Summer camp nostalgia: Heartwarming images capture vintage scenes of kids roasting smores, swimming in the lake and saying tearful goodbyes
Advertisement
Days spent surrounded by nature under a warm sun, making new friends and taking time to learn new skills are a part of the magic of summer camp.
It’s moments like these that photographer Mark Steinmetz spent 11 years capturing while working in summer camps around the US from 1986 to 1997.
From the shores of Cape Cod in Massachusetts to the dazzling mountains of North Carolina, Steinmetz’s soul-stirring images showcase vintage scenes of life at an American summer camp – roasting smores, swimming in the lake and writing letters.
Steinmetz says that the photos are timeless. Summer camps haven’t changed all that much so many viewers can relate, no matter where or when they went away for the summer as youngsters.
‘At summer camp, you have sleeping bags and cabins. There isn’t much difference between them in 1990 or 1965,’ the photographer said.
‘I like that time of age, too. There’s a kind of grave maturity developing at around 11 years old. When a little kid laughs or cries, it doesn’t have real resonance, whereas if someone has these emotions between eight and 12, there’s a poignancy to it.
‘When they become adults, it’s just not the same. Many of these photos are about the predicament of being a kid put into a certain situation. In one picture, these girls who have been so horrible to each other all summer are now parting – and the depth of their love just gushes out. It’s almost excruciating.’
A youngster takes a snooze while eating his dinner. Steinmetz says that the photos are timeless. Summer camps haven’t changed all that much so many viewers can relate, no matter where or when they went away for the summer as youngsters. ‘ At summer camp, you have sleeping bags and cabins. There isn’t much difference between them in 1990 or 1965,’ the photographer said
Saying goodbye to new friends made at summer camp can be a tough challenge. ‘In one picture, these girls who have been so horrible to each other all summer are now parting – and the depth of their love just gushes out. It’s almost excruciating,’ the photographer said
As the day comes to an end, a youngster takes a moment to catch-up on some reading. Steinmetz says: ‘I like that time of age, too. There’s a kind of grave maturity developing at around 11 years old. When a little kid laughs or cries, it doesn’t have real resonance, whereas if someone has these emotions between eight and 12, there’s a poignancy to it. When they become adults, it’s just not the same. Many of these photos are about the predicament of being a kid put into a certain situation’
Learning to fish at summer camp is a tradition enjoyed by kids at summer camps around the US
A young girl takes a dip in the water while the sun is out amid a long day of hanging with friends
Steinmetz’s pictures capture the heartwarming moments inside summer camps in Massachusetts and North Carolina
A young girl seen taking a quick moment to rest her eyes
There boys appear bewildered while checking out a magazine together
A young girl smiles as she looks out the window of a bus
Steinmetz is sharing a behind the scenes look at the world of summer camp as kids learn new skills and make friends (pictured a girl heading out to snap some photos)
Traditional activities include hiking, fishing, cooking, dancing, playing sports and writing letters (pictured a girl crossing a bridge with her sleeping pack)
A young boy caught in a moment of tranquility surrounded by trees and small plants
Four kids covered in foam line up for fresh water
A young boy sitting on the edge of a bunk shines a torch into Steinmetz’s camera
The hardest part about summer camp is leaving (pictured a young boy looking gloomy while sitting on a bus)
‘It’s great to be in nature: to see the stars at night, to feel the morning dew, to have a sense for the cycles of the day,’ Steinmetz said (a young girl taking a walk along an empty road)
One of the best parts of summer camp is sitting around a hot fire toasting marshmallows
- More of Steinmetz’s prints can be found in his book Summertime and available to view in an online exhibition at the Joseph Bellows Gallery website.
