From Al Capone to Machine Gun Kelly, America’s most notorious criminals ended at the maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island.
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1 of 45Prisoners in the Alcatraz recreation yard.
Here they could play games like baseball and handball, or just take the time to enjoy the little outdoor activity they were allotted. Wikimedia Commons 2 of 45Inmates make the lonely walk back to their cells. Date unspecified.National Park Service 3 of 45The Alcatraz mugshot of gangster and inmate Al Capone. 1934.
Capone was stabbed while serving time at the prison but lived on and completed his term there in 1939. Getty Images 4 of 45A guard stands by the prison “snitch box,” where prisoners could pass along information in exchange for favors. 1956. San Francisco Public Library 5 of 45Press and spectators stand on the shore and view the carnage of the prison riots. 1946.Getty Images 6 of 45Not all parts of life at Alcatraz were bleak. Here, the Alcatraz inmate band, complete with four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist, rehearses. National Park Service 7 of 45A view from behind the bars in a guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Wikimedia Commons 8 of 45The prison menu didn’t offer a lot of variety. Typically, a single meat, side, and dessert was the standard fare. 1956.San Francisco Public Library 9 of 45Evidence, including a “death mask” of a slain guard, that was used in the trial of convicts who made a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz Prison. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 10 of 45A dense covering of barbed wire looms above as a guard stands watch over the prison yard. 1962. Getty Images 11 of 45A guard stands watch as prisoners enter the mess hall for a meal. 1955.National Park Service 12 of 45Tags hang from the toes of Alcatraz escapees who didn’t make it. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 13 of 45The desolate and simple confines of a cell used for solitary confinement. Date unspecified.San Francisco Public Library 14 of 45A guard examines part of the route used during the infamous escape of 1962. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 15 of 45A gas grenade burned the face of guard Ed Miller during the three-day riots of 1946.Getty Images 16 of 45Dummy heads made of paper mache used as decoys in the 1962 escape. San Francisco Public Library 17 of 45Inmates bake fresh bread in the prison kitchen. Date unspecified.National Park Service 18 of 45Prior to becoming a federal prison, Alcatraz Island functioned as a military garrison.
Here, officers and ladies stand and sit on the dock. 1902. National Park Service 19 of 45Military prisoners line up and await orders. 1902National Park Service 20 of 45Prison life was full of long work hours. Inmates here spend the day working on weaving cargo nets. 1955.National Park Service 21 of 45Mugshot of notorious Alcatraz inmate George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
He spent 17 years on Alcatraz as inmate number 117, before being transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where he would die in 1954. Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45On the left, specators in San Francisco observe the smoke from rioting on Alcatraz Island in 1946.
On the right, a body is removed after the rioting, 1946. San Francisco Public Library 23 of 45One of the prison cells, with a paper mache decoy head, from which one of the inmates fled during the 1962 escape. National Park Service 24 of 45Gangster Mickey Cohen sits in an automobile just before boarding a prison boat for his return to Alcatraz in 1962.
The Al Capone-associated mobster was serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion. Getty Images 25 of 45A prisoner works in the Alcatraz rubber shop. 1955. National Park Service 26 of 45Alcatraz guard Royal C. Cline lies in the hospital after suffering injuries during an escape attempt. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 27 of 45A rare celebratory event at the prison: A retirement party for Warden James A. Johnston. 1948. National Park Service 28 of 45Prisoners learned trades and skills in prison so that they might contribute to society upon release.
Here, inmates sew pants. 1954. San Francisco Public Library 29 of 45Al Capone’s wife, Mamie, visits her husband at Alcatraz. 1938.Getty Images 30 of 45A prison cook stands ready to serve inmates their meal on Christmas Day. Date unspecified.National Park Service 31 of 45A guard examines a vent on the roof of the prison that three inmates came out of during their escape. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 32 of 45The prisoner record for gangster Arthur “Doc” Barker from the warden’s notebook. 1963. Wikimedia Commons 33 of 45Alcatraz prisoner Clarence Anglin’s FBI wanted poster for committing bank robbery. Anglin was one of the three inmates who participated in 1962’s daring escape. 1960. National Park Service 34 of 45Tools and other items used during the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, during which three men got away, never to be seen again. National Park Service 35 of 45The warden’s file on prisoner Joseph Soliwode, who was serving a life sentence for rape. 1934. Wikimedia Commons 36 of 45A guard stands in the cell by the small escape hole that inmates used to begin their journey to breach the prison’s walls. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 37 of 45Marvin Hubbard, Bernard Paul Coy, and Clarence Carnes, the three inmates who started the riot of 1946. Getty Images 38 of 45Sam Shockley (left) and Miran Thompson (right), prior to their incarceration at Alcatraz, who would later be charged with helping to start the 1946 riots. San Francisco Public Library 39 of 45Prison guard C. D. Corwin receives medical attention after being wounded in the prison riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 40 of 45Marine C. L. Buckner reads a newspaper article about the “Battle of Alcatraz” riot that he and his colleagues helped quell. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 41 of 45Mugshot of Miran Thompson, an Alcatraz Prison convict who was placed in solitary confinement for his part in starting the three-day riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 42 of 45Marine Major Albert Arsenault reports on his experience helping to quell the Alcatraz prison riot of 1946.San Francisco Public Library 43 of 45Attempted escapees Clarence Carnes, Sam Shockley, and Miran Thompson. 1948.
Shockley and Thompson got the gas chamber for their failed escape that contributed to the 1946 riots. Carnes was shown mercy and given a life sentence.Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45The remains of the prison sit on Alcatraz Island. 2017.Laurie/Flickr 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison View Gallery
There’s no prison more notorious or more steeped in America’s obsession with true crime than Alcatraz. Though the facility has been closed for more than 50 years now, it still draws tourists who are willing to cross the choppy waters of San Francisco Bay to visit its hallways and cells.
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1 of 45Prisoners in the Alcatraz recreation yard.
Here they could play games like baseball and handball, or just take the time to enjoy the little outdoor activity they were allotted. Wikimedia Commons 2 of 45Inmates make the lonely walk back to their cells. Date unspecified.National Park Service 3 of 45The Alcatraz mugshot of gangster and inmate Al Capone. 1934.
Capone was stabbed while serving time at the prison but lived on and completed his term there in 1939. Getty Images 4 of 45A guard stands by the prison “snitch box,” where prisoners could pass along information in exchange for favors. 1956. San Francisco Public Library 5 of 45Press and spectators stand on the shore and view the carnage of the prison riots. 1946.Getty Images 6 of 45Not all parts of life at Alcatraz were bleak. Here, the Alcatraz inmate band, complete with four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist, rehearses. National Park Service 7 of 45A view from behind the bars in a guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Wikimedia Commons 8 of 45The prison menu didn’t offer a lot of variety. Typically, a single meat, side, and dessert was the standard fare. 1956.San Francisco Public Library 9 of 45Evidence, including a “death mask” of a slain guard, that was used in the trial of convicts who made a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz Prison. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 10 of 45A dense covering of barbed wire looms above as a guard stands watch over the prison yard. 1962. Getty Images 11 of 45A guard stands watch as prisoners enter the mess hall for a meal. 1955.National Park Service 12 of 45Tags hang from the toes of Alcatraz escapees who didn’t make it. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 13 of 45The desolate and simple confines of a cell used for solitary confinement. Date unspecified.San Francisco Public Library 14 of 45A guard examines part of the route used during the infamous escape of 1962. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 15 of 45A gas grenade burned the face of guard Ed Miller during the three-day riots of 1946.Getty Images 16 of 45Dummy heads made of paper mache used as decoys in the 1962 escape. San Francisco Public Library 17 of 45Inmates bake fresh bread in the prison kitchen. Date unspecified.National Park Service 18 of 45Prior to becoming a federal prison, Alcatraz Island functioned as a military garrison.
Here, officers and ladies stand and sit on the dock. 1902. National Park Service 19 of 45Military prisoners line up and await orders. 1902National Park Service 20 of 45Prison life was full of long work hours. Inmates here spend the day working on weaving cargo nets. 1955.National Park Service 21 of 45Mugshot of notorious Alcatraz inmate George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
He spent 17 years on Alcatraz as inmate number 117, before being transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where he would die in 1954. Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45On the left, specators in San Francisco observe the smoke from rioting on Alcatraz Island in 1946.
On the right, a body is removed after the rioting, 1946. San Francisco Public Library 23 of 45One of the prison cells, with a paper mache decoy head, from which one of the inmates fled during the 1962 escape. National Park Service 24 of 45Gangster Mickey Cohen sits in an automobile just before boarding a prison boat for his return to Alcatraz in 1962.
The Al Capone-associated mobster was serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion. Getty Images 25 of 45A prisoner works in the Alcatraz rubber shop. 1955. National Park Service 26 of 45Alcatraz guard Royal C. Cline lies in the hospital after suffering injuries during an escape attempt. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 27 of 45A rare celebratory event at the prison: A retirement party for Warden James A. Johnston. 1948. National Park Service 28 of 45Prisoners learned trades and skills in prison so that they might contribute to society upon release.
Here, inmates sew pants. 1954. San Francisco Public Library 29 of 45Al Capone’s wife, Mamie, visits her husband at Alcatraz. 1938.Getty Images 30 of 45A prison cook stands ready to serve inmates their meal on Christmas Day. Date unspecified.National Park Service 31 of 45A guard examines a vent on the roof of the prison that three inmates came out of during their escape. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 32 of 45The prisoner record for gangster Arthur “Doc” Barker from the warden’s notebook. 1963. Wikimedia Commons 33 of 45Alcatraz prisoner Clarence Anglin’s FBI wanted poster for committing bank robbery. Anglin was one of the three inmates who participated in 1962’s daring escape. 1960. National Park Service 34 of 45Tools and other items used during the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, during which three men got away, never to be seen again. National Park Service 35 of 45The warden’s file on prisoner Joseph Soliwode, who was serving a life sentence for rape. 1934. Wikimedia Commons 36 of 45A guard stands in the cell by the small escape hole that inmates used to begin their journey to breach the prison’s walls. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 37 of 45Marvin Hubbard, Bernard Paul Coy, and Clarence Carnes, the three inmates who started the riot of 1946. Getty Images 38 of 45Sam Shockley (left) and Miran Thompson (right), prior to their incarceration at Alcatraz, who would later be charged with helping to start the 1946 riots. San Francisco Public Library 39 of 45Prison guard C. D. Corwin receives medical attention after being wounded in the prison riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 40 of 45Marine C. L. Buckner reads a newspaper article about the “Battle of Alcatraz” riot that he and his colleagues helped quell. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 41 of 45Mugshot of Miran Thompson, an Alcatraz Prison convict who was placed in solitary confinement for his part in starting the three-day riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 42 of 45Marine Major Albert Arsenault reports on his experience helping to quell the Alcatraz prison riot of 1946.San Francisco Public Library 43 of 45Attempted escapees Clarence Carnes, Sam Shockley, and Miran Thompson. 1948.
Shockley and Thompson got the gas chamber for their failed escape that contributed to the 1946 riots. Carnes was shown mercy and given a life sentence.Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45The remains of the prison sit on Alcatraz Island. 2017.Laurie/Flickr 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Who Was Ted Bundy? Inside The Life Of America’s Most Notorious Serial Killer
33 Hells Angels Photos That Put You Inside The Notorious Biker Gang
The Bloods: 21 Startling Photos Inside America’s Infamous Bi-Coastal Gang
1 of 45Prisoners in the Alcatraz recreation yard.
Here they could play games like baseball and handball, or just take the time to enjoy the little outdoor activity they were allotted. Wikimedia Commons 2 of 45Inmates make the lonely walk back to their cells. Date unspecified.National Park Service 3 of 45The Alcatraz mugshot of gangster and inmate Al Capone. 1934.
Capone was stabbed while serving time at the prison but lived on and completed his term there in 1939. Getty Images 4 of 45A guard stands by the prison “snitch box,” where prisoners could pass along information in exchange for favors. 1956. San Francisco Public Library 5 of 45Press and spectators stand on the shore and view the carnage of the prison riots. 1946.Getty Images 6 of 45Not all parts of life at Alcatraz were bleak. Here, the Alcatraz inmate band, complete with four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist, rehearses. National Park Service 7 of 45A view from behind the bars in a guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Wikimedia Commons 8 of 45The prison menu didn’t offer a lot of variety. Typically, a single meat, side, and dessert was the standard fare. 1956.San Francisco Public Library 9 of 45Evidence, including a “death mask” of a slain guard, that was used in the trial of convicts who made a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz Prison. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 10 of 45A dense covering of barbed wire looms above as a guard stands watch over the prison yard. 1962. Getty Images 11 of 45A guard stands watch as prisoners enter the mess hall for a meal. 1955.National Park Service 12 of 45Tags hang from the toes of Alcatraz escapees who didn’t make it. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 13 of 45The desolate and simple confines of a cell used for solitary confinement. Date unspecified.San Francisco Public Library 14 of 45A guard examines part of the route used during the infamous escape of 1962. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 15 of 45A gas grenade burned the face of guard Ed Miller during the three-day riots of 1946.Getty Images 16 of 45Dummy heads made of paper mache used as decoys in the 1962 escape. San Francisco Public Library 17 of 45Inmates bake fresh bread in the prison kitchen. Date unspecified.National Park Service 18 of 45Prior to becoming a federal prison, Alcatraz Island functioned as a military garrison.
Here, officers and ladies stand and sit on the dock. 1902. National Park Service 19 of 45Military prisoners line up and await orders. 1902National Park Service 20 of 45Prison life was full of long work hours. Inmates here spend the day working on weaving cargo nets. 1955.National Park Service 21 of 45Mugshot of notorious Alcatraz inmate George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
He spent 17 years on Alcatraz as inmate number 117, before being transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where he would die in 1954. Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45On the left, specators in San Francisco observe the smoke from rioting on Alcatraz Island in 1946.
On the right, a body is removed after the rioting, 1946. San Francisco Public Library 23 of 45One of the prison cells, with a paper mache decoy head, from which one of the inmates fled during the 1962 escape. National Park Service 24 of 45Gangster Mickey Cohen sits in an automobile just before boarding a prison boat for his return to Alcatraz in 1962.
The Al Capone-associated mobster was serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion. Getty Images 25 of 45A prisoner works in the Alcatraz rubber shop. 1955. National Park Service 26 of 45Alcatraz guard Royal C. Cline lies in the hospital after suffering injuries during an escape attempt. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 27 of 45A rare celebratory event at the prison: A retirement party for Warden James A. Johnston. 1948. National Park Service 28 of 45Prisoners learned trades and skills in prison so that they might contribute to society upon release.
Here, inmates sew pants. 1954. San Francisco Public Library 29 of 45Al Capone’s wife, Mamie, visits her husband at Alcatraz. 1938.Getty Images 30 of 45A prison cook stands ready to serve inmates their meal on Christmas Day. Date unspecified.National Park Service 31 of 45A guard examines a vent on the roof of the prison that three inmates came out of during their escape. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 32 of 45The prisoner record for gangster Arthur “Doc” Barker from the warden’s notebook. 1963. Wikimedia Commons 33 of 45Alcatraz prisoner Clarence Anglin’s FBI wanted poster for committing bank robbery. Anglin was one of the three inmates who participated in 1962’s daring escape. 1960. National Park Service 34 of 45Tools and other items used during the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, during which three men got away, never to be seen again. National Park Service 35 of 45The warden’s file on prisoner Joseph Soliwode, who was serving a life sentence for rape. 1934. Wikimedia Commons 36 of 45A guard stands in the cell by the small escape hole that inmates used to begin their journey to breach the prison’s walls. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 37 of 45Marvin Hubbard, Bernard Paul Coy, and Clarence Carnes, the three inmates who started the riot of 1946. Getty Images 38 of 45Sam Shockley (left) and Miran Thompson (right), prior to their incarceration at Alcatraz, who would later be charged with helping to start the 1946 riots. San Francisco Public Library 39 of 45Prison guard C. D. Corwin receives medical attention after being wounded in the prison riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 40 of 45Marine C. L. Buckner reads a newspaper article about the “Battle of Alcatraz” riot that he and his colleagues helped quell. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 41 of 45Mugshot of Miran Thompson, an Alcatraz Prison convict who was placed in solitary confinement for his part in starting the three-day riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 42 of 45Marine Major Albert Arsenault reports on his experience helping to quell the Alcatraz prison riot of 1946.San Francisco Public Library 43 of 45Attempted escapees Clarence Carnes, Sam Shockley, and Miran Thompson. 1948.
Shockley and Thompson got the gas chamber for their failed escape that contributed to the 1946 riots. Carnes was shown mercy and given a life sentence.Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45The remains of the prison sit on Alcatraz Island. 2017.Laurie/Flickr 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
Who Was Ted Bundy? Inside The Life Of America’s Most Notorious Serial Killer
33 Hells Angels Photos That Put You Inside The Notorious Biker Gang
The Bloods: 21 Startling Photos Inside America’s Infamous Bi-Coastal Gang
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1 of 45Prisoners in the Alcatraz recreation yard.
Here they could play games like baseball and handball, or just take the time to enjoy the little outdoor activity they were allotted. Wikimedia Commons 2 of 45Inmates make the lonely walk back to their cells. Date unspecified.National Park Service 3 of 45The Alcatraz mugshot of gangster and inmate Al Capone. 1934.
Capone was stabbed while serving time at the prison but lived on and completed his term there in 1939. Getty Images 4 of 45A guard stands by the prison “snitch box,” where prisoners could pass along information in exchange for favors. 1956. San Francisco Public Library 5 of 45Press and spectators stand on the shore and view the carnage of the prison riots. 1946.Getty Images 6 of 45Not all parts of life at Alcatraz were bleak. Here, the Alcatraz inmate band, complete with four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist, rehearses. National Park Service 7 of 45A view from behind the bars in a guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Wikimedia Commons 8 of 45The prison menu didn’t offer a lot of variety. Typically, a single meat, side, and dessert was the standard fare. 1956.San Francisco Public Library 9 of 45Evidence, including a “death mask” of a slain guard, that was used in the trial of convicts who made a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz Prison. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 10 of 45A dense covering of barbed wire looms above as a guard stands watch over the prison yard. 1962. Getty Images 11 of 45A guard stands watch as prisoners enter the mess hall for a meal. 1955.National Park Service 12 of 45Tags hang from the toes of Alcatraz escapees who didn’t make it. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 13 of 45The desolate and simple confines of a cell used for solitary confinement. Date unspecified.San Francisco Public Library 14 of 45A guard examines part of the route used during the infamous escape of 1962. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 15 of 45A gas grenade burned the face of guard Ed Miller during the three-day riots of 1946.Getty Images 16 of 45Dummy heads made of paper mache used as decoys in the 1962 escape. San Francisco Public Library 17 of 45Inmates bake fresh bread in the prison kitchen. Date unspecified.National Park Service 18 of 45Prior to becoming a federal prison, Alcatraz Island functioned as a military garrison.
Here, officers and ladies stand and sit on the dock. 1902. National Park Service 19 of 45Military prisoners line up and await orders. 1902National Park Service 20 of 45Prison life was full of long work hours. Inmates here spend the day working on weaving cargo nets. 1955.National Park Service 21 of 45Mugshot of notorious Alcatraz inmate George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
He spent 17 years on Alcatraz as inmate number 117, before being transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where he would die in 1954. Wikimedia Commons 22 of 45On the left, specators in San Francisco observe the smoke from rioting on Alcatraz Island in 1946.
On the right, a body is removed after the rioting, 1946. San Francisco Public Library 23 of 45One of the prison cells, with a paper mache decoy head, from which one of the inmates fled during the 1962 escape. National Park Service 24 of 45Gangster Mickey Cohen sits in an automobile just before boarding a prison boat for his return to Alcatraz in 1962.
The Al Capone-associated mobster was serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion. Getty Images 25 of 45A prisoner works in the Alcatraz rubber shop. 1955. National Park Service 26 of 45Alcatraz guard Royal C. Cline lies in the hospital after suffering injuries during an escape attempt. 1938.San Francisco Public Library 27 of 45A rare celebratory event at the prison: A retirement party for Warden James A. Johnston. 1948. National Park Service 28 of 45Prisoners learned trades and skills in prison so that they might contribute to society upon release.
Here, inmates sew pants. 1954. San Francisco Public Library 29 of 45Al Capone’s wife, Mamie, visits her husband at Alcatraz. 1938.Getty Images 30 of 45A prison cook stands ready to serve inmates their meal on Christmas Day. Date unspecified.National Park Service 31 of 45A guard examines a vent on the roof of the prison that three inmates came out of during their escape. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 32 of 45The prisoner record for gangster Arthur “Doc” Barker from the warden’s notebook. 1963. Wikimedia Commons 33 of 45Alcatraz prisoner Clarence Anglin’s FBI wanted poster for committing bank robbery. Anglin was one of the three inmates who participated in 1962’s daring escape. 1960. National Park Service 34 of 45Tools and other items used during the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, during which three men got away, never to be seen again. National Park Service 35 of 45The warden’s file on prisoner Joseph Soliwode, who was serving a life sentence for rape. 1934. Wikimedia Commons 36 of 45A guard stands in the cell by the small escape hole that inmates used to begin their journey to breach the prison’s walls. 1962. San Francisco Public Library 37 of 45Marvin Hubbard, Bernard Paul Coy, and Clarence Carnes, the three inmates who started the riot of 1946. Getty Images 38 of 45Sam Shockley (left) and Miran Thompson (right), prior to their incarceration at Alcatraz, who would later be charged with helping to start the 1946 riots. San Francisco Public Library 39 of 45Prison guard C. D. Corwin receives medical attention after being wounded in the prison riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 40 of 45Marine C. L. Buckner reads a newspaper article about the “Battle of Alcatraz” riot that he and his colleagues helped quell. 1946. San Francisco Public Library 41 of 45Mugshot of Miran Thompson, an Alcatraz Prison convict who was placed in solitary confinement for his part in starting the three-day riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library 42 of 45Marine Major Albert Arsenault reports on his experience helping to quell the Alcatraz prison riot of 1946.San Francisco Public Library 43 of 45Attempted escapees Clarence Carnes, Sam Shockley, and Miran Thompson. 1948.
Shockley and Thompson got the gas chamber for their failed escape that contributed to the 1946 riots. Carnes was shown mercy and given a life sentence.Wikimedia Commons 44 of 45The remains of the prison sit on Alcatraz Island. 2017.Laurie/Flickr 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
Share
1 of 45Prisoners in the Alcatraz recreation yard.
Here they could play games like baseball and handball, or just take the time to enjoy the little outdoor activity they were allotted. Wikimedia Commons
2 of 45Inmates make the lonely walk back to their cells. Date unspecified.National Park Service
3 of 45The Alcatraz mugshot of gangster and inmate Al Capone. 1934.
Capone was stabbed while serving time at the prison but lived on and completed his term there in 1939. Getty Images
4 of 45A guard stands by the prison “snitch box,” where prisoners could pass along information in exchange for favors. 1956. San Francisco Public Library
5 of 45Press and spectators stand on the shore and view the carnage of the prison riots. 1946.Getty Images
6 of 45Not all parts of life at Alcatraz were bleak. Here, the Alcatraz inmate band, complete with four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist, rehearses. National Park Service
7 of 45A view from behind the bars in a guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Wikimedia Commons
8 of 45The prison menu didn’t offer a lot of variety. Typically, a single meat, side, and dessert was the standard fare. 1956.San Francisco Public Library
9 of 45Evidence, including a “death mask” of a slain guard, that was used in the trial of convicts who made a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz Prison. 1938.San Francisco Public Library
10 of 45A dense covering of barbed wire looms above as a guard stands watch over the prison yard. 1962. Getty Images
11 of 45A guard stands watch as prisoners enter the mess hall for a meal. 1955.National Park Service
12 of 45Tags hang from the toes of Alcatraz escapees who didn’t make it. 1946. San Francisco Public Library
13 of 45The desolate and simple confines of a cell used for solitary confinement. Date unspecified.San Francisco Public Library
14 of 45A guard examines part of the route used during the infamous escape of 1962. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
15 of 45A gas grenade burned the face of guard Ed Miller during the three-day riots of 1946.Getty Images
16 of 45Dummy heads made of paper mache used as decoys in the 1962 escape. San Francisco Public Library
17 of 45Inmates bake fresh bread in the prison kitchen. Date unspecified.National Park Service
18 of 45Prior to becoming a federal prison, Alcatraz Island functioned as a military garrison.
Here, officers and ladies stand and sit on the dock. 1902. National Park Service
19 of 45Military prisoners line up and await orders. 1902National Park Service
20 of 45Prison life was full of long work hours. Inmates here spend the day working on weaving cargo nets. 1955.National Park Service
21 of 45Mugshot of notorious Alcatraz inmate George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
He spent 17 years on Alcatraz as inmate number 117, before being transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, where he would die in 1954. Wikimedia Commons
22 of 45On the left, specators in San Francisco observe the smoke from rioting on Alcatraz Island in 1946.
On the right, a body is removed after the rioting, 1946. San Francisco Public Library
23 of 45One of the prison cells, with a paper mache decoy head, from which one of the inmates fled during the 1962 escape. National Park Service
24 of 45Gangster Mickey Cohen sits in an automobile just before boarding a prison boat for his return to Alcatraz in 1962.
The Al Capone-associated mobster was serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion. Getty Images
25 of 45A prisoner works in the Alcatraz rubber shop. 1955. National Park Service
26 of 45Alcatraz guard Royal C. Cline lies in the hospital after suffering injuries during an escape attempt. 1938.San Francisco Public Library
27 of 45A rare celebratory event at the prison: A retirement party for Warden James A. Johnston. 1948. National Park Service
28 of 45Prisoners learned trades and skills in prison so that they might contribute to society upon release.
Here, inmates sew pants. 1954. San Francisco Public Library
29 of 45Al Capone’s wife, Mamie, visits her husband at Alcatraz. 1938.Getty Images
30 of 45A prison cook stands ready to serve inmates their meal on Christmas Day. Date unspecified.National Park Service
31 of 45A guard examines a vent on the roof of the prison that three inmates came out of during their escape. 1962. San Francisco Public Library
32 of 45The prisoner record for gangster Arthur “Doc” Barker from the warden’s notebook. 1963. Wikimedia Commons
33 of 45Alcatraz prisoner Clarence Anglin’s FBI wanted poster for committing bank robbery. Anglin was one of the three inmates who participated in 1962’s daring escape. 1960. National Park Service
34 of 45Tools and other items used during the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, during which three men got away, never to be seen again. National Park Service
35 of 45The warden’s file on prisoner Joseph Soliwode, who was serving a life sentence for rape. 1934. Wikimedia Commons
36 of 45A guard stands in the cell by the small escape hole that inmates used to begin their journey to breach the prison’s walls. 1962. San Francisco Public Library
37 of 45Marvin Hubbard, Bernard Paul Coy, and Clarence Carnes, the three inmates who started the riot of 1946. Getty Images
38 of 45Sam Shockley (left) and Miran Thompson (right), prior to their incarceration at Alcatraz, who would later be charged with helping to start the 1946 riots. San Francisco Public Library
39 of 45Prison guard C. D. Corwin receives medical attention after being wounded in the prison riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library
40 of 45Marine C. L. Buckner reads a newspaper article about the “Battle of Alcatraz” riot that he and his colleagues helped quell. 1946. San Francisco Public Library
41 of 45Mugshot of Miran Thompson, an Alcatraz Prison convict who was placed in solitary confinement for his part in starting the three-day riot of 1946. San Francisco Public Library
42 of 45Marine Major Albert Arsenault reports on his experience helping to quell the Alcatraz prison riot of 1946.San Francisco Public Library
43 of 45Attempted escapees Clarence Carnes, Sam Shockley, and Miran Thompson. 1948.
Shockley and Thompson got the gas chamber for their failed escape that contributed to the 1946 riots. Carnes was shown mercy and given a life sentence.Wikimedia Commons
44 of 45The remains of the prison sit on Alcatraz Island. 2017.Laurie/Flickr
45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison View Gallery
Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison View Gallery
Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison View Gallery
Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison View Gallery
Inside Alcatraz: 44 Historic Photos Of America’s Most Notorious Prison
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Known as “The Rock” for the rugged island from which it took its name, the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary first began holding prisoners in the early 1900s when it was used as a military prison. It wasn’t until 1934 though when it was opened at the United States’ premier maximum-security federal penitentiary, that its reputation really started to rise.
The prison has been closed since 1963, but during its roughly 30 years of housing federal inmates, it saw riots, notorious gangsters, and many daring escape attempts.
Because Alcatraz Prison sits on an island surrounded by rough and often frigid waters, it was incredibly difficult to escape from and regularly housed infamous prisoners who had caused too much trouble at other institutions. Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, and Arthur “Doc” Barker were just a few of the notorious criminals from the early half of the 20th century who once called Alcatraz home.
A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts during the prison’s years of operation, though all but one attempt proved unsuccessful. Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin were the only three prisoners to have successfully breached its walls.
The 1962 escape would become the stuff of true crime legend, mainly because, after setting out to leave the island on a raft, the three men were never heard from again, leaving their fate a mystery. To this day, the case remains open with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Perhaps only second to the 1962 escape in terms of infamous moments in Alcatraz history are the riots of 1946. Known as the Battle of Alcatraz, the riots were spurred during a botched escape attempt. At the end of the three-day carnage, two guards and three inmates would be dead.
That’s just the kind of prison that Alcatraz once was.
After this look at Alcatraz Prison, check out the dark side of mental asylums of decades past with these haunting photos. Then, step inside the five worst prisons on Earth.
