Missouri State Prison, Jefferson City, MO (1935)

B&W | silent | run time = 0:12:08

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studio shot and presented this Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) footage to the state of Missouri in 1935. The infamous facility opened in 1836 as the first state correctional institution west of the Mississippi River, operating continuously for 168 years before it closed in 2004. The film begins with the members of the State Building Commission, which was formed to upgrade the buildings of Missouri’s correctional and charitable institutions. Footage of the penitentiary grounds, inmates, employees and building exteriors and interiors follow.

Rights: Public domain. Please credit the Missouri State Archives RG213 Missouri State Penitentiary Collection.

For still pictures of MSP, see also the Mark Schreiber Photograph Collection here: https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/col....