By Anne Levin

Thanks to the late photographer Romus Broadway, life in Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood is documented with thousands of images of people and community gatherings from the late 1950s through the early 2000s.

Princeton University Library’s Special Collections acquired and digitized these images in 2021, a year after Broadway died at the age of 81. From August 2022 through May of this year, the library and the Arts Council of Princeton held an outdoor exhibit of Broadway’s photographic collages displayed on banners throughout the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood.

Broadway’s achievements make him an ideal inspiration and role model for the 12 young teenagers who will take part in a new photography camp being held at Princeton University’s Carl Fields Center June 20-30. As of Monday, eight were signed up for the camp, which is free and geared toward those who have an interest in photography and an appreciation for the Witherspoon-Jackson community.

“Romus took pictures of every person in town he could find,” said Lance Liverman, who was on the committee that organized the camp along with Shirley Satterfield, Iona Harding, the Rev. Gregory Smith, Charles Phox, and Jennifer Garcon, the University’s librarian for modern and contemporary special collections. “There must be about 15,000 or 20,000 pictures,” Liverman continued. “He was incredible.”

Broadway was born in Belle Mead in 1939 and moved with his family to Princeton when he was 4 years old. He graduated from Princeton High School and Amherst College, served in the Air Force, and worked for American Airlines. Photography and history were his passions.

The teens, ages 12 to 15, will attend the camp from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Each day will be different. “One day, maybe Shirley [Satterfield] will speak to them about history,” said Liverman. “Another day, Dr. Jennifer Garcon will talk. We’ll take them into Firestone Library and go over historical stuff. They’ll walk around the neighborhood and take pictures, download them, and talk about what they’ve seen and what it means.”

An exhibit of the campers’ work will be held on the final day. Parents, donors, and supporters will be invited.

When the camp concludes, each student will go home with a $400 camera. Between the cameras, two instructors, and a director, the entire initiative is costing about $19,000. A little over $15,000 has been raised so far, and donations are welcome, Liverman said. Photographers Asha Weal and Ryshawn Cooper, both direct descendants of Witherspoon-Jackson, have created the curriculum.

The idea for the camp came from Smith last August after he heard a talk by Garcon on photography and legacy during the annual Joint Effort Safe Streets series held in the Witherspoon-Jackson district.

“He reached out to us, and said this is something we should teach our kids,” Liverman said. “We all came up with the idea of summer camp, to give kids in the area an idea of how to take pictures and retain history. We put our heads together, contacted the University, and they were generous enough to give us space for two weeks in the Fields Center. They were also nice enough to provide food for us each day.”

The original idea was to attract participants from the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, but kids from other parts of town have signed up as well. The program is open to all.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this all turns out,” said Liverman. “We’re excited.”

For more information, to register, or sponsor a child, email romusbroadwaysummer-camp@gmail.com.