A name that was referred in that section was of the Bethlem Hospital, unfortunately because it was one of the earliest asylums pictures are not available only illustrations from the outside. So I moved on in time to the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, and found Coney Hatch Lunatic Asylum.
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum- London
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum was a psychiatric hospital operating from 1851 to 1993 situated in Colney Hatch, London. This hospital is known not only to give home to a enormous number of mental ill patients for that time, but also for having the longest and largest corridors of any building in the heart of London.Also, I have moved from the UK to the US, and found some asylums bearing the same style dated a bit later as 1870s.
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital- New Jersey
Greystone Psychiatric Park located in New Jersey was considered one of the most infamous Asylums in America, It was first built in 1871, and opening its doors in 1876, to merely 292 patients. The history of the hospital runs along familiar lines: an early reputation for good care was later marred by severe overcrowding and instances of abuse.
Even though, we are not able to view well these black and white photographs, I really liked the 2 above, because they have a lot of detail applied to them.
Greystone Park Hospital was closed in 2000 due the aging of a 150 years-old building and for the negative reputation it was receiving, related to sexual-assault, suicides, etc.In 1988, the last patients left the premises, and apart of the administration rooms, the reest of the 43 building were left unused. Also preservisionists in New Jersey Area, prostested to maintain such a historical building like this. The substitute construction was built, around the same area in 2006 and it has the same name.
Some pictures of the interiors of the old buildings:
Unfortunately, once again I am not able to upload some more pictures of the building as it is now due to copyright, but the galleries I researched can be found Here and Here.
Eloise Mental Hospital- Michigan
Eloise was once one of the largest Mental Hospital in America . It was opened in 1839, as the Wayne County Poorhouse and at one time, it was home for over 8.000 patients, who were mentally ill, had tuberculosis or were just poor. Due to this overcrowding situation, the reputation of this institution decreased, reporting of patient beatings, unsanitary conditions.
After its closure in 1981, hauntings stories started to arise related to the building and its cemetery, where over 7000 people were buried.
2 comments:
some very evocative images here - that one with the 'icicles' is like something out of a Sandy Skoglund photograph - wonderful!
Some very interesting pictures you managed to get your hands on. Cool.
Post a Comment