Subject: Prisoners - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Extent:: 31.0 linear feet
Abstract:: When it opened in 1829, the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary") was the world's first true "penitentiary" in the sense that it was designed to inspire true feelings of penitence in the hearts of inmates. Initially characterized by its system of strict isolation and grand architecture, more than 300 prisons on five continents were modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 142 years of operation, the system of isolation was gradually abandoned and the penitentiary became a traditional modern prison; in 1971, the facility was closed. The State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania records, circa 1830-1970, is comprised of various fragmentary records of the "Eastern State Penitentiary" that were either found on-site after the prison was closed, or donated by various individuals with connections to the prison. There are records relating to the operations and administration of the prison as a whole, as well as...(see more)

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

Extent:: 5.0 linear feet
Abstract:: When it opened in 1829, the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary") was the world's first true "penitentiary" in the sense that it was designed to inspire true feelings of penitence in the hearts of inmates. Initially characterized by its system of strict isolation and grand architecture, more than 300 prisons on five continents were modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 142 years of operation, the system of isolation was gradually abandoned and the penitentiary became a traditional modern prison; in 1971, the facility was closed. The Eastern State Penitentiary oral history project, 1993-2012, consists of about 130 oral history interviews with former inmates, employees of the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary"), family members of employees, and volunteers such as Chaplains.

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

Extent:: 11.1 linear feet
Abstract:: William G. Nagel (1917-2009) was president of the American Foundation in Philadelphia from 1969 until his retirement in 1983. Now known as the Bok Tower Gardens Foundation, the entity operated a research group on prisons known as the Institute of Corrections, of which Mr. Nagel was director. The Institute conducted national studies that resulted in Nagel's 1973 work The New Red Barn: A Critical Look at the Modern American Prison.

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

Extent:: 0.2 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:: Isidro Barquero Ortiz was a prisoner held in the Montjuïc military prison following the Spanish Civil War and the Republicans' unconditional surrender to Francisco Franco in April, 1939. He was a prisoner from at least August 20, 1939 until August 1, 1940, when he was granted provisional release. This collection consists of letters written by Ortiz to his girlfriend Maruya Rodriguez Espinosa, of Mardrid, while imprisoned and after his release. Ortiz wrote, fairly regularly, on a weekly basis from August, 1939, until March, 1941, describing his love for Maruya and why he was still in prison after many others were released.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Extent:: 10 boxes
Abstract:: The papers in this collection comprise psychological profiles of criminals taken by Swedish doctor and forensic psychiatrist Olof Kinberg during his tenure at Långholmen's Central Prison (Långholmens fångvårdsanstalt) on Långholmen Island, Stockholm, Sweden. The individual typescript dossiers are in Swedish. There are short summaries and some notes handwritten in English.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Extent:: 144 boxes and 123 linear feet
Abstract:: Consists of a closed collection of more than 5,000 Western Americana photographs, consisting mostly of documentary photographs of the Trans-Mississippi West from the late 1860s to early 1900s, largely from the perspective of white photographers and settlers. Subjects include American Indians (especially studio portraits), natural wonders, cities, towns, buildings, and economic activities (mining, railroads, logging, and agriculture). Some photographs relate to the Indigenous populations of Mexico and Central America. The dimensions, physical formats, and photographic processes of the photographs vary widely.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

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