About our cover story

The photo on the right of Seminole heroine Polly Parker used an artificial intelligence colorization process that was based on the 1909 portrait taken by photographer Harry Hill of the Florida Photographic Concern. Hill’s photo is the only known or circulated photo of Parker.

It’s remarkable how many people and moving parts come together to produce each issue of Indian River Magazine. The stories, photos and advertisements you see involve thousands of interactions to create the edition you hold in your hands.

We usually shield readers from the production process — sparing you from seeing “how the sausage is made.’’ But in the interest of transparency, we want to share a bit about how this issue came together, as it involved both a type of agreement we don’t typically enter into and the use of new technology.

Both relate to the cover story on Seminole heroine Polly Parker, which expands on material from my book, Cow Creek Chronicles, released in October by the University Press of Florida. The book grew out of a five-part series that originally appeared in Indian River in 2022 and 2023.