Sublunar Photography

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

End Historic Photos

Prison #7 operated for about 80 years and closed in the 2010's.

The Groundhog Incident

I was minding my own business exploring this large prison alone and had just gone inside a smaller outbuilding when, on the second floor, I encountered the devil in the shape of a groundhog.

The groundhog was sitting in the middle of the hallway of the second floor and staring at me with a fiery and intense anger burning in his eyes. I think we were both equally surprised to meet inside this building and especially here on the second floor. He bade me to depart at once but I delayed heeding his warning. I checked out a couple rooms on my side of the building and left him to his side but he was very unsettled and making a commotion the whole time. We crossed paths again and he warned me a second time, but "nay", I thought, "I shall stay for you are but a groundhog and nothing more." Oh, what a fool I had been!

And so it was that I descended the stairs to complete my exploration of this building on the ground floor when I heard the meaty menace angrily plopping down the stairs after me. He stopped near the top of the last flight of stairs. With chest puffed up and with a murderous countenance, he looked me directly in the eyes and he warned me, thrice, to begone or be-perished like so many of his foes who have fallen before him. He seemed to elicit a sick pleasure in recalling the gory demise his victims endured at the chisel shaped ends of his large incisors and it was at this moment that I realized this was no ordinary groundhog. I paused a moment to reflect upon his words. I decided to move towards the door because I didn't want to be cornered by him in case he was rabid or had some other disease, or demonic possession, to explain why a groundhog-shaped devil came to inhabit the second floor of this old building. Sensing my fear and utilizing his advantage on the high ground, the ornery abomination made his move. He charged at me down the stairs -not walking but running down- directly at me. I ran out the front door as he taunted me with threatening language and obscene gestures, the likes of which common decency forbids description thereof. His foul temperament overshadowed even the sunny day and the bright blue skies in which we now found ourselves outside the front door of his gloomy gothic abode. I turned around on the front porch and shouted "Fuck you, you beaver ass lookin' bitch!"

I then ran until I couldn't run anymore. I saw his face behind every blade of grass and in every doorway I passed. The winds carried his gamey odor to the furthest corners of the prison yard. I wished I was far away from this cursed place. Even still when I close my eyes, I am haunted by his beady eyes which pierce my tortured soul. In my dreams I am forever running in slow-motion from a bloodthirsty rodent with an insatiable lust for violence and a mastery of stinging personal insults which he delivers with unreasonable amounts of attitude and sass.