Prisoners at open-air labor camp in the canyons, Malibu, 1921

Item Overview

Title

Prisoners at open-air labor camp in the canyons, Malibu, 1921

Date Created

[circa May 14, 1921]

Date

1921-05-14

Publisher

Los Angeles Times

Language

No linguistic content

Collection

Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection

Notes

Description

A row of inmates stand at the entrance of a prison labor camp. Frank Carpenter, assistant prison guard, stands at the right in a long black overcoat. A cluster of white tents are seen behind the men.
Due to overcrowding in the Los Angeles County Jail, a labor camp was opened in the canyons of Malibu where prison labor was used to build roads connecting to the Pacific Coast Highway. The open-air camp was noted for its lack of chains, steel bars, or handcuffs.
A similar photograph taken on the same occasion appears with the article, “Crowded Jail Forces Prisoners Into Open,” Los Angeles Times, 15 May 1921: II1.

Caption

Text from negative sleeve: Chain Gangs

Physical Description

Extent

1 photograph

Medium

b&w nitrate negative

Keywords

Genre

cellulose nitrate film
news photographs

Names

Carpenter, Frank

Location

Malibu (Calif.)

Resource type

still image

Subjects

Canyons--California--Malibu
Convict labor--California--Malibu
Prison guards--California--Malibu
Prisoners--California--Malibu