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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Leo L. Stanley Scrapbooks and Papers


Leo L. Stanley Scrapbooks and Papers, 1849-1974 (bulk 1928-1965), MS 2061


For those drawn to the more colorful figures in California history, the recently re-processed and cataloged Leo L. Stanley collection might be of interest.

Dr. Stanley received a fair amount of notoriety in the press when it was revealed in 1928 that he was performing medical experiments on prisoners while acting as Chief Medical Officer at San Quentin State Prison. Less known, however, is that he was an enthusiastic pen-pal with some of San Quentin’s more infamous prisoners, including J.P. “Bluebeard” Watson, who was convicted for the murder of fifteen women.

This letter, from Watson to Stanley, is representative of the intimate tone found in much of the correspondence between Stanley and the convicts he cared for (regardless of the severity of their crimes).   



While Stanley’s personal and professional anecdotes are fascinating in their own right, his scrapbooks and papers also illuminate broader themes, including the history of San Quentin, the California prison system, convict labor, and human experimentation in medicine.

The new guide to the collection can be found on the Online Archive of California at http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c80863rn

Megan Hickey Nespeco, Library Volunteer

1 comment:

Kimmeef said...

Several years ago I rented a house from a man I was told was a former guard at San Quentin Prison. He moved away to the east coast and left behind many items of interest regarding San Quentin and Folsom prisons. Maybe you would be able to help me find out who I should contact. The items I have in my possession are as follows: The Bulletin, dated October & November, 1928, The San Quentin News Statement of Policy, an original programme for the Fourth of July Minstrel Company dated 1901, two 8x10 photos with the negative of Paul Shirley, former warden of San Quentin 1883-1887, a typewritten transcript entitled "Highlights of Folsom Prison History, 1878-1943 and a second transcript entitled "The Evolution of a State Prison - Historical Narrative of the Ten Years from 1851 to 1861, during the Period when the Care and Employment of Convicts was turned over to Lessees" by James H. Wilkins. These items are all in very good condition. In the box with the above were several old skeleton-style keys (one of them is at least 6-inches long) that likely opened something at San Quentin.

Any assistance you can give me will be appreciated. I'm sure they could be put to better use that gathering dust on my closet shelf! Thank you!