Camp Fern Rock (archer)

Shot by Gordon Parks in the summer of 1943 at Camp Fern Rock in New York, this low-angle photograph captures the strength and serene stature of camper Loretta Gyles as she aims her arrow. While Parks often used his time with the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to document widespread segregation, his summer camp series endeavored to subvert the implicitly racist imagery often associated with outdoor recreation and the American wilderness. The concept of summer camp originally emerged as a retreat for young white males, but interracial camps like Camp Fern Rock and Camp Nathan Hale were rare microcosms intended to advance integration and equality in the outdoors. At these camps, Gordon created images of black and white children eating, washing, and playing together that directly mirrored the settings of some of the most antagonistic racial unrest of the time, including restaurants, restrooms, and recreational areas. Gyles is cast as a dominant, independent figure, confident yet calm a