|
Yes, this place is a bit of a tourist trap. Yes, it was super crowded. Yes, every visitor takes a lot of the same shots as I did. And yes, I shelled out $10 extra so they'd let me use my tripod. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my visit here, and would like to see other historically significant abandonments receive be preserved under the same philosophy of arrested decay. I particularly enjoyed exploring the varieties in the cells, both in their decayed state and preserved as art installations. I think I put together an interesting typology of these spaces, which are probably my favorite shots of the trip.
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
10.)
11.)
12.)
13.)
14.)
15.)
Thanks for looking!
Flickr |
|
Awesome shots!
Vade in cloacas. |
|
Beautiful, stunning shots Baldran.
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
|
|
Great set! I think they do a fantastic job at Eastern state.
Good job not getting any people. When though there's tons of character here. I find myself having a difficult time getting photos that were any good on my one visit.
RIP Blackhawk |
|
Sweet photos you have taken here.
What is the significance of the paper airplanes?
I will be going to Kingston Pen tour this weekend, pales in comparison to Eastern State, but looking forward to it none the less 
Thanks for the share!!
"if you are not selfish enough to make yourself happy, you have nothing of value to offer the world." |
|
Awesome set, this looks like a pretty sweet tour! I must wonder about the paper airplane room myself.
Anyone done the Shawshank prison tour? I did that last year; good mix of decaying/refurbished/being reconstructed. They did not disappoint, and doing the self guided tour let me retain some of that 'UE' quality...if that makes any sense.😕
I might have to check this place out next time I'm up that way. Thanks for sharing!
"When you've truly done something right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." |
|
Solid set, what a wonderful place.
Ill take the tour one day!
Il y a toujours un moyen. |
|
I do like this place, even though it's a tourist trap.
The last time I went was just after opening on a rainy weekday, the whole place was deserted which was awesome. I saw one other small group of people the whole time I was there.
|
|
#12 is sick. I've never seen that before. Really awesome set!
https://www.flickr...62837453@N07/sets/
http://www.tfpnj.blogspot.com |
|
I really love #12 - I love the lighting. Always wanted to visit this place! I hope to get there sometime maybe next year
It was dark, my heart was pounding, I just had to go in
Flickr: Urban Mans
|
|
Even though it's touristy, you have some great shots out of there. Ever been to Holmesburg?
|
|
Really nice shots. I've always wanted to go there.
"The time of getting fame for your name on its own is over. Artwork that is only about wanting to be famous will never make you famous. Fame is a by-product of doing something else. You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a shit."
-Banksy
The work of FuriousD: https://www.flickr...photos/opdendries/ |
|
Great shots! You got a lot that I haven't seen anyone else do. I went once on a rainy day making all of the more hidden places completely empty.
|
|
Thanks everyone! Regarding the paper airplanes, the artist, Benjamin Wills, requested that a number of inmates that he corresponds with send him airplanes made from whatever articles of paper are available to them in prison. Here's some more information and a cool short video about the installation: https://www.easter...in-wills-airplanes
Posted by randomesquephoto
Great set! I think they do a fantastic job at Eastern state.
Good job not getting any people. When though there's tons of character here. I find myself having a difficult time getting photos that were any good on my one visit.
|
I got extremely lucky when it came to getting shots without people, mostly just by being in the right place at the right time. It was so crowded that we ended up skipping a wing that was packed full with visitors entirely.
Posted by Cross-
Even though it's touristy, you have some great shots out of there. Ever been to Holmesburg?
|
No, but I would be extremely interested in going. I've heard it's possible to get permission to visit, but I don't know who to contact in order to do so. I would certainly be open to any information regarding arranging a visit through proper channels, or by the more traditional method.
Flickr |
|
Awesome set.
|
|
The first few shots make me feel like I'm in the desert for some reason. The lighting is really nice. Wouldn't have assumed this was in the states if you hadn't threaded it. Sucks about the tripod surcharge, good call though.
Do you feel like people give you more space at touristy spots when you have a tripod?
|
|
These are great!
Assuming these photos were taken around the time you posted this, I was there only a couple weeks after you were. I probably wouldn't have done the tour if it wasn't for the friend I was with wanting to do it and I'm glad we decided to go. It was worth it. I even did something there that I almost never do - I watched the historic videos that were playing in the front. I was glad I did because it really added an interesting perspective to everything I was about to see.
I somehow missed the paper airplane room! I'm guessing they were trying to fly them to each other from their cells? An interesting fact I learned from the aforementioned videos was that this prison did not allow any socialization or even talking amongst the inmates (this rule was eventually eliminated). At the time, it was believed that rehabilitation meant self-reflection which meant silence. This was later disproven and it's now understood that forced isolation will only create or exacerbate psychological issues in most people, not rehabilitate them. Humans are social creatures by nature.
(I snuck my tripod in but never actually used it) 
I wandered till the stars went dim. |
|
still pretty darn awesome!!
Kabbalah is an undramatic tradition that requires great patience and stability. One of the reasons for this tempo is that everyone has to mature his potential gradually and thoroughly at his natural pace. In this way his life's work unfolds at the right moment in his own and the cosmos's time.
Z.B.S. Halevi -- Kabbalah |
Ethics
