Commissioned by

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

steel and concrete

Dimensions

255 × 108 × 84 in. (647.7 × 274.3 × 213.4 cm)

Type

towers (single built works)

Place collected

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

1900-1950

Description

A steel and concrete tower with external stairway that sits on a raised platform. The tower has a window on each of its four sides. A doorway is on the side closest to the metal stairs. The tower has a corrugated metal roof.

Topic

African American

American South

Labor

Prisons

Rural life

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Donated by Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola

Object number

2013.26.1ab

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Buildings and Structures

Exhibition

Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968

On View

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Written by

Goodlow, Clarence

Dennis, Douglas, American, 1935 - 2009

Nelson, Lane

Myers, Kerry

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 × 8 1/2 × 3/8 in. (27.9 × 21.6 × 1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

May/August 1997

Description

This issue of The Angolite, Vol. 22, No. 3 has a black-and-white photograph on the cover of incarcerated men building a sandbag wall along the banks of the Mississippi River. One of the three featured stories concentrates on the high waters of the river and the danger of flooding at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The other two features are about the annual Arts and Crafts Festival and on mentally ill incarcerated persons. Regular features included are sports news, brief news reports, a book review, and original poetry. The final interior page contains subscription information. There are eighty-nine (89) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover has a black-and-white photograph of two (2) men in business attire standing behind an unlocked barred door.

Topic

African American

Health

Journalism

Justice

Men

Nature

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.11

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Written by

Sinclair, Billy, American, born 1945

Illustrated by

Bridges, R. Troy

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/8 × 8 11/16 × 1/2 in. (28.3 × 22.1 × 1.3 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

November/December 1979

Description

This November/December 1979 issue of The Angolite has a burgundy colored background cover with white text. A black-and-white photograph below the masthead depicts incarcerated men standing and digging in a waist-deep ditch. Two (2) men on horseback, one armed with a long gun, oversee the workers. Below the photograph is white text reading "IN THIS ISSUE / 'PRISON: The Sexual Jungle' / LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY." The cover story deals with problems of sexual slavery at Angola prison and includes interviews with prisoners who were raped as well as discrimination and violence against homosexual and transgendered prisoners. Other content includes personnel changes of prison administration, articles on new legal changes and legal assistance, a review of the October 1979 Rodeo featuring several event photographs and a story on an inmate who was paralyzed after an injury during a bull riding event, a story about a local vocational school available to prisoners, and information about health care in prison. The text is supplemented with illustrations and photographs throughout the ninety-eight (98) interior pages. Information for subscribing and a mail-in card are included on the final interior page. The back cover has the same burgundy colored background with an illustration at the center of a line of men in shadow with shovel and hoes slung over their shoulders. The magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples.

Topic

African American

Education

Gender

Health

Identity

Journalism

Justice

LGBTQ

Men

Prisons

Sexuality

Slavery

Violence

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.2

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Sinclair, Billy, American, born 1945

Written by

Mason, Tommy

Illustrated by

Stegall, Larry

Ortega, Louis

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/8 × 8 9/16 × 3/8 in. (28.3 × 21.7 × 1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

November/December 1982

Description

A copy of the November/December 1982 issue of the magazine The Angolite, Vol. VII, No. VI. The cover has a gray background with a large photograph in the center of incarcerated men walking in line down a road carrying shovels and hoes, the line led by a man on horseback while two other mounted guards watch from the side of the road. Below the photograph is the title of the feature story, "Rehabilitation: A Misguided Effort." The article covers a brief history of the penal system in the United States, focusing on approaches for or against rehabilitation methods of incarcerated persons over time, and ends with an assessment of the current state of the justice system at publication. Other items in the magazine include news briefs, recreation activities including sports, photographs of the most recent Rodeo events, and articles related to other themes about rehabilitation including incarcerated persons unable to get out despite being rehabilitated, and legal rights of incarcerated persons to rehabilitation programs. There is also a history of Angola prison, and at the end the regular feature "Expressions" with poems by men incarcerated at Angola. The final interior page has subscription information. The back cover features a black-and-white photograph of men working in a yard, possibly doing agricultural labor, while another man sits on a mule-drawn cart in the background and a mounted guard watches over the workers from the far right. There are eighty-six (86) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples.

Topic

African American

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.3

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Written by

Mason, Tommy

Illustrated by

Pourciau, Leonard

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/2 × 8 5/8 × 5/16 in. (29.2 × 21.9 × 0.8 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

January/February 1987

Description

This issue of The Angolite, Vol. XII, No. 1 features a cover illustration in yellow, black, and gray depicting a man wearing a striped jumpsuit and handcuffs standing behind a table with scales, The Tombstone Epitaph newspaper, cards and gambling chips, a bottle of liquor, and a handgun. In the background is a prison guard tower. The feature story concerns Washington Correctional Institute, a nearby prison facility, with interviews by Angolite staff of the inmates and staff at the other prison. One article, "The Pardons Scandal," deals with the pardon scam related to form Angolite editor Billy Sinclair, who was an FBI informant on the case. Others cover personnel changes in the ACLU, the dedication of a wildlife refuge on the prison grounds, and regular features including brief news stories, legal advice, and poetry. The final interior page includes subscription information, with an illustration of a manacled hand reaching out from the water. The back cover has a horizontally-oriented illustration in yellow, black, and gray of a dragon lounging on a pile of gold coins wearing pajamas with a prison number on his jacket, and drinking from a goblet while reading this issue of The Angolite. The magazine has eighty-six (86) interior pages and is bound with two (2) metal staples.

Topic

African American

Journalism

Justice

Law

Men

Nature

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.5

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Mason, Tommy

Written by

Wikberg, Ron, American, 1943 - 1994

Illustrated by

Pourciau, Leonard

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/16 × 8 1/2 × 3/8 in. (28.1 × 21.6 × 1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

July/August 1987

Description

This issue of the magazine The Angolite, Vol. XII, No. IV, features a cover illustration in yellow, brown, and white print. Below the masthead is a drawing of a man in prison stripes and a fedora sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and looking over his left shoulder. Behind his left shoulder is a drawing of a human skull with a syringe in front of it. Behind his right shoulder is a drawing of a man lying in a hospital bed hooked to an IV and a woman looking at him through a partially open chained door. Behind the man's left leg is a man wearing a surgical cap and mask looking out to his left. Featured stories in the issue include an article on Louisiana as the nationwide leader in executions, a story about Shirley Coody, the first female security supervisor at Angola, and a piece on AIDS in prisons. Also included are regular items such as legal reporting, original poems, sports news, and news briefs. There is also a report on the recent Arts and Crafts Festival including several photographs and a list of prize winners, along with a separate article featuring brief biographies of some incarcerated hobbyists. The final interior page includes subscription information. There are ninety-eight (98) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover has a burgundy background with a man's head in profile in white and several chains behind the profile. The man's skull has a keyhole cut into it, with a copy of this issue of The Angolite and a set of keys coming out of the keyhole.

Topic

African American

Gender

Health

Journalism

Justice

LGBTQ

Men

Prisons

Sexuality

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.6

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Wikberg, Ron, American, 1943 - 1994

Written by

Goodlow, Clarence

Guzman, Gilbert

Glover, Michael, 1949 - 1996

Illustrated by

Pourciau, Leonard

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/8 × 8 5/16 × 3/8 in. (28.3 × 21.1 × 1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

September/October 1990

Description

This issue of The Angolite magazine, Vol. 15, No. 5, has a cover illustration in yellow and black featuring a man's head wearing a helmet with several nodes coming out of the helmet attached to light bulbs along the bottom of the drawing. A human brain is visible through the helmet and the man's face is obscured by a thick veil. The two main stories in the issue focus on failed or botched executions by electric chair, and on the high rate of incarceration of African American men. Regular features such as brief news reports, letters to the magazine, sports news, and original poems are also included. The final interior page contains subscription information. There are ninety-eight (98) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover has an illustration in yellow and black of a man wearing a black cover over his head and bound by leather straps to a wooden chair.

Topic

African American

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.7

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Wikberg, Ron, American, 1943 - 1994

Written by

Goodlow, Clarence

Czere, John, born 1962

Glover, Michael, 1949 - 1996

Illustrated by

Pourciau, Leonard

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/16 × 8 3/8 × 7/16 in. (28.1 × 21.3 × 1.1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

November/December 1991

Description

This issue of The Angolite, Vol. 16, No. 6, has a cover with a black-and-white photograph behind black and white text. The photograph features a tombstone in the shape of a cross with the numbers "81902" in the center. The feature story of the issue is about health and medical care in the prison system. Other stories include a review of the Prison Rodeo, a piece on food raised at the prison and donated to a regional food bank, and a story on the organization CURE (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants). Regular columns include legislative news, sports coverage, religious organization news, and original poems. The final interior page contains subscription information. There are ninety-four (94) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover features an illustration in burgundy and black of a caduceus symbol signifying medicine behind a locked barred door.

Topic

African American

Health

Journalism

Justice

Medicine

Men

Prisons

Religion

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.8

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Written by

Sinclair, Billy, American, born 1945

Illustrated by

Bridges, R. Troy

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/16 × 8 5/8 × 5/16 in. (28.1 × 21.9 × 0.8 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

September/October 1978

Description

This September/October 1978 issue of The Angolite has a cover with a black-and-white photograph of a man standing outside a small structure in a dirt yard. The photograph is below the masthead, with the text "EXCLUSIVE / 'Conversations With The Dead' / LOUISIANA STATE PRISON" below the photograph. The cover story discusses the clemency and parole process, with interviews from several incarcerated people who have long sentences and will likely die imprisoned. The cover photo is also featured in this story, and picture Franck "Cocky" Moore in front of his shack on the Angola property. Other stories include opinion pieces, detailed updates on recent legislative and administrative changes, and the restructuring of Camp H into a merit-based rehabilitation program. The magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples and has sixty-two (62) interior pages. The final interior page contains information and a mail-in section for subscriptions. The back cover has an illustrated advertisement for the 1978 Rodeo.

Topic

African American

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.1

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Glover, Michael, 1949 - 1996

Written by

Goodlow, Clarence

Dennis, Douglas, American, 1935 - 2009

Nelson, Lane

Elliott, Keith, died 1996

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 × 8 1/4 × 5/16 in. (27.9 × 21 × 0.8 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

September/October 1994

Description

This issue of The Angolite, Vol. 19, No. 5 features a black-and-white photograph on the cover depicting two (2) men sitting on a log in front of a body of water. The feature story covers the issue of elderly prisoners in longtime confinement, including an investigation of such incarcerated persons throughout the nation. There are several profiles of male and female incarcerated persons. Other stories include the discovery of a mastodon tooth on prison grounds, and regular features such as sports news, original poetry, and news briefs. The final interior page contains subscription information. The magazine has eighty-one (81) interior pages and is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover has a black-and-white photograph of a line of men digging a ditch or standing at rest holding shovels.

Topic

African American

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.10

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Sinclair, Billy, American, born 1945

Written by

Mason, Tommy

Illustrated by

Stegall, Larry

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 1/8 × 8 3/4 × 3/8 in. (28.3 × 22.2 × 1 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

May/June 1984

Description

This issue of The Angolite, Vol. 9, No. 3, has a large black-and-white cover photograph behind the black text of the masthead. The photo shows several men at a funeral underneath a barren tree. Grave markers are visible in the foreground and around the men's feet. Black text over the photograph at the bottom reads "Feature: / DYING IN PRISON." The cover story includes information about the prison graveyard and has interviews with some elderly and unwell prisoners. Other articles in the issue deal with information about the pardon system, a committee set up to keep track of those with long-term sentences seeking clemency, a book review, and regular features such as sports coverage and poetry. The final interior page includes subscription information. The back cover has a line drawing of two men in a horse-drawn cart filled with cotton. There are 102 interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples.

Topic

African American

Health

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

United States--Social life and customs

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.4

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Edited by

Rideau, Wilbert, American, born 1942

Glover, Michael, 1949 - 1996

Written by

Goodlow, Clarence

Dennis, Douglas, American, 1935 - 2009

Nelson, Lane

Elliott, Keith, died 1996

Subject of

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W x D (closed): 11 × 8 3/8 × 5/8 in. (27.9 × 21.3 × 1.6 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place made

West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date

November/December 1993

Description

This issue of The Angolite magazine, Vol. 18, No. 6, has a blue-toned photograph on the cover featuring a woman barrel-racing in front of a crowd of spectators seated in bleachers at the annual prison rodeo. The featured story in this issue concentrates on inflated pricing of inmate phone calls and a successful inmate boycott against them. There is also an extended review with several photographs of the rodeo events from October 1993. Regular columns including brief news reports, religious group activities, sports news, legal news, and original poetry are also included. The final interior page contains subscription information. There are seventy-four (74) interior pages and the magazine is bound with two (2) metal staples. The back cover features an illustration of a chain link fence on a gray background.

Topic

African American

Communication

Finance

Journalism

Justice

Men

Prisons

Resistance

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Wilbert Rideau and Linda LaBranche

Object number

2016.139.1.9

Restrictions & Rights

© Wilbert Rideau. Permission required for use.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture