- Manufactured by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835
- Date
- after 1972
- Medium
- plastic and metal wire
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 7 5/16 × 1 3/16 × 1/2 in. (18.5 × 3 × 1.3 cm)
- Caption
- This spoon with an improvised elongated handle is evidence of the deprivation and physical severity of prison life and shows Wallace's ingenuity in devising innovative solutions to make his daily life slightly more comfortable.
- Description
- A repurposed plastic spoon created by Herman Wallace while incarcerated at Angola Prison. The white plastic spoon is elongated using the brown handle of another broken utensil, sewn together with wire. Small manufacturer’s engravings on the backs of the spoon read “U.S.A.” (white spoon) and “20 NIB” (brown handle).
- Place used
- Angola, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Herman Wallace Archival Collection
- Classification
- Tools and Equipment
- Topic
- American South
- Cooking and dining
- Men
- Prisons
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maria Hinds
- Object number
- A2018.36.1.9
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




