The nurture of nature; childhood, antimodernism and Ontario summer camps, 1920-55.

9780774816397

The nurture of nature; childhood, antimodernism and Ontario summer camps, 1920-55.

Wall, Sharon.

U. of British Columbia Press

2009

369 pages

$85.00

Hardcover

Nature/history/society series

GV195

For anyone who believes that they were packed off to summer camp primarily to give their parents a vacation from them, Wall (history, U. of Winnipeg, Canada) offers a broader perspective on the cultural connotations of 'back to nature' camping. In her study of summer camps in Ontario from the 1920s to 1950, she makes the case that such camps represented a much-marketed response to anxiety over childhood in the modern era and nostalgia for pre- modern eras and cultural myths, e.g., in camps' typical gender- appropriate and Indian programming. The volume includes period photos and extensive reference materials. Distributed by UTP Distribution.

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