Description

This photo was taken in the historic Guard House, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada (where I live).

In 1828, a disastrous fire destroyed the original Guard House and Cells and nine other buildings. The restored Orderly Room in the Guard House looks much as it did in 1829, when it was first occupied by the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade.

The Guard Room (where this photo was taken) looks as it did in 1866. It was home to a 12-man Main Guard, and soldiers were permitted to rest here, in full kit, on a Guard Bed of hard planks, covered with a thin straw pallaise (mattress).

The Cell Block originally contained seven cells - windowless stone and brick cubicles with an air-hole of about 10 inches diameter in the outer wall. In very cold weather, the luckless inmates were provided with wooden plugs to reduce the winter blasts. In 1847, the Cell Block was modified to contain five enlarged cells, barred windows and an escape proof ventilation system. The Cell Block reveals conditions as they were in 1848.

This photo was captured with a Nikon D70 (1/13s @ f/4.5, EV -0.33, ISO 200, FL 50.0 mm).