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Tumbling competition, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library
Earlier this morning I pointed out the riches of the Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, in the Marin County Free Library Archives. The San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet 1930 Album deserves it own post.
Any sack race that has contestants cocooned up to their necks is a serious affair (image 2). Any tumble would hurt.
The tug-of-war (image 3) is fought on a remarkably complex purpose-built platform. It unfortunately looks like a rack.
I have no idea what narrative the parade (image 4) carries, but African American inmates donning hessian sacks painted to mimic “primitive” costume and carrying a whiter-than-whiter mustachioed swan-king is particularly discomforting.
Pole vault without a 60 inch crash-mat beneath the bar?
Lots to be said about cross-dressing and gender-bending in prisons, but not to be superimposed upon these 80 year old photographs. Two fascinating images.
And we just had Halloween. Who knew pie-eating contests (last image) produced zombies?
Sack race, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Tug-of-war competition with officials looking on, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library
Prisoners in costume parading at the San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
"Fifty-yard crawl" race, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
High-jump competition, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Pole vault competition, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Long-jump competition, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Clown performance featuring a duck, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Stage entertainment with four male dancers in female dress, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Pie-eating contest showing three participants, San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library.
Pie-eating contest (close-up of one participant), San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, Marin County Free Library
The caption to this photo reads, ‘A woman prisoner at San Quentin in her room. The decorations are all made from fancy paper and spoons.’ Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library.
This image from the San Quentin Photography Album from the Marin County Free Library really struck me. Dedicated decoration. The San Quentin Photography Album was compiled by Richard M. Smith & Genevieve Smith.
The Anne T. Kent California Reading Room, Marin County Free Library Archives are great. Don’t miss:
Views of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco by W.J. Street.
Golden Gate Bridge Photo Album (Construction images).
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Marin County Civic Center Photo Album, showing the construction of one of FLW’s few West coast buildings. It was later used as the set for Star Trek: Next Generation.
All of these things within just a few miles of one another. Browse the full archive listing.
Administration Building Construction. South end of the Administration Building looking North. Photograph by John Trimble. Harold Stockstad Slide Collection. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library.
View of the Golden Gate way with the Palace of Fine Arts in the foreground; circa March 9, 1935. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library.
Prison Photography 