Boy on Rope Swing at Camp French (1946) – CARLI Digital Collections Featured Image


From Bowen Country Club (University of Illinois at Chicago) in CARLI Digital Collections.

At this point in the season, Midwesterners know they must persist through the winter doldrums for several more seemingly endless weeks, no matter what the groundhog says. But there's no harm in looking forward. Personally, I try to keep my eye on the prize as I fantasize about lush green lawns, humming crickets, chirpy birdies, and evening walks with the dog in the soft humidity. This photo of a little boy on a rope swing not only makes me long for the coming summer season, it also brings up childhood memories of having summers off, with no greater responsibility than enjoying the outdoors with friends.

Chicago civic leader Louise deKoven Bowen donated the land for the Bowen Country Club after her husband died in 1912. Coordinated by the Hull House, the 72-acre park hosted summer camps for disadvantaged boys and girls, giving them a two-week break from city life and a sense of summer in the country. The camps ran from 1912 until 1963, and the property has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.

If you experienced the Bowen Country Club and recognize a person or building in these photographs, be sure to let UIC librarians know; they can be reached at lib-permissions@uic.edu. A picture is worth 1,000 words but a little context can go a long way to learning more about the stories told in these photographs.

Anne Shelley, Illinois State University

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