The Catskill Mountains in upstate New York used to be a bustling vacation hub, a destination filled with family-friendly resorts and comedy clubs. Known as The Borscht Belt due to its largely Jewish clientele, the Catskills were a breeding ground for the country's best comedians — people like Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, and Joan Rivers came up through the ranks of those resort rooms.
Then, like that, it was gone. Photographer Marisa Schienfeld grew up in the Catskills in the 1980s as the popularity of these resorts was petering out. She had parents who experienced it in its hey-day, and she saw it decay in front of her own eyes. So starting in 2010, she revisited the mountains to photograph what was left of The Borscht Belt.
What started out as a photo series called Echoes of The Borscht Belt is now a book. You can buy Schienfeld's The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland and see her other work on her website. Schienfeld's unique perspective allowed her to connect emotionally with what's left of this great cultural event and cultivate a truly moving series of photographs.
Indoor Pool, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY
via: Flavorwire
Lobby, Homowack Lodge, Spring Glen, NY
via: Flavorwire
Rotary Phone, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, NY
via: Flavorwire
Chaise Lounge, Cardroom, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, NY
via: Flavorwire
Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, New York
via: Flavorwire
Ski Hill at the Concord Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, New York
via: Gothamist
Outdoor Pool, Commodore Hotel, Swan Lake, NY
via: Flavorwire
Black Magic Showroom, Commodore Hotel, Swan Lake, NY
via: Flavorwire
Handball Court, Echo Mountain Bungalow Colony, Monticello, NY
via: Flavorwire
Coffee Shop, Grossinger's Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY
via: Marisa Schienfeld
Guest Room, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York
via: Marisa Schienfeld
Outdoor Pool, Laurel’s Hotel and Country Club On Sackett Lake, Monticello, NY
via: Flavorwire
Bedroom at the 4 Corners Bungalow Colony, Kiamesha Lake, New York
via: Gothamist
Outdoor Pool at the Nevele Grande Hotel, Ellenville, New York
via: Gothamist
Wedgewood Room #2, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, New York
via: Gothamist
Outdoor Pool, Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, New York
via: Flavorwire
Lobby, Grossinger's Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York
via: Gothamist
Outdoor Pool at the Paramount Hotel, Parksville, New York
via: Gothamist
Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, New York
via: Gothamist
Indoor Pool #4, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York
via: Gothamist
Rosemond Hotel, Woodridge, New York
via: Gothamist
Kitchen, Nevele Grande Hotel, Ellenville, New York
via: Flavorwire
Outdoor Pool, Vegetarian Hotel, Woodridge, NY
via: Marisa Scheinfeld
Take a look at the rest of Marisa Schienfeld's work
here.