The F.D.R. Express

Anon.

The F.D.R. Express, 1967 

Woven cigarette packaging     

Folsom State Prison, Folsom, California

FDR Express is a two-part artifact consisting of a clutch bag and a matching belt. Together, thousands of cigarette boxes and wrapper were required as well as an equally large number of 1966 Franklin D. Roosevelt six cent postage stamps. Securing the latter was an arduous task since stamps had to be gained by bartering with other inmates. The design approach uses both muted tones and repetition that give a momentary impression of snake skin. The impression is belied when upon closer inspection, the profusion of images of President Roosevelt become clearer. Fragmented and slightly varied, the stamps reinforce the  geometry of the diagonal bands that articulate the purse’s surface while simultaneously melding the many squares into a visual whole.

Folsom State Prison, second oldest maximum-security prison in California, was built in 1880. Today, Folsom is home to 1,820 inmates, including Charles Manson, Suge Knight and the late Rick James.