floors a wide assortment of antique equipment, historic printed materials and detailed exhibits that tell the carnival story – most of it donated by practicing [[carny|carnies]].<ref>{{Cite news| first1=Melody| last1=Jameson| title=Nation's only showmen's museum opening in Gibsonton| work=Observer News| date=January 3, 2012| url=http://www.observernews.net/2012/03/01/Nations_only_showmens_museum_opening_in_Gibsonton/}}</ref> Carnival items from across the country reflecting nearly a century of carnival experiences have been donated.

The museum features photos of carnival setups throughout the years, with a particular focus on carnival transportation and the role that Gibsonton played in carnival history. The museum has one of the first [[Ferris wheel]]s in the U.S., which is assembled right in the middle of the exhibits. Visitors can enjoy artifacts such as a slinky black-beaded costume worn by famous burlesque dancer [[Gypsy Rose Lee]] as well as an outfit worn by the Viking Giant [[Jóhann K. Pétursson]]. Visitors are also able to walk through carnie trailers, which open to transform from a dull-looking compartment into brightly lit and ornate facades.<ref>{{Cite news| first1=Chandra| last1=Broadwater| title=Showmen's Museum Carnival veterans seek collections, donations for their museum| work=St.Petersburg Times| date=June 12, 2009}}</ref>

===Library connection===
The library at the [[University of South Florida]] (USF) has digitized many of the photos at the International Independent Showmen's Museum. These photographs are a part of Special Collections at USF. The homepage of the collection describes the photographs as portraying the life and times of the American carnival from the late 1800s to today. The collection features many photographs that relate to means of transportation as relevant to the carnival, such as semi-trailers and trains.

Digital access to the collection is available through the USF website.<ref name="digital.lib.usf.edu">{{Cite web|url=http://digital.lib.usf.edu/showmens|title=Showmen's Museum Photograph Collection|access-date=July 21, 2016|archive-date=July 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707173429/http://digital.lib.usf.edu/showmens|url-status=dead}}</ref> The physical collection lives at the International Independent Showmen's Museum. Much of the digitization process was made possible by members of the International Independent Showmen's Association as well as a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Sun City Center.<ref name="digital.lib.usf.edu"/>

In addition to the collection of photographs, the USF Library has a digital collection of showmen's oral histories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://digital.lib.usf.edu/ohp-showmens|title=Showmen's Oral History Project|access-date=July 21, 2016|archive-date=July 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707194032/http://digital.lib.usf.edu/ohp-showmens|url-status=dead}}</ref> An [[oral history]] is both "a method of recording and preserving oral testimony" and the product that comes from this process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices/|title = Principles and Best Practices}}</ref> These are valuable pieces of cultural heritage that capture the memories of a person during a particular time.