In April of 2024 students and faculty at Lorain County Community College and The Lorain Historical Society-Lorain Black History Project, began investigating the viability of creating a digital simulation in virtual reality of two forgotten historical sites, On-Erie Beach and Camp Merriam. During the Jim Crow Era African-Americans created numerous recreational beaches, summer cabins, and amusement parks. On-Erie Beach (1921-1946) and the adjacent property, Camp Merriam (1922-1935) were established in west Lorain by two local African-American women. On-Erie Beach afforded rest and replenishment to mainly black communities without fear of violence or humiliation and Camp Merriam offered respite to young, mostly urban women. On-Erie Beach and Camp Merriam were open to all races, but -- in the social environment of the era most whites chose not to visit On-Erie Beach but some white girls did attend Camp Merriam.
Our immersive reality lab (IRIS) and Arts and Humanities students worked in concert to develop a script and build digital 3d models for re-imagining the lost sites. We determined that so little visual evidence remains that an accurate historical recreation would not be possible, but a respectful historical interpretation felt necessary. By researching and interpreting relevant histories and documents at LCCC, we have re-created a memory of a lost past for members of our community.
Documentation:
If you would like to experience "Echoes on the Water" in person in our IRIS lab, please contact us using the form below:
Thank you!
Credits:
Project coordinator and Artistic Director: Gregory Little MFA, Director of IRIS, LCCC
Producer, researcher and scriptwriter: Janeya Hisle MBA, Lorain Black History Project
Lead Developers, sound design and coding: David LeBron and Gabriel Beckstrom, IRIS, LCCC
Lead 3D Modeling: John Kwasny
Additional 3D Modeling: students in ARTS/CGSD 276, Fall Semester, 2023
Textures and Digital Painting: Deshanaye Cannon
Scriptwriter: Sarah Baldwin
Faculty Advisor and research: Jewon Woo, PhD
Voice-overs: Pamela Brooks PhD, Ron Jantz, Michael Jackson
