Ironically, as society became more liberal about sex, the "asexual" nudist camp seemed outdated. Young people preferred discos and drugs to weeding the garden naked with their parents.
The sun has set on the golden age of naturism. The families have grown up, the founders have passed away, and the fences have rusted. But in those burnt-orange photographs, a game of naked badminton lasts forever. If you are interested in the history of social nudity, always approach vintage archives with respect for the individuals depicted, who believed in a world where clothing was the only costume.
"Look at the face, not the space." Staring at genitalia was grounds for immediate expulsion. Members were trained to maintain eye contact during conversation, a social skill that actually increased the intimacy of dialogue.
When the movement crossed the Atlantic to the United States and Canada in the 1930s, it took on a distinctly "campy" flavor. The first official nudist camp in the US was founded in 1931 in Spring Valley, New York. During the Great Depression, luxury was unobtainable, but nature was free. Vintage nudist camps were often little more than a farmhouse with a high wooden fence. Members were required to sign pledges stating that they were not "lewd" or "immoral." They paid dues to join "clubs" rather than "resorts," emphasizing a cooperative, back-to-the-land ethos.
You never sat on communal furniture without a towel. This rule, which persists in modern nudist resorts, was invented in the vintage era to address hygiene obsessively.
Men were required to avoid "semi-erections." If a man became aroused, he was instructed to turn over onto his stomach or enter the cold water immediately. Public displays of affection beyond a quick kiss were forbidden.