Artifacts Around the Bar
about things around the bar…
Carved solid Honduran mahogany, artist Tobias McGregor.
Our Hemingway six-toed Cat watches over the main bar. The Cat used to feature the bar’s tip bell, but enthusiastic bartenders quickly broke the collar which hosted the bell and cut a groove into the wood. McGregor (was not too pleased) but re-carved and refinished the cat which was returned to the main bar (without the bell this time).
The tip bell (which is rung with gusto when a generous tip is received) is from a Coast Guard cutter boat.
Big Skinner used the bat to keep the bar in order in the 30s and 40s.
One of the Marlins on the picture wall was caught in waters between Key West and Havana.
Skis where found in the back room at Sloppy Joe’s and give to Stan Smith after Hemingway’s death.
Writer Philip Caputo’s Cuban record Marlin. Caught in August of 1978 – 569 ½ pounds, measured 12-feet, 3 inches long.
This painting of the Pilar at Sea by Tobias McGregor hangs in Sloppy Joe’s. Toby is also responsible for our Annual Dropping of the Conch Shell each New Year’s Eve. His idea and implementation of the conch shell drop began in 1993.
The great fire of 1886 destroyed much of Key West, including the property Sloppy Joe’s now occupies. This site was used as a fill and dump for several years. In 1917 Victoria’s seafood restaurant. Two decades later Joe Russell moved his bar in and it have Sloppy Joe’s ever since 1937.
In 2004, the interior of the old house next door was completely gutted and rebuilt, as the floor was being torn out it unearthed a time capsule of bottles, bowls and such. The artifacts were researched and identified by Dianne Sylvia, archeologist, Historical Florida Keys Foundation.
The airplane propeller was from one of the first PAN AM flights between Key West and Havana.
Flags
We’re often asked to identify country flags hanging at Sloppy Joe’s, see below for country name and flag.
The flags we hang from ceiling are country flags gifted to Sloppy Joe’s (signed and dated by those who gifted them to Sloppy Joe’s). In addition, we have a Military Flags section. During Spring Break in March, country flags are taken down and replace with college flags.
We have an inventory of 3″ x 5″ flags given to us from all over the world and try to display as many as possible. We do not have space for all the flags at the same time, we rotate flags so they all get time on display.
