Hidden History Revealed
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
–Karl Lagerfeld, designer
Walking through the streets of downtown Rehoboth during the off-season, I ponder over the ghosts of summer revelers of yore. What were their parties like? What were their watering holes of choice? What swimsuits were in fashion? Well, muse no more for CAMP has a Photos Archive: 99 photo albums dating from the summer of 1980 to the present day. All 29,700+ snapshots (except those in which he appears) were taken by our very own Tony Burns.
For the purposes of writing this, I looked at all the images. From the very first photo I was hooked. Captured for all time on celluloid is a young man wearing white overalls—my own summer-of-1980 uniform.
Check out the fabulously themed house parties—“Dirty in Pink,” “Squirt Gun Party”—hosted by such groups as The Park Avenue Boys and Boys of 1 6th Street. Marc Anthony’s “Red, White and Blue Bashes” were not to be missed.
You have not seen camp until you’ve paged through the photos from the annual Labor Day drag volleyball games, CAMP’s uber-outrageous Annual Follies, and Jim D’Orta’s annual Memorial Day “Hilda Mae Snoops” croquet tournament.
Back in the day, luminaries were commonplace: Bruce Vilanch, Congressman Barney Frank, Tim Gunn, and Joan Rivers. Love Grove’s Retro Balls provided real divas: Bonnie Pointer, Martha Wash, and Evelyn “Champagne” King.
Who could forget these hot spots: The Double L, Salero, Celsius, Cloud 9, SOB Deli, Venus-on-the-Half-Shell, Our Place, Café Zeus, and Rouge at 59 Lake?
Amidst the newspaper clippings and umpteen party invitations is a copy of the Beach Book 1993—a directory of Summer ’93 residents of the Rehoboth area and their frequent guests. For years this publication served to keep our small community in touch with one another.
So come take a look at our history in glorious color. Or take a long overdue stroll down memory lane. Public availability will resume after the library renovations. Call ahead for an appointment to view the photo archives: 302-227-5620. ▼