The Maples - Stephen A. Scheer

In 1979, photographer Stephen A. Scheer discovered an unusual village on the Housatonic River. It appeared from a distance to be a tightly packed cluster of rustic bungalows on a narrow strip. When Scheer ventured down the hidden road to the neighborhood of bungalows he found a place that was alive with family life – children, teenagers, parents and grandparents all together in one place. In its own bucolic way it resembled the kind of street life Scheer had worked with before in color photography. The residents of The Maples agreed to collaborate with Scheer in the making of a photographic story about them. As Scheer navigated the complex interrelations of family, relatives and neighbors he discovered individuals and key groups that could be portrayed in interconnected ways to create a story with narrative and character development. The Maples presents itself as an extended day among days in photographically condensed time, where fact and fiction mingle to create the fullest expression of Scheer’s vision.