A Solitary Home
Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - August 2012

A cell in Eastern State Penitentiary. In the original design, the cells were designed for solitary confinement for every prisoner. Prison time was intended to be a time of penitence, hence the name penitentiary. No communication was allowed between inmates. No inmate was allowed to see the face of another inmate. Each cell was built of stone and mortar with a single slit in the ceiling letting in sunlight and fresh air.  The prison was built in 1829 and closed in 1971. It is now open to the public for tours and is, for the most part, not restored.


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