Sitting like a beacon in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, between San Francisco and Oakland, California, is Alcatraz Island.
Long before Alcatraz became home to some of the most notorious outlaws in the country, it was known as a place to be avoided by Native Americans who believed it to contain evil spirits. The first Europeans to visit the island were the Spanish in 1769, who named it "Isla de los Alcatraces," or "Island of the Pelicans," for its large pelican colony. Later the name was shortened to Alcatraz.
In 1848, after the end of the Mexican-American War, California, along with the island, came under the control of the United States Army which built a fortress atop the sandstone outcropping. In 1861, 10,000 muskets and 150,000 cartridges of ammunition were sent to Fort Alcatraz and the island became the most powerful fort west of the Mississippi River.
Alcatraz was designated as a military prison. Like most prisons of the time, the conditions in the cell house were terrible, with men sleeping on the stone floors, side-by-side. With no heat, running water or sanitary facilities in the cells, sickness became common among the prisoners. By 1933 the army decided that the island was too expensive to operate. Its location was the biggest problem, with the high costs of importing water, food and supplies.
At this time, America's gangster era was in full swing. Alcatraz was the ideal solution to the problem. The army transferred the island to the Bureau of Prisons, and a "super-prison' was created that would instill fear in the minds of would-be criminals, offered no means of escape, and a place where inmates could be safely controlled. On January 1, 1934 the process of upgrading Alcatraz to an "escape-proof" maximum security prison began. It became the legendary prison that seemed both necessary and appropriate. No prisoner was directly sentenced to Alcatraz from the courts. Instead, they "earned" their transfer to the island from other prisons by attempting to escape, exhibiting unmanageable behavior, or those that had been receiving special privileges, like Al Capone. Alcatraz became home to the worst of the worst criminal elements in the nation. Life was hell for the prisoners on "the rock", and in no time it was dubbed "Hellcatraz." It was so forbidding that it was eventually nicknamed "Uncle Sam's Devil's Island."
Primarily due to rising costs, its isolated location, and deteriorating facilities, and after prison operating philosophy had changed to reinstitution and rehabilitation, rather than the wholesale warehousing of inmates, the doors of Alcatraz closed on March 21, 1963. Though one of America's most escape proof prisons, Alcatraz served as an experiment that would never again be repeated. Segregation on this scale had never before been seen and would never again be practiced.
In 1972, Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the island became part of the National Park Service. The park opened in the fall of 1973. Since then, Alcatraz has become one of the most popular of the Park Service sites, with more than a million visitors every year.
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Not only a fine scenic capture, Christine, but I truly enjoyed reading the history behind the "Rock"! Thanks so much for sharing the beauty of the photo op, but also the history of the Island!
The irresistible faces of curious baby bunnies found in their nest made in the ground and lined with pine needles.
Sergey, I agree. It was wonderful to be able to capture this image. Thanks for your comment. Larry Allan
This Eastern Screech Owl wears "camouflage" attire that blends in well in its Florida home.. Its brown, red or rufous, and gray colorations are found in almost even numbers in Florida. Photo, copyright Larry Allan 2013, is from "Florida Fauna," which will be published in the Summer of 2014.
Canadian Grizzly art print by Davandra Cribbie. Our prints are produced on acid-free papers using archival inks to guarantee that they last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All art prints include a 1" white border around the image to allow for future framing and matting, if desired.
Very nice capture, Davandra! You are brave as they are so hard to read. Welcome to the Wild and Crazy group. :) l/w
Awesome! L/F You are invited to post this incredible image and one other animal image of your choice in the new group: 'What's in it for you: Sensational Animal Images.' This group features animal images from Friday November 15 through Thursday November 21.Here is the link to the group:http://fineartamerica.com/groups/what-is-in-it-for-you-sensational-animals-week-from-friday-november-15-to-thursday-november-21.html (this week's group)
Cardiff - Ninian Park - North Stand 3 - October 2004 by Legendary Football Grounds - 10.000" x 6.625"
Cardiff - Ninian Park - North Stand 3 - October 2004 metal print by Legendary Football Grounds. Bring your artwork to life with the stylish lines and added depth of a metal print. Your image gets printed directly onto a sheet of 1/16" thick aluminum. The aluminum sheet is offset from the wall by a 3/4" thick wooden frame which is attached to the back. The high gloss of the aluminum sheet complements the rich colors of any image to produce stunning results.
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Italian Monuments - The Church Of Santa Maria Della Pieta Throw Pillow for Sale by Andrea Mazzocchetti
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This is the church of "Santa Maria della Pieta", near the castle of Rocca Calascio, in Abruzzo, Italy. Located at 1512 meter is an old church of XV century.
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May 10, 2012 - U.S. Marines conduct a sling load operation with a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.