Alcatraz in B&W
Oct 21, 2020 07:40:06 #
Alcatraz Island is home to the abandoned federal prison and the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States.
San Francisco, CA
July 2014
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary by Paul Sager, on Flickr
The US military used Alcatraz Island as both a fort protecting San Francisco and as a military prison from the time of the US Civil War through the end of WWI.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
The US Department of Justice took over the The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island in 1933 and opened the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1934.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963. The government determined the penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta). The salt water saturation on the island was severely eroding the buildings.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
During the occupation, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new policy of self-determination, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Graffiti from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Alcatraz takes its name from the word, alcatraces, or seabirds, from the early Spanish explorers. Today, this National Historic Landmark is a haven for over 5,000 nesting birds.
Western gull chick
The coastal environment of the San Francisco Bay Area has caused deterioration and corrosion of building materials throughout Alcatraz. Beginning in 2011, the National Park Service began major renovations on the island, including the installation of solar panels.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Some areas of the island are closed seasonally because many birds are highly sensitive to disturbance and will abandon their nests, eggs, and chicks when people approach them.
Western gull
During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. Because of its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, tremendous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, prison officials believed no one could survive the swim to shore. In modern times, people compete in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and swim the 1.5 miles to shore.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Images shared in this post were processing in Adobe Lightroom 6 from the JPEG files create from scanning the film from a July 2014 visit to the island. Film types include Kodak TMAX 100, Kodak TriX 400 and Fuji NeoPan 400. The Canon lenses and film type are noted on the individual pages in Flickr, all from an EOS 1v. Processing and scanning performed by TheDarkroom.
These images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.
San Francisco, CA
July 2014
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary by Paul Sager, on Flickr
The US military used Alcatraz Island as both a fort protecting San Francisco and as a military prison from the time of the US Civil War through the end of WWI.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
The US Department of Justice took over the The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island in 1933 and opened the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1934.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963. The government determined the penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta). The salt water saturation on the island was severely eroding the buildings.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
During the occupation, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new policy of self-determination, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Graffiti from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Alcatraz takes its name from the word, alcatraces, or seabirds, from the early Spanish explorers. Today, this National Historic Landmark is a haven for over 5,000 nesting birds.
Western gull chick
The coastal environment of the San Francisco Bay Area has caused deterioration and corrosion of building materials throughout Alcatraz. Beginning in 2011, the National Park Service began major renovations on the island, including the installation of solar panels.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Some areas of the island are closed seasonally because many birds are highly sensitive to disturbance and will abandon their nests, eggs, and chicks when people approach them.
Western gull
During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. Because of its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, tremendous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, prison officials believed no one could survive the swim to shore. In modern times, people compete in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and swim the 1.5 miles to shore.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Images shared in this post were processing in Adobe Lightroom 6 from the JPEG files create from scanning the film from a July 2014 visit to the island. Film types include Kodak TMAX 100, Kodak TriX 400 and Fuji NeoPan 400. The Canon lenses and film type are noted on the individual pages in Flickr, all from an EOS 1v. Processing and scanning performed by TheDarkroom.
These images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.
Oct 21, 2020 07:42:21 #
Oct 21, 2020 07:46:32 #
DaveJ
Loc: NE Missouri
Interesting post. Great shots. One of the good things to come from Covid 19 is you digging into your older files and sharing with us. Thanks.
Oct 21, 2020 07:56:55 #
DaveJ wrote:
Interesting post. Great shots. One of the good things to come from Covid 19 is you digging into your older files and sharing with us. Thanks.
LOL Dave, and thank you! I've been shooting more film in 2020 than recently, that means "less frames" but also time-delay where I wait to send a few rolls off together for processing. Looking for how various films / lenses have performed in the past have me in the files, discovering ideas for some posts.
Oct 21, 2020 08:01:49 #
Thank you Paul, Dave! I now have a digital frame on the kitchen counter where 15+ years of digital images rotate continuously, occasionally reminding of old work for ideas of new posts. 
Oct 21, 2020 08:05:37 #
Another display of photographic legerdemain and fine research!
Oct 21, 2020 08:06:52 #
thanks,intresting info.There must be thousands of abanded buildings in the states.
Oct 21, 2020 08:52:30 #
Thank you Bruce, Daryl! I think the Park Service is working to restore the various buildings at Alcatraz after letting them get almost beyond recovery when no one seemed to be responsible for the island. Glad you enjoyed.
Oct 21, 2020 09:36:48 #
Oct 21, 2020 09:55:34 #
Oct 21, 2020 10:36:28 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Thank you Paul, Dave! I now have a digital frame on the kitchen counter where 15+ years of digital images rotate continuously, occasionally reminding of old work for ideas of new posts.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😉
Oct 21, 2020 17:43:16 #
Thank you Ourspolair, Tracy, Paul! One of the things that made Alcatraz expensive was all potable water had to be shipped onto the island. The water tower was a big deal, being the only source of fresh water and refilled constantly.
Oct 22, 2020 06:11:06 #
Oct 22, 2020 06:32:50 #
Oct 22, 2020 07:57:31 #
Nice set of photos, Paul--enjoyed. The black and white is appropriate for this subject.
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