A manufactured wilderness; summer camps and the shaping of American youth, 1890-1960. (reprint, 2006).

9780816648771

A manufactured wilderness; summer camps and the shaping of American youth, 1890-1960. (reprint, 2006)

Van Slyck, Abigail A.

U. of Minnesota Press

2010

296 pages

$27.50

Paperback

Architecture, landscape, and American culture series

GV193

Van Slyck (art history, Connecticut College) offers an architectural history of children's summer camps in North America from 1890-1960, while viewing the environment as something socially constructed for campers and their parents. She examines the camps' roles in the social construction of childhood, as they were part of a trend in the beginning of the twentieth century of places that catered solely to children. She discusses social and cultural trends that influenced the camp phenomenon, those who owned, operated, and built them, and issues relating to race, gender, and class that affected their development. Her approach, which views architecture as a process, is a cultural one that considers the natural environment, outdoor areas, structures, program activities, and the use of Native American motifs. Many period photos are examined, as well as brochures, construction documents, and other literature. Family, well-baby, special-needs, and skill-based camps are excluded. This is a paperback reprint of a book first published in 2006.

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