Jeff Davies and Mike McGinness will present “Florida: A History in Pictures” on Wednesday at the Matheson History Museum in Gainesville.

This presentation will take place at 7 p.m. at 513 East University Ave. The event is free, but to reserve a spot, click here.

Started years ago by Davies and McGinness, the two started a Facebook Group called “Florida: A History in Pictures” where group members are asked to share photos of Florida from when the camera was invented until just before Walt Disney arrived. The group has more than 300,000 members and shares photos daily.

In 2022, Davies and McGinness thanked the group members for their continued support by writing a book, “Florida: A History in Pictures,” that was published in September 2023 and includes photos from historical institutions, including the Matheson History Museum, along with personal photos from the group’s members. The two are currently writing a second book.

The presentation will focus on historical milestones and structures in Florida and how the growing Facebook group has birthed two books.

Davis came to Miami Beach from Brooklyn, New York. His family relocated to North Bay Village when he was 5 years old and he has always been interested in the history behind old pictures, where he became known as the family historian. He is the third generation in his family to work in the audio/video electronics business, which is his profession to this day. He currently lives in Boca Raton.

With the emergence of Facebook, McGinness, Davies’ friend, thought it would be fun to share his interest in Florida history by creating a Facebook group. He initially thought it would be a good site for him to share photos and content, but eventually McGinness realized a few of his friends might want to view it too.

Davies and McGinness collaborated and reached a milestone of 5,000 members, which grew to 50,000 and today stands at 300,000. The group shares pictures and valuable content daily.

A native Floridian who was born in Orlando, McGinness developed a fascination with the past that was passed down by his father, who loved reading history books. His favorite topic was the Civil War, but he enjoyed learning about a variety of things. While on family vacations, his dad would stop at historically significant places along the route.

For the last 38 years, McGinness has maintained a full-time job, and his other interests include sports, music, animals and anything involving nature.