GPS Coordinates / 39.968241,-75.1727932
12 Monkeys Insane Asylum
2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130, United States
Of course this criminal penitentiary isn’t just here for the 12 Monkeys film but it was such an iconic hit and the insane asylum was also so iconic in the film that it’s hard to think of anything else apart from Pitt and Willis sparring with each other with a stellar co-cast battling with their own perceptions of reality with Terry Gilligan at the helm, the lead cartoon animator and actor of The Monty Pythons flying circus did a fine job making this film. The name of the film could relate or may not relate to the 12 prisoners who plotted an escape digging a 97ft tunnel from cell to cell, nobody's quite sure if this was where the inspiration came from for the name of the film, 15years before 30 escape tunnels were discovered so these twelve inmates really like their tunnel digging
GPS Coordinates / 39.968358,-75.1725457
However with that bit of filmography out the way let’s take a tour of Eastern State Penitentiary situated in Philadelphia narrated by Steve Buscemi if you had taken the official tour he would probably start (or may not) by telling you that this once had a young Al Capone as a resident and it was modeled after old Gothic churches by religious quakers who liked the European style of Architecture and had wishes of reforming prisoners with subliminal messaging of a higher power, whether that was them being isolated when moved had to wear monk clothing to conceal their identity from other prisoners as nobody could tell who was who (quite clever). The doors were built lower so prisoners would have to bow forcing subliminal humility and light would shine through the ceiling creating the illusions of the gods, this was one of the first prisons in america that focused on reform than punishment and torture but habits being their way ‘and all that torture would visit this prison from time to time shackling prisoners tongues to their cuffs and restraints and dousing them with cold showers in the winter courtyards but this could be called religious reforms also as quakers would show pettance on themselves as pain
gps Coordinates / 39.9675026,-75.1718445
It wasn’t always doom and gloom the Governor of 1924 jokingly sentenced his cat murdering dog “Pep” to life in prison and even went as far as giving it an inmate number (no. C2559), the dog “ allegedly” killed his wife's cat, it was meant to lift the morals of the prisoners having a dog they could all appreciate so why not go the whole way and make him a prisoner with completed mugshot, the mugshot of that murderous wild prisoner is below
gps Coordinates / 39.9679985,-75.1732788
Front of building Complete with perching Gargoyles on the arches
gps Coordinates / 39.9672916,-75.1725191
12 monkeys trailer
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