American Association for Nude Recreation

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The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) is a nudist organization in the United States.

In the United States, German immigrant Kurt Barthel organized the first nudist event in 1929, just outside of New York City (NYC), and founded the American League for Physical Culture (ALPC). Social nudism in the form of private clubs and campgrounds began appearing in the 1930s. In 1931, according to a history [1], a Baptist minister named Ilsley Boone was elected as vice president of the ALPC and gained a nickname as "The Dictator." He also began the American Sunbathing Association (ASA), which according to a decision in Roberts v. Clement, posted on the Naturist Education Foundation site [2], was organized in 1939 as a successor to the ALPC. Boone sought a family atmosphere by prohibiting alcohol at all member clubs. According to the Federation of Canadian Naturists history [3] and the Lupin Naturist Club history [4], Boone was toppled in 1951 by members dissatisfied with his autocratic style. This, together with Boone's desire to open a new club closer to NYC than others had wanted, led him to form the National Nudist Council.

Elsewhere in the USA, a 1935 advertisement claims Sea Island Sanctuary, South Carolina, was the "largest and oldest" year round resort where nudism could be practiced. Nudism first began appearing on the US and Canadian west coast about 1932. Rock Lodge Club, located in Stockholm, New Jersey, 42 miles from New York City started in 1932 and is still in operation today. Kaniksu Ranch, about 45 miles (70 km) north of Spokane, Washington, opened in 1939 and is still in operation. In 1995, the ASA renamed itself, becoming the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).