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Camp Idlewild operated a summer camp at Cow Islandi in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. It was one of the older private camps in America. The Camp opened in 1892 and ran through 1975. It was founded and run by the Dick brothers, John and Robert. Later it was taken over by LD Roys. The Camp was organozed into three age groups (Junior, Middler, and Senior). The camp at first handled about 50 boys. There were at the peak about 300 campers. Many of the activities were organized around the lake. The boys at first lived in tents. Later cabins were built. A 1912 brochure explains, "Boys representing the best and most influential homes in the country are attendants from year to year."
A 1920 advertisement in Harper's Magazine emphasized: "Development of character, Cultivation of good manners, Idealizing of purity of mibnd and body, Vigalance of safety". The boys arrived at the camp dressed in knee pants or knickers suits as a 1911 portrait shows. Like many private camps, Camp Idlewild had a camp uniform which changed oiver time, The boys in 1905 wore a English-style school cap, "T" shirt, and knee pants. In 1912 the uniform included "jacket sweater, jersey, knocabout suit, khaki trousers, and cap". By trousers I think the Camp meant knee pants or knickers as long black stockings were included in what the boys wee advised to bring with them.
Camp Idlewild operated a summer camp at Cow Islandi in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. It was one of the older private camps in America.
The Camp opened in 1892 and ran through 1975. It was founded and run by the Dick brothers, John and Robert. Later it was taken over by LD Roys.
The Camp by the 1950s was organozed into three age groups (Junior, Middler, and Senior).
The camp at first handled about 50 boys. There were at the peak about 300 campers.
Many of the activities were organized around the lake. I think the lake water was rather cold, but the boys seem to be enjoying it. Besides swimming, there was baiing, camoeing, and sailing.
The boys at first lived in tents. Later cabins were built.
A 1912 brochure explains, "Boys representing the best and most influential homes in the country are attendants from year to year."
A 1920 advertisement in Harper's Magazine emphasized: "Development of character, Cultivation of good manners, Idealizing of purity of mibnd and body, Vigalance of safety".
The boys arrived at the camp dressed in knee pants or knickers suits as a 1911 portrait shows. Like many private camps, Camp Idlewild had a camp uniform which changed oiver time, The boys in 1905 wore a English-style school cap, "T" shirt, and knee pants. In 1912 the uniform included "jacket sweater, jersey, knocabout suit, khaki trousers, and cap". By trousers I think the Camp meant knee pants or knickers as long black stockings were included in what the boys were advised to bring with them. The caps by 1912 changed in a soft hat, looking rather like a sun cap. We notice that the camp still had a uniform in the 1950.
The camper alumni have created a website with all kinfs of interesting information.
A reader writes about this camp, "May I offer a comment on a photograph at the camp here. My first impression is that the boys in the photograph don't look very happy. Especially the boy on the left, you
can tell he's unhappy by the sullen expression on his face. The slightly downward head,
the gaze in his eyes is also indicitive of not being happy and if you look at his
lips the bottom lip appears to be pouting. One can only speculate if the boys
are really unhappy and what the reason is if they are. It may have something to
do with the uniform and being photographed in it or it may just be homesickness,
we will never know for sure." Yes I notice that and the same is true of another photograph of that boy. I don't think this was a poorly run camp. If you go to the camp internet site, there seem to be many with happy memories of the camp. You kind of wonder why the photographer chose such an unhappy boy. I don't think the ca,p staff would have chosen an unhappy boy to photograph so it was probably the boy's father on a visit. As a former camp worker, I know that there are somne boys that are just not happy at camp. I suspect this was the case here.
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