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Album of Original Photographs of Folsom State Prison by [PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM]
N.p., [c. 1920]. Fascinating group of forty-seven original photographs, 8 x 10 or the reverse, mounted to the leaves of a period album of black cloth. Cloth label on album front reading "General Views of State Prison at Folsom.". Some very minor wear to album but the photographs are very clear and unfaded. A unique assemblage of views of the State Prison at Folsom, includes images of the grounds, buildings, farms, river, also includes images of the inmates in a single file line entering or exiting the cell houses, inmates at work in a quarry, a cell block, the prison library, prison infirmary, and several photographs of prison athletic competitions including a tug-of-war contest and a team photo of the prison baseball team. Also some views of the hydroelectric plant that powers the prison. "In the 1860's, the Livermore family decided the American River at Folsom was an ideal location for development of water-generated power to operate a sawmill and other industrial plants. To accomplish this, they gained control of the Natoma Water and Mining Company, and acquired an additional 9,000 acres with American River water rights. To fulfill their dream, they began to build the first Folsom Dam on the American River in 1867. To obtain labor for dam construction, the Livermore's contracted with the State Prison Board for Prison labor. In exchange for the labor, the Livermore's contributed 350 acres for a prison site. Unfortunately for them, the prison labor was not available to complete the dam until Folsom prison was established in 1880. The site for Folsom prison was chosen not only because of the availability of the land, but also because of the close proximity to the American River for hydro energy and the abundance of good quality granite nearby which could be excavated for the prison site. The Folsom Prison itself currently holds approximately 4,200 inmates' (Folsom City Guide).
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