The San Quentin Project

The San Quentin Project unveils a hidden visual narrative of daily life within one of America's oldest and largest prisons. This profound archive, now utilized to teach visual literacy and explore incarceration experiences, began in 2011 with artist and educator Nigel Poor.

As co-creator of the acclaimed podcast Ear Hustle, Poor launched a unique photography class through the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison. Despite the absence of cameras and traditional materials, students created "verbal photographs" and annotated iconic images, revealing the untold stories of their lives. This archive, comprising thousands of negatives taken by corrections officers in a bygone era, provided a platform for students to share their observations and reflections on the complex realities of prison life.