170 Comments Posted by EricaM

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I see a date of 5-5-72. That's sort of suspicious.. I have well kept books from the 70's that are in a lot worse/yellow condition than these open notebook pages. Perhaps the building was shut tight and I shouldn't be so skeptical.
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Is this the sooty building with hay that has stairs that appear to be covered in a thick layer of something resembling animal (cat) feces..
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I think you've been reading my mind. I was nostalgic for some wintertime hospital, esp. norwich.
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I totally read that as prubbs
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Great link to post, I just got around to watching this today.. the only thing I wish was that it included more lobotomized patient interviews. I've always been fascinated with lobotomies, for YEARS, and I have a craving to read/listen to people talk about their experiences post-procedure. I also think it's alarming that a 'modified' lobotomy is still performed to this day on select patients, eek.
Ephemera: The Lobotomist
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Were they ever lived in? What was the point of putting so much money into renovations if they're now all vacant and not bringing in revenue? I wouldn't mind living in a partially abandoned building but I can't imagine the majority of people would want to.
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Very interesting. Was this supposed to facilitate better airflow or something? No idea.
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I ask only because the capacity of the freezer in the morgue I was talking about could only really hold about 2 gurneys at once. Seemed sort of asinine..
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How many gurneys could fit in at one time? The first time as a nurse I ever had to wheel a body to the morgue the freezer was that style. It was an old crappy hospital.
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Well, Motts, that's awesome. Because I'm pretty sure when I first saw that gallery that I missed the little asterisk stating that wasn't the real name. I must've been stoned, because I just figured "Hey no kidding.. maybe theres a twin hospital?!" Hah. Thank you for taking the time to point out that link for me, man.
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The first time I ever went out of state to visit/photograph a place was to this hospital, I actually didn't even really know where I was headed, I had to ask locals to head me in the right direction. That was like 6 years ago, and my one roll of film got stuck in my camera and pretty much destroyed, so seeing GOOD photographs of the place is a treat. I'm still hanging in there waiting patiently for you to upload a gallery of the [name edited] Psych complex, which was a pretty stunning place in size and overgrowth and also a place I only managed to get a few photos on film that are long lost..
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Now i'm racking my brain trying to remember the 'cute' little germ posters/stickers littering one of the floors in norwich s.h.
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Eldokid, health care today is more aimed at rehabilitating these people and giving them a place in society instead of dooming everyone to a life inside an institution. There are long term facilities for people who really need that help, say a paranoid schizophrenic who is non-compliant and a threat to others/violent and has been this way for years, ..places exist that provide a therapeutic milieu to help that person stabilize and become a potential contributing member of society so they can live their life independently.. remember not everyone confined to an institution back in the day was actually mentally 'ill' ..some people were brought there because they were poor, or alcoholics, or just a burden to their family, .. or because they disagreed with someone, etc.

Anyways, I love NPR but I missed this so, great post. THanks, man.
Ephemera: A Peaceful War On Mental Institutions via NPR
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Oh, jeez.
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That door absolutely reminds me of a famous francesca woodman photo