Hidden Alcatraz: The Fortress Revealed - Tapa dura

"The Rock is the star of a thousand postcards, yet "Hidden Alcatraz" makes the scene stark and fresh." -- John King San Francisco Chronicle 20110605 "The next best thing to a tour of Alcatraz could be this startling photographic look at 'the Fortress.'" -- Allen Pierleoni Sacramento Bee 20110718 "Alcatraz continues to fascinate, and this collection beautifully captures the physical decay that, at last, matches its wretched soul." Library Journal 20110401 "The project's blend of artistic vision, with contributors both amateur and distinguished, creates a diverse and dynamic perspective." Publishers Weekly 20110502 "An amazing collection of 100 photographs." -- Phil Semler San Francisco Book Review 20110718 "This collection presents a comprehensive view of the iconic island and contributes greatly to the visual representation of the myth." -- Amanda Quintenz-Fiedler Photographer's Forum 20110901

Alcatraz - infamous for its legendary inmates - is much more than its grim history. "Hidden Alcatraz" focuses on the current state of the island fortress, presenting a unique collection of nearly one hundred images taken over a four-year period by thirty-four photographers, including Steve Fritz, Deborah Roundtree, Robert Dawson, Alex Fradkin, Thom Sempere, and Michael Venera. As participants in workshops on 'the Rock', hosted by the National Park Service and Photo Alliance of San Francisco, these photographers were granted unprecedented access, even staying overnight in the main cellblock. The resulting pictures present diverse visions of beauty in decay. They highlight the eerie, almost supernatural mood of the former prison, bringing texture to its historical artifacts and architecture, and evoking the extreme isolation and despair of inmates whose only remaining traces are suggestions of blood spatters and scratches on the walls. "Hidden Alcatraz" includes a foreword by actor Peter Coyote, who was present during the 1971 occupation by members of the American Indian Movement, and an introduction by John Martini, one of the island's first park rangers and an expert on its history.