Introduction
Orchard Beach, a mile-long sliver of constructed shoreline, has long served as an oasis for generations of working-class families living in an environment defined by struggle, yet is embedded in the imagination of many as a vulgar place. As the only beach in the Bronx, the stigma attached to Orchard is due in part to the complex history of a borough stained by a tumultuous past and loaded with racial, cultural, and socio-economic undertones. With this series, I was determined to create a body of work that would challenge the notion that Orchard Beach is “dirty” and have sought to exalt the souls who have allowed me to share their space.