Camp Runoia Collection

SummaryThe Camp Runoia Collection consists of film shot by Constance Dowd and the Cobb family from the 1920s to the 1980s at the girls’ summer camp in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The collection shows counselors with campers enjoying daily activities including footage of a shared meal in the dining hall, and many shots of the girls gathering to raise the morning flag. The bulk of the material covers recreational activities like swimming, canoeing, dancing, water-skiing, horseback riding, and diving. Popular sports depicted include tennis, softball, and track and field activities. Notably, some footage offers a valuable glimpse of the early uniformity of the girls’ movements. The girls are seen learning to walk in formation, carrying wooden rifles, and using their paddles in synchronized movements while they canoe. The collection also serves to document the change of this uniformity over time, depicting the loss of uniforms and leisurely movements within daily camp routines. The collection also contains purchased film.

Biographical/Historical NotesFounded in 1907, Camp Runoia has been owned and directed by the Cobb family since 1960. It was founded by Constance Dowd and Lucy Wieser, 2 school teachers from Cleveland, OH. Camp Runoia is located on Great Pond in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, covering approximately 90 acres of fields and woods with almost a mile of lake shoreline.

RepositoryNortheast Historic Film

AvailabilityThe Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and UseAuthorization to reuse and/or reproduce must be obtained from Northeast Historic Film. See http://www.oldfilm.org/research for more information.