Monday, September 16, 2013

Al Capone's Cell at the Penitentiary

Photograph of Al Capones prison cell at the Eastern State Penitentiary by Gary Heller
Al Capone's Cell

black and white photograph of a cell block in a penitentiary by Gary Heller
Cell block

The Eastern State Penitentiary is a historical ruin with quite a history. Notorious criminals such as bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone were held inside its innovative wagon wheel design. When the building was erected it was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed, quickly becoming a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. 

Al Capone's Cell at the Eastern State Penitentiary is a marvel in itself and makes one understand how corrupt the officials must have been here as well as the incredible influence Al had wherever he was.
The other cells in the pen basically had a bed, a small pine side table with three drawers and a single stool to sit. During his days here the walls were in better condition and I can imagine it must have looked like a small luxury hotel room, complete with skylight.

If you click on the photo and go to my site, you can click again for a full resolution preview to discover some of the details in here.

Cell Block was shot through a steel gate blocking entrance because of the dangers of the terrible condition its in. Using a tripod and wide angle lens (17mm) I was able to grab 5 shots of varying exposures and blend them to create this black and white HDR photograph.

No comments: