THE BORSCHT BELT

Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARISA SCHEINFELD

February 1 – March 31, 2016

From the 1920s through the 1960s, the Catskill Mountains of New York were a popular vacation destination for millions of Americans especially Jewish vacationers. Known as the Borscht Belt, the region combined recreational activities with nighttime entertainment, especially stand-up comedy, which was born in the region’s theaters and showrooms. Many of these entertainers became household names in American culture. At its peak the Borscht Belt was comprised of over 500 hotels and 50,000 bungalows. Photographer Marisa Scheinfeld has been documenting the dramatic degradation of some of the most famous Borscht Belt hotels and colonies. The images reveal ghostly remnants of the glory years of the era, as well as powerful evidence of nature's claim on the resorts and their landscapes, and new uses to which the spaces have been put in recent years. Scheinfeld, who grew up in the region, began her documentary photo project in 2010. In the fall of 2016, Cornell University Press will publish a monograph of Marisa's photographs on the Borscht Belt. An exhibition is now on view through March 31 at Madron Gallery in Chicago.

For more information, please contact Madron at 312.640.1302 or info@madrongallery.com.

Click to download a catalog of thumbnails.

The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland was developed & created by Yeshiva University Museum in NYC.