Eastern State Penitentiary

Yesterday was the perfect rainy day to explore Eastern State Penitentiary. Eastern State Penitentiary was a working prison from 1826 to 1971. Part of the time the prison worked on the Quaker religious model of solitude and penance for your mistakes. The hope was this would cause prisoners to take a good hard look at their life and choose to reform. In less that 5 years later that model was reformed and by 1913 it Eastern State was just like any other prison across the country.

As you entry Eastern State there is wierd feeling you are instantly bombarded with reminder of what a huge massive prison this was at it's creation and over time. Eastern State Penitentiary was the first of its kind there was no prison like this before to house inmates over long periods of time. There began to be a great need for a institute like this. At its original construction Eastern State could hold only 450 inmates soon Eastern State was doubling and tripling its capacity. At the time of its closure they were at 5 times the capacity.

Eastern State Penitentiary is open as a experiential museum or at least thats what I thought ans still believe it to be. Linda who spoke with us at the museum told us she feels that Eastern State Penitentiary is not a museum but a historical site. I understood her reasoning but yet disagree. I think that a museum is such a broad term as we have learned over the semester almost anything could be like a museum depending on who you ask. For example earlier in the semester we learned about cabinets and how they were collections of things that people came to see, they were some of the very first modes of museums and display. I think there are several reasons why Eastern State is a museum. 1. Eastern State is a place of learning, there is a commodity being sold to the visitor. 2. It is a place that is in demand, people want to go there because they see it as a important part of history. 3. It is public and supported by tourism, this is how most museums are supported.

Eastern State as a experiential museum is important. I think you get a authentic experience there that is different than all the other museums we have visited thus far this semester. You get a experience that can not be duplicated. For example getting to walk down the cell blocks and see the actual cells that were home to man inmates over Eastern State's long history is a type of experience that means so much more that seeing artifacts behind a display we can't touch, or dioramas of prisoners in cells. I would venture to say this is one of the most powerful was to teach a audience knowledge in such a historical and meaningful site.

I really enjoyed museum visit Thursday. Ii was actually one of my favorite museum tours so far despite the weather. I thought it was a excellent tour and guide. Nick was very knowledgeable about the site and its history which is also a important aspect of the experience. I think that Eastern State meets and goes beyond my requirements for a museum because I felt the truth was being told on many accounts which is also a important factor in museums and he authenticity of the experience. In addition I felt like it was engaging and as interactive as it could be by allowing cell blocks to be open for people to walk through and certain actual cells being open as well. Overall I felt the tour provided the appropriate level of knowledge and engagement to the visitor. I would definitely be open to visiting again.