Dartmoor Prison Postcard – Princetown Historic Entrance View

Description

Dartmoor Prison Postcard – Princetown Historic Entrance View

A rare John Hinde colour image of Dartmoor’s forbidding gates, steeped in the legacy of Napoleonic and American POW history.

Measurements: approx. 5 7/8 x 4 1/8 inches
Dates: not available
Condition: Light wear along the edges and corners. Please check our images.
Internal notes: QC passed

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Framed by heavy granite, the photograph draws the eye through the arched gateway of Dartmoor Prison, revealing its solid wooden doors and the solemn bell tower above. The stern signage — “NO ADMITTANCE EXCEPT ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS” — reminds us that this is no tourist folly but a site of enduring authority and history.

Princetown owes its existence to this prison, opened in 1809 to house French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars, and later American captives from the War of 1812. Constructed with prisoner labour, the parish church (1814) and commemorative monuments (1910, 1928) still stand nearby. This postcard, photographed by D. Noble for John Hinde Studios, preserves the harsh dignity of a site long associated with war, isolation, and reform. The reverse features a handwritten message to a schoolchild — a curious and touching juxtaposition against the gravity of the image.

This piece stands out among Devon postcards for its stark realism. For collectors of prison history, wartime sites, or lesser-seen John Hinde views, it offers a uniquely powerful addition to any vintage archive.

Categories: devon, ephemera, postcards, prisons, vintage
Tags: dartmoor, princetown, prison, devon, john hinde, napoleonic, pow, 1970s
Focus keyword: dartmoor prison postcard
Suggested internal link keywords: dartmoor postcard, devon history, john hinde prison view, vintage war sites, princetown history

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