GALLERY TALK | "Echoes of the Borscht Belt"

Description

Scheinfeld's evocative, large-scale photos capture the dramatic decline of the once-thriving Catskills resort area known as the Borscht Belt, a popular vacation spot from the 1920s to the 70s, especially for Jews from the New York area. But various forces led to the area rapid decline, leaving the hotels and vacation bungalows empty shells. Scheinfeld, who grew up in the region, has spent years documenting what has become of the Borscht Belt, through images that reveal ghostly remnants of its glory years as well as powerful evidence of nature's claim on the vacant resorts and their landscapes. The exhibition is complemented by original memorabilia and photographs from some of the Borscht Belt's most beloved hotels and resorts.