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During the occupation, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government.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.

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.

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.