I have used some of the text from this page on the public-facing website I created for the exhibition, which can be seen here.
Loss of freedom is a haunting fear for many. Whether it comes in the form of literal imprisonment, a feeling of being trapped, or even loss of agency, it goes against our nature to be caged. In some cases, unfortunately, it is deemed a necessary evil.
Bodmin Jail, established in the late 1700s as Cornwall's primary prison, aimed to prioritise the health and well-being of prisoners by providing clean water and individual cells (Bodmin Jail, 2024b). However, conditions, though considered humane at the time, were harsh by modern standards, with inmates subjected to hard labour. The law was strictly upheld; even minor offences carried the death penalty. Over its 150-year operation, 55 people were hanged at Bodmin Jail, their crimes ranging from murder to stealing wheat (Bodmin Jail Museum, 2023).
Some say the spirits of those hanged still wander the jail (Haunted Rooms, 2023), which now operates as a tourist attraction and historic site. When we visit the cells, we are surrounded by echoes of lives lost and futures erased. We freely walk through the corridors where hundreds of desperate souls once cried for a glimpse of the sky, and we are reminded of the importance and fragility of our freedom.
In the oldest part of the jail, the original cells still stand. Even looking out the window offered no hope of escape, no glimpse of the freedom of the blue sky. Figure 1 (above) is my favourite in this section, as the light streaming through the window seems to mock the prisoners and their loss of freedom. When they looked out, they were met with iron bars and stone walls - a stark reminder of their desperate existence. Framing this image through the cell's doorway teases the audience, as the open door invites them to imagine the possibility of escape, though, for many, the only way out of Bodmin Jail was the long drop.
The Condemned Cell is reputedly one of the most haunted parts of the jail. This was where those sentenced to death would spend their final days, accompanied only by prison guards and the chaplain (Bodmin Jail, 2020a). Due to the darkness of this area, I used long exposures, inspired by Francesca Woodman's surreal, blurred images (Tate, 2018). This effectively created an eerie atmosphere. Figure 3 captures the spectral impressions of visitors walking past the cell. If the haunting rumours are true, perhaps the cell is a constant for the ghosts while visitors are fleeting shadows freely passing by. Although the blurred shadows of passers-by construct a story of a ghostly apparition, it is merely an illusion. Whether ghosts truly exist or not, this image does not depict any paranormal activity.
Figure 4 does not hint at haunting but instead emphasises the palpable sense of doom and desperation. The infrared filter was set to allow through red light, intensifying the ominous lamp next to the prisoner's bed. This red light, associated with blood, evil, and hell, cast foreboding shadows through the bars onto the floor, dehumanising the caged soul within. By taking this photo from a low angle, I was able to convey a feeling of being small and insignificant, much like the condemned undoubtedly felt in their last moments.
One of the most unexpected difficulties I encountered when taking infrared photos inside the Bodmin Jail attraction was the presence of infrared lights. It makes sense that they would illuminate the cells with infrared light; this allows them to use infrared-sensitive CCTV cameras while keeping the site dark and eerie for visitors. Normal DSLR cameras do not detect these invisible light sources, but my converted camera did. This made framing my photos particularly challenging, as my eyes couldn't see what my camera could, and it was too dark to see the playback image properly on the camera's screen. As a result, many of my photos from the darkest areas of the jail have lens flares, some of which make the image unusable.
The Quartermaster's Store was a captivating room; it was sealed off in 1927 and only rediscovered during building works approximately 80 years later. The sign outside the door states that this room is "frozen in time and remains full of history and artefacts" (Bodmin Jail, 2020b) and it is a treasure trove of gothic imagery. It would be easy to spend hours in this room exploring the diverse items on display, from books to building schematics, artwork to vials of unidentifiable liquids, and even several animal skulls. Some artefacts are bizarre and macabre, much like the imagery of Simon Marsden's photos (The Marsden Archive, n.d.). This mysterious room provides a visual narrative of the evolving scientific landscape of the Victorian era as the focus shifted from superstition and witchcraft to evidence-based knowledge. While the jail was built with the inmates' health and living conditions in mind, religion remained important throughout its entire operational life. The prisoners were locked away as punishment for their crimes, but they could still be granted freedom from their sins through God.
I visited Bodmin Jail twice during the Easter holidays and spent considerable time in this room, taking dozens of photos of the skulls on display. The ram's skull was particularly interesting, as it is a Christian symbol of sacrifice. The Bible tells the story of Abraham, who obediently prepared to offer his son as a sacrifice to God. When God saw this obedience, He provided Abraham with a ram to use as an offering instead (The Holy Bible: Genesis. 22:2-13). Given the context of the jail's association with sin and punishment, this is an especially poignant symbol of the freedom that prisoners believed they could gain through Jesus' sacrifice.
During my first visit, I wasn't sure what to expect, so I used a high ISO and a relatively fast shutter speed since I had no tripod. Figure 6 (above) has a beautiful softness but also a lot of digital noise. A few days later, I returned with a tripod, determined to capture a sharper photo with less noise. I spent some time adjusting my shutter speed and infrared filter. Although I successfully reduced the noise, I could not replicate the vintage, film-like quality of that first image. I ended up reducing the noise from Figure 6 as best I could with Photoshop.
Something I could not remove with Photoshop was the reflection of my husband in the mirror in Figure 10. Using a slow shutter in Figure 11 rectified that, as the people walking past became a ghostly blur. Unfortunately, when I returned to take more photos, the egg for the jail's Easter egg hunt had been moved to a more prominent place in front of the lantern, which had initially lit up the skull with a soft, orange glow. I also battled with the infrared light in the corner of the room, resulting in some of the most severe lens flares of the shoot.
Despite not having many successful photos for this section, I am proud of the final images. This was a challenging shoot, but I believe I captured the melancholy atmosphere of the prison while showing respect for those who lived and died here. Not everyone can relate to being imprisoned, but many understand the feeling of being caged and restricted. I hope these images will connect with all people by resonating with that fear of losing freedom.
References
Bodmin Jail (2020a) ‘The Condemned Cell’.
Bodmin Jail (2020b) ‘The Quarter Masters Store’.
Bodmin Jail (2024a) Bodmin Jail History & Information, Bodmin Jail. Available at: https://www.bodminjail.org/discover/about-bodmin-jail/history/ (Accessed: 25 March 2024).
Bodmin Jail (2024b) History of the Building, Bodmin Jail. Available at: https://www.bodminjail.org/discover/about-bodmin-jail/history-of-the-building/ (Accessed: 27 May 2024).
Bodmin Jail (2024c) The People of Bodmin Jail, Bodmin Jail. Available at: https://www.bodminjail.org/discover/about-bodmin-jail/the-people-of-bodmin-jail/ (Accessed: 27 May 2024).
Bodmin Jail Museum (2023) The Official Prisoner’s Guide to Bodmin Jail. Jarrold Publishing.
Haunted Rooms (2023) The Ghosts of Bodmin Jail, Haunted Rooms. Available at: https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/bodmin-jail (Accessed: 11 June 2024).
The Holy Bible. Genesis. 22:2-13. New International Version (1979). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
The Marsden Archive (no date) The Marsden Archive. Available at: http://www.marsdenarchive.com/ (Accessed: 20 February 2024).
Sarner (2020) Bodmin Jail Attraction, Sarner. Available at: https://sarner.com/our-work/bodmin-jail (Accessed: 29 May 2024).
Tate (2018) Finding Francesca, Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/francesca-woodman-10512/finding-francesca (Accessed: 23 February 2024).
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