Correctional Photograph Archives, 1895-1975 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Rhonda Smith

Printer-friendly |

Collection Overview

Title: Correctional Photograph Archives, 1895-1975

Extent: 1.32 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 10/02/1984

Subjects: Corrections--Pictorial Works.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The photographic collection is rich in its depiction of early twentieth century prison life and conditions. The collection covers numerous subjects such as prison living conditions, recreational activities, industries, hospital care, corporal punishment, work gangs on the farm and quarries, vocational activities, weapons confiscated, prison architecture, and the death house. A few of the images are of prison officials, primarily in the federal penitentiary system.

Collection Historical Note

The American Prison Society Photographic Archive records collection was acquired by through the efforts of Dr. Bruce Wolford of Eastern's College of Law Enforcement. Dr. Wolford received the photographs in 1979 from William Bain, instructor at the Kentucky Bureau of Training.

In the 1960s Mr. Bain, a former staff member of the American Correctional Association, conceived the idea of a pictorial history of the American prison. With the aid of David A. Kimberling, a prison inmate and photographer, Bain had photographs copied from the American Correctional Association archives plus ones he received from various federal and state correctional facilities throughout the United States. In addition to the copies, which comprise the negative part of the collection, he acquired many original black and white photographic prints. Finally in 1978 through the work of Anthony P. Travisono, executive director of the American Correctional Association, Bain's dream, The American Prison: from the Beginning. A Pictorial History, was published.

Subject/Index Terms

Corrections--Pictorial Works.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: American Prison Society (via Bruce Wolford)

Other Note: Photographs were initially numbered with the accession number; however, a decision was made to change to collection number. The database was changed, but the numbers written on the images were not changed.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[All]

Box 1

Barcode: 31234014110991

Folder 1: Atlanta Federal Penitentiary

Item A1-1: Dispensary
Item A1-2: Cell Block

Folder 2: Auburn Prison

Item A2-1: Outside of Prison (Front View)
Item A2-2: Outside of Prison (Back View)
Item A2-3: Old South Cell Hallway
Item A2-4: Swearing In of Mutual Welfare League Delegates
Item A2-5: Mutual Welfare Meeting Adjourning
Item A2-6: Mutual Welfare Meeting Adjourning
Item A2-7: Cell Wall
Item A2-8: Auburn Prison from the Air
Item A2-9: Prisoners Dancing at Prison Ward Party
Item A2-10: Prisoners Dancing at Prison Ward Party
Item A2-11: Prisoners Dancing at Prison Ward Party
Item A2-12: Prison Party Band
Item A2-13: Prison Party Band
Item A2-14: Prison Party Band
Item A2-15: Prisoners Mingling at Prison Party
Item A2-16: Prison Party Breaking Up
Item A2-17: General Plan of Auburn Prison, 1934
Item A2-18: Cell Block (New South Wing), 1934
Item A2-19: Old Cell #17 (Old South Wing), 1934
Item A2-20: Row of Cells (Old South Wing), 1934
Item A2-21: Double Deck Bed, 1927
Item A2-22: Front of Prison (Close Up)

Folder 3: Cell Blocks

Item C1-1: Cell with Bucket and Tin Cup (Welfare Island Penitentiary, New York), 1924
Item C1-2: Cell with Bucket and Tin Cup (Welfare Island Penitentiary, New York), 1924
Item C1-3: Folded Bedding after being Aired Out
Item C1-4: Cell with Bunk Bed (Joliet)
Item C1-5: Two Cells with Iron Beds and White Bedspreads
Item C1-6: Old Cell Door #6
Item C1-7: Row of Cells (Inside Convict Ship Success)
Item C1-8: Four Dark Cells Numbered 4-7
Item C1-9: Old Cell Corridor
Item C1-10: Old Cell Block
Item C1-11: Circular Cell Block (Cuba)
Item C1-12: Cell Block with Men in Hallway (Attica)
Item C1-13: Cell Corridor (Welfare Island), 1924
Item C1-14: Cell Block
Item C1-15: Prison Corridor with Four Men Smoking
Item C1-16: Isolation Unit (Huntsville Texas)
Item C1-17: Cell Block with Fire Buckets (Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia)
Item C1-18: One of Four Cell Houses (Georgia)
Item C1-19: Pipes in Cell House Corridor (Indiana State Prison)
Item C1-20: "A" Block with 352 Cells, 1946
Item C1-21: West Cell Block (Central Prison, Raleigh)
Item C1-22: Two Pictures of Cells
Item C1-23: Portion of Cell Block (New Hampshire State Prison)
Item C1-24: Cell Block with Doors Open on Right Side
Item C1-25: Cell Block with Doors Open on Right Side
Item C1-26: Dark Cell Block with Two Guards
Item C1-27: Unidentified Cell Window

Folder 4: Construction

Item C2-1: Airplane with Hanger Built by Inmates, 1944
Item C2-2: Large Concrete Building with Three Barred Windows
Item C2-3: Large Concrete Building with Three Barred Windows
Item C2-4: Tearing Down Small Building
Item C2-5: Reconstructing a Prison Flow
Item C2-6: Bricking a House
Item C2-7: House with Two Doors
Item C2-8: Laying Foundation (Main Building)
Item C2-9: Building Construction with Horses and Wagons
Item C2-10: Four Men Bricking a Building
Item C2-11: Lunchtime at Construction Site, 1938
Item C2-12: Wall Construction (Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas), 1890
Item C2-13: Construction Site with Crane and Outhouse
Item C2-14: Construction Site with Crane and Outhouse
Item C2-15: Officials at Construction Sites
Item C2-16: Officials at Construction Sites
Item C2-17: Men Building Inside Frame of House
Item C2-18: Five Men by a Cabin
Item C2-19: Men with Hats Standing Around Construction Site
Item C2-20: Bridge
Item C2-21: Man Working with Rock and Lumber
Item C2-22: Construction Site with Lumber in the Forefront
Item C2-23: Building with Three Rounded Sections
Item C2-24: Building with Grassy Yard
Item C2-25: Building Brick Structure
Item C2-26: Building Brick Structure
Item C2-27: Construction Camp, 1915
Item C2-28: Construction Camp with One Building
Item C2-29: Construction Site with Dump Truck
Item C2-30: Construction Site with Bus

Folder 5: Corporal Punishment

Item C3-1: Prisoners with Chains
Item C3-2: Men in Stockade (20th Century "Civilization")
Item C3-3: Whipping Post, Chains, Ball and Chains, Implements (Convict Ship Success)
Item C3-4: Whipping Post, Chains, Ball and Chains, Implements (Convict Ship Success)
Item C3-5: Man in Chains and Grey Striped Suit, 1916

Folder 6: Death House

Item D1-1: Gas Chamber (Central Prison, Raleigh, North Carolina)
Item D1-2: Electric Chair (Captain Moore)
Item D1-3: Cell Block - Death House (New Jersey State Prison)

Folder 7: Dining Areas

Item D2-1: Dining Room with 18 Men Waiting
Item D2-2: Penitentiary of Puerto Rico Dining Room
Item D2-3: Dining Room with Round Tables (New Prison Eastham, Texas)
Item D1-4: Dining Room with Round Tables (New Prison Eastham, Texas)
Item D2-5: Old Prison Dining Room with Wooden Tables and Benches)
Item D2-6: Christmas Dinner (Camp #8, Parchman Farm)
Item D2-7: Christmas Dinner (Camp #6, Parchman Farm)
Item D2-8: Mess Hall (Attica Prison)
Item D2-9: White Dining Room (Central Prison, Raleigh)
Item D2-10: Dining Room with American Flag and Inscription
Item D2-11: Vermont State Prison Dining Room
Item D2-12: Modern Dining Facility with Mural (San Quentin Prison; From Correction Food Service Article, 1974), 1955
Item D2-13: Modern Dining Facility with Mural (San Quentin Prison; From Correction Food Service Article, 1974), 1955
Item D2-14: Mess Hall (Georgia State Prison)
Item D2-15: Model Prison Evening Meal
Item D2-16: Christmas Dinner (Parchman Farm)
Item D2-17: Christmas Dinner (Parchman Farm)
Item D2-18: Dining Room with Cakes and Pies
Item D2-19: Men Dining in Tent

Folder 8: Dormitories

Item D3-1: Typical Dormitory (Georgia State Prison)
Item D3-2: Old Dormitory with Iron Beds
Item D3-3: Old Dormitory with Straw Beds and Wood Stoves
Item D3-4: Dormitory (Riker's Island)
Item D3-5: Dormitory with Wooden Beds
Item D3-6: Dormitory with Wooden Beds
Item D3-7: Old Camp Dormitory (Angola)

Folder 9: Elmira

Item E1-1: Typical Cell with Bed, 15 Jun 1937
Item E1-2: Book Binding
Item E1-3: Cell Block with Two Beds, 15 Jun 1937
Item E1-4: Elmira Classroom
Item E1-5: Confirmation Class, 1937
Item E1-6: Bath Room - Laundry Room and Bath House
Item E1-7: Brick Making Industry
Item E1-8: Machine Work
Item E1-9: Tailoring Class
Item E1-10: Tailor Department
Item E1-11: Machinist Class (Men Looking at Camera)
Item E1-12: Machinist Class (Men Looking at Camera)
Item E1-13: Iron Work Class and Blacksmithing Work, 1898
Item E1-14: Machinist Class (Men Working)
Item E1-15: Machinist Class (Men Working)
Item E1-16: Laundry Shops
Item E1-17: Laundry Shops
Item E1-18: Shoe Shop
Item E1-19: Elmira Prison with Fence, 1947
Item E1-20: State Meeting Committee of Correction, 13 May 1937
Item E1-21: Mutual Training Department, 1898
Item E1-22: Educational Classes (School of Letter Class)
Item E1-23: Educational Classes (School of Letter Class)
Item E1-24: Tailor Class (Men Sewing)
Item E1-25: Tailor Class (Men Sewing)
Item E1-26: Tailor Class (Men Sewing)
Item E1-27: Tailor Class (Men Sewing)
Item E1-28: Tailor Class (Men Sewing)
Item E1-29: New Trade School Under Construction
Item E1-30: New Shop
Item E1-31: New Shop
Item E1-32: Baseball Game
Item E1-33: Silver Cup, 1921
Item E1-34: Physical Culture Class
Item E1-35: Gymnasium
Item E1-36: Elmira (Front View)
Item E1-37: New Spillway at Reservoir
Item E1-38: Old Laundry, Shops and Bath House After Fire
Item E1-39: Record Office (Men at Desks)
Item E1-40: Band in Formation
Item E1-41: Regiment with Swords and Flags, Sep 1904
Item E1-42: Shop
Item E1-43: Woodworking Class, 1898
Item E1-44: Woodworking Class, 1898
Item E1-45: Woodworking Class, 1898
Item E1-46: Regiment Passing in Review
Item E1-47: Regiment Passing in Review
Item E1-48: Regiment Passing in Review
Item E1-49: Regiment Passing in Review
Item E1-50: New Laundry, Shops and Bath House Under Construction
Item E1-51: New Domestic Building
Item E1-52: Front of Prison (Looking North)
Item E1-53: Total Front View of Prison
Item E1-54
Item E1-55: Back View of Prison (Possibly Elmira?)

Folder 10: Exhibit "Changing Faces, Common Walls"

Item E2-1: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-2: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-3: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-4: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-5: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-6: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-7: Group Photograph (9 Men, 1 Woman, Official Holding Hat)
Item E2-8: Boys Making Brooms in Reform School
Item E2-9: State Penitentiary (Frankfort)

Folder 11: Farms and Farming

Item F1-1: Prison Dairy with 50 Cows
Item F1-2: Harvest in Pea Field (Angola)
Item F1-3: Four Men in Pea Field
Item F1-4: Workhouse Farm Building
Item F1-5: Work in Farm Field
Item F1-6: Feeding Pigs on Prison Farm
Item F1-7: Pigs Running Toward Food
Item F1-8: Hay Field on Prison Farm, 1932
Item F1-9: Corn Mill (Prison Farm)
Item F1-10: Corn Mill (Prison Farm)
Item F1-11: Prisoners Digging (Prison Farm)
Item F1-12: Prisoners Digging (Prison Farm)
Item F1-13: Prisoners Walking (Prison Farm)
Item F1-14: Prisoners Standing by Mule Team (Prison Farm)
Item F1-15: Two Fields (Prison Farm)
Item F1-16: Dairy Barn
Item F1-17: Dairy Barn
Item F1-18: Horse Barn
Item F1-19: Barn and New Cottage
Item F1-20: Boys Picking Potatoes
Item F1-21: Prisoners Planting Seed and Clearing Land
Item F1-22: Pig Pen, 1938
Item F1-23: Corn Husking
Item F1-24: Different Types of Fruits and Vegetables
Item F1-25: Mule Barn, 1938
Item F1-26: Mule Barn, 1938
Item F1-27: Two Men Plowing with Horses
Item F1-28: Hay Stacking
Item F1-29: Two Men at Mill
Item F1-30: Mill
Item F1-31: Boys with Hogs
Item F1-32: Hay Field
Item F1-33: Ox Teams Plowing Snow
Item F1-34: Greenhouse (Kansas State Penitentiary), 1939
Item F1-35: Boys with Chickens
Item F1-36: Boys with Chickens
Item F1-37: Tomato Field
Item F1-38: Empty Dairy Barn

Folder 12: Graveyards

Item G1-1: Graveyard with Three Tattered Flags (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-2: Graveyard with Two Tattered Flags (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-3: Graveyard with Two Tattered Flags and Building (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-4: Graveyard Overlooking Prison (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-5: Dead Body in Field (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-6: One Unknown Grave (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-7: Cemetery Entrance (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)
Item G1-8: Cemetery Entrance (Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Ohio)

Folder 13: Hospitals

Item H1-1: Operating Room, 1938
Item H1-2: Hospital Room (Blackwell's Island)
Item H1-3: Lima State Hospital
Item H1-4: Tuberculous Ward #6 (100 Bed Capacity)
Item H1-5: Hospital Ward with Flowers
Item H1-6: Prison Hospital with Patients
Item H1-7: Sunflower Hospital (Mississippi State Penitentiary)

Folder 14: Hound Dogs

Item H2-1: Four Dogs by Kennel
Item H2-2: Four Dogs by Fence

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[All]