Seodaemun Prison Handcuff Display

I received the photo below via an anonymous email.
The only thing I know about it is the title: seodaemun_prison.jpg



A web search tells me that Seodaemun Prison was built by the Japanese in Seoul, Korea in 1908. http://www.seodaemun.seoul.kr/eng/prison_1.html


I assume the picture shows a display in the prison museum. Several interesting cuffs are shown in the picture. The one on the upper right is an example of the Japanese "Luna" handcuff. The two cuffs on the lower right look like cuffs I have seen before, but the linkages tell me that they are not the norm.

The cuff at the upper left looks like an unusual 8 of some sort. The one at the lower left might be a leg cuff, it looks too big for the hands.

Can anyone identify the cuffs shown in this picture? Does anyone know more about the prison?

If you are the one who sent the picture, then thanks. Please write and tell me more about it.

Joe

Thought I would wait until today to reply to this as it is exactly 12 years ago that I was in South Korea. I was the technical adviser for Nick Janson (The worlds most handcuffed man). We were invited to perform three escapes on behalf of The Guinness Book of Records. Major problems with lack of understanding. The first escape was from a large packing case to be nicely labelled Guinness to advertise them. The idea was that Nick would be chained up, the box padlocked, placed inside the back of a car which was then hoisted up and put into a car crusher & crushed - Nick was then seen to be the driver of the crane. Quite simple and effective. Well the box arrived and was still wet with yellow paint, it had been made far too large and would not fit into the back of the car!!! Good start to the performances.
The 2nd escape was quite straight forward - escape from a straight-jacket with the burning rope 100 foot above the crouds - no problems.
The 3rd escape was a challange from the local Police to escape from their handcuffs in a spread eagle position. At the time neither of us knew what cuffs were used and we got chatting (via our interprettor) to the Police Officer who produced a very heavy early Peerless type handcuff. The police do NOT carry handcuff keys on them but we were allowed to examine them. They were only single locking,took a pipe key and had the cut in the centre of the key to by pass the fixed ward. We had a quick play with them and I made the necessary pick to open them. Everything went well and the whole event was televised (I do have a recording somewhere). Anyway after the event I tried to buy the set of cuffs from the officer and offered him about $50- which I increased slowly to $200- BUT he would still not sell them!!
So a good time was had by all (especially as we were taken to the only Irish Bar in Soeul where I drank about 12 bottles of Guinness - then enquired whether they were expensive - yes they are £7- a bottle I was told!!). Although I have been trying to get a set of these cuffs for 12 years now nothing has ever come from all the letters etc I have written. Do any collectors have this early model??
We were there for 3 days but unfortunately did not get a chance to visit the old part of Soeul but the items shown from the Prison seem very interesting. Via the link that Joe has given I did manage to get a translation - not too sure how but just followed the messages that popped up!!

I received the photo below via an anonymous email.
The only thing I know about it is the title: seodaemun_prison.jpg



A web search tells me that Seodaemun Prison was built by the Japanese in Seoul, Korea in 1908. http://www.seodaemun.seoul.kr/eng/prison_1.html


I assume the picture shows a display in the prison museum. Several interesting cuffs are shown in the picture. The one on the upper right is an example of the Japanese "Luna" handcuff. The two cuffs on the lower right look like cuffs I have seen before, but the linkages tell me that they are not the norm.

The cuff at the upper left looks like an unusual 8 of some sort. The one at the lower left might be a leg cuff, it looks too big for the hands.

Can anyone identify the cuffs shown in this picture? Does anyone know more about the prison?

If you are the one who sent the picture, then thanks. Please write and tell me more about it.

Joe

Click to expand...

Chris

Nice story. Now the trick would be to escape form anything after the 12 bottles of Guinness!

Joe