Remembering life inside
Long gone are the days when prisoners languished in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. The jail closed in 1971 after 142 years, and today it is a visitor attraction.
Yet the prison still holds vivid memories for those who used to live and work there. Each year former inmates, staff and guards attend reunions, where they trade stories and get a chance to describe their experiences in question-and-answer sessions with the public.
The central observation tower of the Eastern State Penitentiary rises above the prison walls.
The prison's crumbling cell blocks are seen from the tower.
Light from a window illuminates the remains of a cell in block 14.
A visitor wanders through block 7.
A visitor speaks on the phone in the south corridor of the prison.
A painting of the Virgin Mary and child is left peeling in the radio room of the former jail.
The Eastern State Penitentiary gatehouse is seen from the central observation tower.
