"da joint".
A bit of background I learned once behind prison doors...Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 as part of a movement to reform, rather than punish, the behavior of inmates thru "confinement in solitary labor". It's wagon wheel spoke design has been copied in prisons around the world. Some of America's most notorious criminals did time in the pen's vaulted, sky-lit cell blocks including bank robber Willie Sutton and Al "Scarface" Capone. After 142 years of continuous use it was abandoned in 1971.
"Cell Row"
(1 of 15 cell blocks)
And HERE is where it gets down right amazing to me...the penitentiary now stands a lost world of crumbling EVERYTHING! It is a texture lolla-palooza. Altho, I'm sure the Better Half and Thing #3 didn't appreciate the "texture" as much as James Dean and I did. If I loved crumbling and texture THAT much, why didn't I just shoot photos of the house we recently moved into rather than completely re-model it?!!?!
"Cell 34"
"A Peak Into the Boudoir"
Beautiful light and shadows...
"Radiant Streams"
"The Golden Hour"
"Shadow Dancing"
"A Room With a View"
"Shadows on the Baseball Field"
Angles, lines...
Interesting perspectives. . .
"Guard Tower"
"The VIP Lounge"
(Al Capone's cell)
And when you are all done, a pretty cute cafe' across the street...
I love Google AND my Philly...prisons and all. But I'm guessing Thing #3 is trying to devise a way to block Google from my access.
--Kathy
I love being a tourist in your own town. We do that too. Terrific post really loved the photos. Thank you for joining Katherines Corner favorite things hop today.Big Hugs!! P.S> Don't forget to enter the pink poodle giveaway
ReplyDeleteWho knew a prison could be so beautiful! You pictures are amazing! Love the perspective ones! Great job!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fantastic pictures! I love your header, too cute.
ReplyDeleteI am following you through the favorite things hop.
Have a great day!
Vickie
http://victoriasvoice44.blogspot.com
I'm in awe...very interesting and such cool shots.
ReplyDeleteOkay, and I'm not going to say "if" but when I come someday, we have to have a date to go back there. Holy cannoli, what an awesome place....might have had to drag me outta there. My family always teases me and says if we ever went to let's say Europe or something that they would have shoot me with a tranquilizer to move me along to the next place. And isn't it funny, if my house were in that much disarray I would be horrified, but instead when I find places like this I usually need a paper bag!!! lol
ReplyDeleteMost excellent walk through the prison!!
P.S. This weekend in Galveston, there is a Civil War reenactment . . . whoo hoo!
Oh and P.S.S. - I think my family tries to hide my "Day trips from Houston" book from me! haha ; )
ReplyDeleteYou really got some great shots of 'da joint', you make the place look awesome!
ReplyDeleteI 1st saw Eastern State on 'Ghost Hunters'... it's a HUGE place & I'd love to take that tour, so interesting!
I wish kids understood the importance of quality time together w/ family... she'll regret it before too long, I sure do!
By far one of the coolest historic tours ever. EVER! I lived in Pennsylvania for 14 1/2 years and never knew you could tour the prison. That is crazy. Great shots.
ReplyDeleteI live on google....googling places to go. And yes, that prison is a photographer's paradise! I just learned of another dilapidated prison too, but you need to kind of beg for special permission to gain entry. I'm not sure I was up to that. But perhaps if there were several of us begging....hmmm....
ReplyDeleteOh and I just passed by an abandoned old house I am trying to get the guts to investigate too! It's for sale...I could act like I was interested. LOL.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a photographers dream place to visit. You have got some wonderful shots there. I would never have thought to visit a prison. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are fabulous.. I do love all the textures you found my friend. Now you got me thinking.. If I goggle Las Vegas I bet there has to be a ton of thing to do hear.. Hee Hee!!! I think when we live in a City to long we forget how cool things there are to do!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Linda
Mornin' Kathy, absolutely wonderful shots! Love visiting places like that. Last summer we visited Fort Knox in Penobscot, ME which is supposed to be haunted. I got some great shots there; even one I think is of some ghostly activity although everyone says it's dust on the lens. Well if it is how come the photo before or after this one doesn't have the same spots??? I'd like to believe in my ghostly theory. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI found the shadows vs. light to be so mesmerizing in your photos, Kathy. Love the photo of the bed -- how fun for you to do this. :)
ReplyDeleteOh!! OOoooooHHH!! I LOVE this! What a photographers DREAM come true!!! I'm glad you made Thing #3 go with you, for one day she will appreciate it all when she looks back on all the cool photographs you took documenting the day you all spent together. She will. :)
ReplyDeleteBeing a tourist in our own town is cool, huh? I go toOld Town every once in awhile just to be a tourist and snap photographs. I live 20 minutes from Old Town. he he he ...
GREAT shots, K! :)
Oh wow who knew that an old prison could offer such a beautiful study in lines, symmetry and textures. Your captures are really amazing. I The image of the bed took my breath away. Truly a wonderful collection!! I guess I will google prison's now.
ReplyDeleteAs per usual, loved your writi,ng along with the photos and in addition your very humorous but apt photo titles.
ReplyDeleteI need to get there on my next trip to Philly! I have heard such awesome things about the site! AMAZING pics!
ReplyDeleteHoly WOW! You were dead on with texture lolla palooza!!!! Kathy you captured some really beautiful shots! If any number of your 'things' don't feel up for your adventures, please, please Kathy get in touch with me. I would be honored to join you and James D.
ReplyDeleteHope you google places in Lancaster area soon. (hint hint)
Kathy- you did a fabulous job taking such a dark & dreary & sad perception of a place & finding the beauty in it. I LOVE the composition of each of them but that one of the bed with the light streaming in- WOW!!!!!
ReplyDeleteESP has been on my places to shoot list for a long time. I love the "VIP Lounge" and all that chipping paint. Beautiful!
ReplyDeletebeautiful captures!
ReplyDeleteOh, my! My sister lives about an hour from Philly. Wonder if she'd like to go to prison with me?
ReplyDeleteWow, such a blast from my past. I would walk past the walls of ESP on my way to and from school for the two years I lived with my grandparents on Woodstock St. There were no tours then, so thank you for showing me what I missed.
ReplyDeleteCan I just tell you...I would JUMP at the chance to see this. And NO people to mess up the shot. I love every single shot. It's really gorgeous....the textures the colors, lights, and angles. Note to self.....put Phillie on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteGirlfriend....you have yourself an artshow here. Print these babies out in varying sizes, mat and frame!! I LOVE this series. Texture, light, shapes, lines, great POV's. You have rocked it OUT! This is fabulous. so glad i didn't miss it. wow.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to visit this place. Amazing....no matter what thing #3 has to say.
Oh WOW great shots of the prison. Really like the texture shots on...
ReplyDelete:) Saun
So much fun& also now I sort of want to visit a prison ..no exciting prisons where I live though!
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing post! Who would have thought a prison could be so gorgeous! You captured it beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to express how awesome I think this is. I absolutely love all of the textures and the ways in which you have captured them. just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThese are stunning! Love them all.
ReplyDeleteI would love the spend the day with you, Dean and my nameless lover. I need a name for my camera, don't I?
Brilliant pics and such an interesting and fun story TFS. Glad I found you today, I'm hopping from K's Corner and have a great time. Now a new follower
ReplyDeleteWow, those are beautiful! Totally makes me want to head to jail myself...but only an old decrepit one that has awesome photo opps. :-) I especially love the radiant streams one.
ReplyDeleteKathy these are quite fascinating! Reminds me of Alcatraz. My daughter and I recently toured there, and it would take alot more than textures to make that appealing if you had to live there. You did very nice work on this. Glad to meet you and see some of your work.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so cool! So much grungy goodness! Nicely captured!
ReplyDeleteThese photos are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I'd go to prison with you ANY TIME!
ReplyDeleteAMAZING!
ReplyDeleteYou took something that so many people find frightening and spooky and made it beautiful!
Love it, Kathy. I thought of Shawshank when I saw the opening picture. What an amazing architectural dream. Beatiful pictures and fun story, and a great thing to do. How about Alcatraz next time you visit the Left Coast?
ReplyDeletePS:
And don't you love to drag the husband and Thing around with you on your photographic journeys? Ha Ha! Love the pictures, love the writing.