THE ARCHITECTURE WHICH DEFINES OUR LANDSCAPE IS A TANGIBLE PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY. WHEN HISTORIC STRUCTURES ARE DEMOLISHED, A PART OF OURSELVES IS RELEGATED TO MEMORY AND CONDEMNED TO BE FORGOTTEN. IN THE REDISCOVERY OF OUR ABANDONED, OFF-LIMITS, OR OTHERWISE HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTS, I DOCUMENT THEIR EXISTENCE AS WELL AS OUR OWN THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ADVENTURES PRESENTED HERE
Eastern State Penitentiary was constructed in Philadeplphia in 1822 and by the time it was completed, it was said to be the largest and most expensive public building erected in the United States. It was designed by architecht John Haviland to resemble a medieval castle so as to "strike fear in the hearts of those who thought of committing crime" and it eventually became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. On October 25, 1829, ESP began housing its first inmates. It became notorious for various forms of abuse and torture inflicted upon inmates during its long ~140 years of operation. Following a large-scale riot in 1961, officials began taking steps to close the facility. It was closed down in 1971 and subsequently abandoned for nearly two decades. Beginning in the late 1980s, historic preservationists began restoration efforts including small-scale tours of the site. In 1994 daily tours were made open to the public and more than 10,000 visitors attended the first year. It remains open for daily tours and I highly recommend it.
Among other notable inmates, Al Capone served 8 months in Eastern State Penitentiary (from 1929-1930). From 1934-1939, he served time on Alcatraz. His cell in Eastern State Penitentiary has been restored and now appears how it would have looked back then.
Begin Historic Photos
Eastern State Penitentiary 1920's historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
Eastern State Penitentiary historic photo
End Historic Photos
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
Al Capone's Cell in Eastern State Penitentiary by sublunar
This blog is dedicated to the pursuit of adventure and exploration in Saint Louis, Missouri and beyond. Here you will find photographs of, and history pertaining to, some of the most interesting, unique, old and/or abandoned locations across the United States.
1. With the exception of any historical photos, all of the photographs here are copyrighted and not to be used for any purpose without my consent. The historical imagery is courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society or as otherwise noted.
2. "Don't try this at home." I absolutely will not be held responsible for anyone else's stupidity. I do not recommend anyone try visiting any of these locations. Sometimes I am granted access to the things you see here and attempting to follow in my footsteps may get you arrested, hurt or killed.
3. "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." I do not condone or tolerate: vandalism, theft, littering or any other disrespectful activity in any of these locations. Vandalizing and/or stealing from vulnerable locations is weak and lame as hell. I have respect for the history of these locations and for the history of my city, Saint Louis.
4. Do not ask me for (or post) specific location information. If identifying information is not provided in the post, it was left out intentionally to protect the identity of the location. Any information will be provided either at the time of posting, or updated years later, at my discretion.
5. Any reference to "I/me, we/us" anywhere on this blog is probably just a metaphor. Metaphors are often employed to simplify complex technical details when storytelling. As such, they can never be considered as admission, nor proof, of guilt; They do not provide sufficient evidence as to who (or what) actually took any of the photos shown here. I/we may or may not actually exist.
6. No ads. No sponsors. No gods. No masters. This site is completely non-commercial and only intended for education/entertainment purposes. I have undergone significant personal risk, effort and cost to produce all content displayed here. All research is engaged in and typed out by myself. I do this because I enjoy it. I am not available for hire.
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