AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. – There are many notable women throughout the history of Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.
Many of their stories have been told, but most of those don’t have a face to connect to the name.
Local artist Andrea Lee hopes to change that as she paints portraits of 10 important women in Amelia Island’s history.
The art pieces are the foundation for a future book.
One of the women, Dee Dee Bartels, lived across the street from Lee, so the artist painted Bartels -- who is also an artist and local historian -- inside her home, surrounded by her paintings.
Lee also shared her portrait of Sarah Alice Broadbent, a figure in Fernandina folklore who disappeared in 1952. Lee described for us how Broadbent was notorious for living on Crane Island like a pioneer even in the 1940s.
Press play below to hear that story and more, as Lee hopes to inspire others to do their own historical deep dive.
