For more than 100 years, horsemen in North Philadelphia have been countering crime with a love of horses. The Fletcher Street stables provide a safe environment for locals to escape a community overcome by gang violence and unemployment. Photographer Ann Sophie Lindström spent several months documenting the group to complete her interactive project, “Don’t Fence Me In.” At first, the horsemen were not impressed by Lindström, but when she shared her prints with them, they warmed to the European photographer. “The horses give them an opportunity to get away from everything that is going on in their lives,” she said. “Horses can heal troubled souls. That is something I experienced myself.”
About the Author
Emily Anne Epstein is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees visuals. She has worked as a photojournalist, reporter, and the managing editor of the New York Observer.