Edith Brown Coventry was born on March 23, 1890, in Duluth, Minnesota. Her parents, John and Charlotte Coventry, were early visitors to Stuart, Florida, relocating there permanently in 1921. They became proprietors of the Coventry Hotel (now the Old Colorado Inn) which had been constructed in 1914. Around 1922, Edith established one of Stuart’s earliest photographic studios, the Edith Brown Coventry Kodak Finishing Shop. She later operated a studio under the name E.B. Coventry at 212 Osceola Avenue for many years. She was an avid fisher and hunter, pursuits reflected in her photography. In 1961, she moved to West Palm Beach, where she died on October 16, 1979. Her photographic collection, preserved by the Historical Society of Martin County, includes images of family, friends, and outdoor excursions, notably a 1920 Everglades boat trip aboard the Dixie Queen. The collection has been digitized and is available online through Martin Digital History. |
