On Holiday: How The World Vacations
As the new year started with escalation of socio-political tensions around the world, Musée decided to look for something to unite the crowd. The photographers from this article work with different communities that return to the core sentiment of vacation: enjoyment and relaxation.Their images prove that while we come from different places, each one of us dreams of simply spending our time with our loved ones.
© Dina Litovsky, Where the Amish Vacation
Dina Litovsky (b. 1979) aims to explore social interactions between different groups, in both public and private spheres. She followed the Amish and Mennonite community to Florida, where she captured the contrast between the traditional and the modern in Where The Amish Vacation. Her subjects, as they entered a more progressive scene, preserved their old ways and savored the moments we all look forward to when going on a holiday.
© Dina Litovsky, Where the Amish Vacation
© Dina Litovsky, Where the Amish Vacation
In Litovsky's photos, women in long dresses and white bonnets play volleyball and ride the small, electric carts and bicycles. Then, the Mennonites and local Florida residents mingle around the ice cream shop. While usually these groups are rarely seen together, in Litovsky’s images the boundaries are pushed. The project reflects the bliss of being with your group and loved ones, as well as the opportunity for a closed community to broaden the scope of their social interactions.
You can view the full project and more of Litovsky's work here.
Domme, Dordogne, France © Isabella Rozendaal, En Masse: How Holland Holidays (2010)
Isabella Rozendaal (b. 1983) from Amsterdam created a project called En Masse: How Holland Holidays to showcase a similar phenomenon. She followed the Dutch travellers across Europe to the regions where they gather the most to dig into what stands at the roots of the Dutch vacation.
Mimizan, Les Landes, France © Isabella Rozendaal, En Masse: How Holland Holidays (2010)
Mimizan, Les Landes, France © Isabella Rozendaal, En Masse: How Holland Holidays (2010)
Rozendaal captures affectionate scenes of her compatriots taking pleasure in beach trips and camping among their family and friends. She photographs scenes that are familiar to each of us, like parents doing laundry and hanging the rows of clothes outside the vehicles. We can all relate to the nostalgia of when we were teenagers on a family trip, sneaking out of our parents sight to come back to the beach for a night swim, and then rush back home before the adults noticed.
You can view Rozendaal's project and purchase En Masse here
Saint Julien de Lampon, Dordogne, France © Isabella Rozendaal, En Masse: How Holland Holidays (2010)
John Margolies (1940-2016) was an American critic and architectural photographer, but he also followed the American Jewish community in the Catskills Mountains along Borscht Belt or the Jewish Alps, a region that was famous for its summer resorts.
Inner tubers, Phoenicia, New York © John Margolies, courtesy of Library of Congress.
Brickman ma jong, South Fallsburg © John Margolies, courtesy of Library of Congress.
His photographs show that ultimately, it is the opportunity to spend our time with the people we relate to and look for in our holidays. Despite the community sharing a religious background, people of all groups can find their ideal vacation in these photographs as the women gather for table games to socialize, and men and children dive into the lake on large floaties.
Scott's shuffleboard, Deposit, New York © John Margolies, courtesy of Library of Congress.
Finally, photographer Asaf Einy, based in Tel Aviv, produced an engaging photobook, 10 pm Sunset, as a result of his travels around Southern Italy and Sicily. In the summer, this region is bustling with tourists, giving the locals no time to catch a breath as hundreds of visitors pour into the country. Einy captured the locals finding time for themselves, getting to know them through short interactions. In his photographs, Italians escape the tourist filled crowds and spend time with their families on the local beaches or meet their friends at an open cafe-bar during the lunchtime.
You can view more of Einy's work on his Instagram or purchase his book here.
© Asaf Einy, 10 PM Sunset
© Asaf Einy, 10 PM Sunset
Vacationers find pleasure in spending time within groups they belong to. They focus on the simple joy everyone can indulge in: sharing a meal, watching the sunset and forgetting about what day of the week it is.
