California prisoners photo collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: MS-0960

Staff Only

Content Description

This collection contains Polaroid photographs of incarcerated people in prison. We believe all photographs are from California prisons, including California Men's Colony. Most are unidentified and undated, but a few are dated between 1983 and 1997. The photos have been arranged, as best as can be discerned, according to individuals, family, or friend group/gang. Some photos show incarcerated people with family and friends during visitation day, while others show incarcerated people relaxing together in prison, some according to gang affiliation and displaying gang signs. Many photos are signed to loved ones.

Gangs represented in the photos include the 92 Bloods, Hoover Crips from Los Angeles, 190th Street East Coast Bloc Crips from Carson, the West Coast Crips and Insane Crips from Long Beach, Black P Stones, Inglewood Family Gangsters, EPA [East Palo Alto?], and East Side San Jose.

23 photos show an unidentified interracial couple, including three photos of the couple's wedding within the prison facility.

Dates

Creation: circa 1983-1997

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

No information is known on the photographer or the individuals photographed. Some of the photographs were taken at California Men's Colony, a state prison for male inmates near the city of San Luis Obispo, CA. We believe all photographs were taken in California prisons.

Extent

0.21 Cubic Feet (1 clamshell binder (12.5 x 12 x 2.5 inches))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains Polaroid photographs of incarcerated people in California prisons. The photos are largely undated and unidentified. Some photos show incarcerated people with family and friends during visitation day, while others show incarcerated people relaxing together in prison, some according to gang affiliation and displaying gang signs.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Max Rambod in September 2023 and April 2024.

Related Materials

Other collections at this institution associated with incarcerated peoples' prison experiences and civil rights include: MS-0911, American prison protests collection; MS-0935, American Prison Writing Archive collection; MS-0965, Press photographs of jails and prisons; MS-0994, Cornell Prison Education Program literary journals: Writer's Bloc and Bridges; MS-1003, Incarcerated writers collection; and MS-1058, Political prisoners collection.