The Birdman of Alcatraz
This mugshot is of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary inmate #17,431, Robert Stroud. Better known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” Stroud served time in Leavenworth prior to being moved to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1942. Stroud gained the “Birdman” moniker from his time at Leavenworth, where he was allowed to maintain cages of birds in his cells. Stroud studied these birds, and even wrote two books on birds, Diseases of Canaries and Stroud’s Digest on the Diseases of Birds. Once he was transferred to Alcatraz, Stroud was no longer permitted to keep birds, or any of the cages he maintained while in Leavenworth.
Robert Stroud’s file is one of over 70,000 files of inmates from the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in the holdings of the National Archives at Kansas City. These files document inmate stays at the “Big House,” starting when it opened in 1895. In addition to mugshots, such as this one, typical files include a “rap” sheet, conviction order, fingerprints, and a wide variety of correspondence with family, friends, and business associates.
Mugshot from Inmate File of Robert Stroud, dated February 28, 1922. National Archives Identifier: 24731415
View and download Robert Stroud’s mugshot on the National Archives Catalog. You can explore more records held in the National Archives at Kansas City through the National Archives Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. These records are located in Record Group 129: Records of the Bureau of Prisons, Series: Inmate Case Files, July 3, 1895–November 5, 1957.