Fletcher Street

by Kathie Dobie (Introduction), Martha Camarillo (Photographer)

Deep in the heart of Philadelphia, past row houses and vacant lots, run-down playgrounds and dilapidated schools, is a little place called Fletcher Street. It has everything one would expect to find down an alley in the ghetto, with one horses. The men and boys of Fletcher Street have used their passion for riding and bonds with their rides to build their and their community’s sense of worth. They describe their passion for horses as having kept them from the temptations of street life. Fletcher Street by Martha Camarillo documents the lives of these men and the boys they mentor, who board their horses in abandoned houses or makeshift stables, and ride them through the streets of Philly.

Camarillo’s work is valuable not only because it illuminates a fascinating new aspect of culture, but also because it challenges those who see it. Her photographs force viewers to confront their own preconceptions of sport as representative of social status, and race as a demarcation of class. The power of Camarillo’s exploration of this underrepresented community is based on the strength of the men urban horsemen who have ridden away from the ’hood and toward a better future.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Photography

128 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good example of how 'thinking outside the box' can provide solutions to problems in the inner city. This book looks at how horses are cared for by a group of African Americans who live in the inner city. This may seem paradoxical at first; but the bond that is built by taking care of the horses also helps the community to overcome the many challenges that are faced every day.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more, but the photographs just weren't that great, in my opinion. And they're the main purpose of the book. I love the concept--I found this book after reading Ghetto Cowboy which is a fiction novel set in this world of black city horsemen and boys. I love the fact that the photographer spent two years in the community of the Fletcher Street cowboys, getting them to trust her to take their pictures. But for all that, the photos are mostly stagnant posed shots, sometimes not lit very well (it's street photography, I get it, but you still can make it work so that I can see the faces better), with no captions until you get to the end of the book--where there are thumbnail-sized images (in a coffee-table sized book?? Why??) with microscopic captions. I shouldn't have to flip back and forth to see who's in the photos or what they're doing, tell me on the same page as the full size photo! I questioned why the editors or designers made these choices; also, to have microscopic font size for the two brief pages of text that introduce the book. I guess it's to be artsy, but it's not to my liking and I have seen a fair amount of good nonfiction photo books in my time; this one could have been so much better. Still an important book and I'm glad I got to see it, as a work of research.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world really is an unexpected place sometimes. Looking through this book, which only has two real pages of text, you just get a glimpse of some of these unexpected things. Tough-looking men and boys, riding horses past row homes, gas stations, abandoned lots, through litter-strewn streets in what is obviously a less than desirable neighborhood in Philadelphia. Horses tied up at graffiti covered walls and stabled in abandoned buildings. Grown men and toddlers alike perched on top of ponies. Do I wish I knew more about these men, boys, and horses, and the sanctuary they've created for themselves in the ghetto? Yes. But these glimpses into their lives, that hint at a world I'll never know, are almost more powerful on their own than any words could ever be. A beautiful and surprising book.

[Koe · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn't really any reading at all in this book, but it's a MUST have for anyone that collects art. The pictures are fantastic! They tell the story of the riders and their love for the horses so well. These riders on Fletcher Street are such an inspiration to people everywhere without even realizing it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.unshelved.com/bookclub/201...

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos are great, and I treasure this book. The only reason I can't give it more stars is because I really, really want to read more about it. The few paragraphs at the beginning only made me hungry for more information, frustrated.