Views From the Tower

The New Guard Tower, Eastern State Penitentiary 

Last week I shared behind the scenes 

still shots of filming taking place at this location. 

But I was also able to snap a few images 

here and there on the sly.

Radiating Cell Blocks From the Tower

The idea of a penitentiary was birthed in the home of Ben Franklin and

it was a whole new concept for prisons.

The Penitentiary Entrance Before The Philadelphia Skyline

In its day this was the Taj Mahal of prisons. 

Each prisoner enjoyed his own cell with vaulted ceiling and skylight, 

flush toilet, and central heating 

compared to the White House

where President Jackson 

did not have running water 

and heated with coal stoves.

View of the Old Tower and Philadelphia

But Taj Mahal 

did not last.  

Guard Tower in Black and White

Today you can tour the penitentiary 

and learn the thought process that led to building this structure for prisoners. 

It is also a pretty cool place just to see. 

Click to view my gallery on 

Eastern State Penitentiary. 

The penitentiary is located at 

2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130

A Day in Philadelphia with 7 Wonders Cinema

I recently had a fun day 

taking still images for 

7 Wonders Cinema. 

Stephen Skeel and Michael Ayjian of 7 Wonders Cinema

7 Wonders Cinema 

was in Philadelphia filming for Expedia. 

They asked me to take behind the scene images 

documenting the filming process.  

Filming at Eastern State Penitentiary 

The morning started early at 

Eastern State Penitentiary. 

It was a great location 

and fascinating for me to watch them at work. 

Always Carrying Gear

As their photographer, 

I was also able to see some locations 

not open to the general public. 

Filming the Philadelphia Sky Line from the Penitentiary Guard Tower

Next up was filming at 

City Tavern. 

City Tavern, Philadelphia, PA

City Tavern was a hotspot 

for Colonial Americans. 

Franklin and Jefferson Arrive for Lunch

Today, it serves 18th Century cuisine 

with costumed wait staff to give 

you the full Colonial experience.  

Filming A Colonial Toast

And just like in the 1700s 

you might see 

Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson 

dining at one of the tables.  

Checking the Footage

On this day the two were also there for the filming. 

But the tourists coming for lunch 

wanted to take a peek too. 

That made for interesting filming. 

Stephen Skeel and Michael Ayjian of 7 Wonders Cinema
with Thomas Jefferson (Steven Edenbo) and Ben Franklin (Bill Ochester)

Be sure to check out 

these sites for more info 

about the people in today's blog post.

http://www.7wonderscinema.com  

www.BFranklinPrinter.com

www.YourThomasJefferson.com

More images from this set are here. 

ESP Revisited and a Ramble

I do not have Extra Sensory Perception. 

As handy as that would be in life, 

it is not something I can claim to possess. 

But I have, on occasion had a premonition. 

The one that stands out most in my memory 

is when I heard my daughter, age 2, 

walking down the steps and I knew she was going to fall. 

Fall she did.

I've also had those gut feelings 

about things.

I always listen to the gut feeling, 

it has not let me down! 

But that is not what ESP is referring to in this post. 

ESP is Eastern State Penitentiary   

And I revisited it. 

And although fascinating,
I didn't want to blog the same history I blogged before. 

In the name of progress
so many places like this are leveled
to make room for newer, cheaper, and uglier construction.



And that is a pet peeve of mine.
Out with the old and in with the new.
This story of Whitemarsh Hall is a perfect example
of what gets me on a rant.


Al Capone's Cell

Imagine what Europe would be like
if they practiced that principle.
All those old castles and churches....gone?

But not to worry,
for now Eastern State Penitentiary operates as a museum.
As far as I know,
there is no wrecking ball waiting to level it.
THAT makes me happy
because I find beauty here.

Now I think I'll read a biography about Al Capone.

My ESP Gallery is here. 

Penitence

Noun

penitence (uncountable)

1. Condition of being penitent.
2. Feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.

It was an idea that overtook the prison systems 

 in the early 19th Century in the United States. 

Prisons should become a place that would inspire penitence,  

thus the name Penitentiary. 

In Philadelphia, 

the Eastern State Penitentiary sits like a medieval castle. 

And in its day, it was a state of the art castle! 

The prisoners here had the luxury of 

running water and central heat long before most Americans did, 

even before the man living in the White House! 

The prisoners also enjoyed

skylights and beautiful architectural details! 

Instead of being placed in group cells, 

a prisoner would now have his own cell 

in which to be alone with his thoughts, 

thus enabling penitence. 



The Barber's Chair

The prison was slated for redevelopment after it closed 

in 1970, but later Mayor Wilson Good intervened. 

Today, the prison is considered a historic site and 

operates as a museum. 

 Tons of photographers are

attracted to the deteriorating cells inside the prison walls. 

You could spend hours here! 
If you go, take a tripod and dress for the weather.
2027 Fairmount Avenue  Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 236-3300

More of my photos from the prison can be seen here.

A Seat in the Cell

Eastern State Penitentiary 

Penitence

Eastern State Penitentiary

Philadelphia, PA

The Weekend in Black and White