75 Comments Posted by Krista

Joseph...I think the word "X-ray" answers your question...

Love the colors and composition in this one.

The sharp angular shadows do make the room look sinister. Great juxtaposition of a colorful plaything being slowly taken over by forboding elements - it's like they're gradually creeping down the stairs. The shadows of the steps almost look like teeth.

What's scarier, though, is when people assume that this dark, moldy, boarded up basement is where children were sent to "play". Analyzing and interpreting photos is one thing, but I wish people would realize that we're not looking at the objects or the room as they were actually used.

I wonder how people would interpret the mural if they knew nothing about its location or context. As Lynne pointed out (nearly three years ago - sorry, I only recently found the site) people project their own issues into the piece because they have a pre-formed idea of Pennhurst. It would be interesting to read reactions and interpretations from people who have nothing but the photo to look at.

Even without the ravages of time, that's still one ugly chair! LOL

I don't get comments like the first one on this page, where someone assumes that the chair was used as some kind of punishment device to make an abused kid sit and stare out the window for days at a time. We all see what we want to see in photos, I guess. To me the photo inspires hope - as if someone liked what they saw through the window, so they got up and went outside to enjoy it. Or else the chair itself is just happy sitting in the light. You don't have to know anything about the history of Pennhurst to interpret the photo...the composition itself is intriguing enough.

Breathtaking shot. Would love this as wallpaper.

I always thought The Autoclaves would be a great band name.

Now there's a combination you don't see every day.

What's the big white panel above the bed for? Viewing X-rays? Dry erase board?

It looks like there is a skinny person with skinny arms standing at the end of the tunnel.

It's VERY creepy that when I was looking at the previous basement picture, I was thinking "It would be really scary if there was a picture of a clown on the walls there."

And there it is!

Fortunately, for me, this particular clown is ugly, not scary. But the coincidence of me thinking about it - and then seeing it - is creepy.

Oh, it would have been hard for me not to take that as a souvenir.

Was it lying open like that on the floor or did you set it up like that? The pages look pretty intact.

The Barbie Asylum was not one of Mattel's best-sellers.

That looks like my elementary school.

"We've been waiting for you, Mr. Motts. Please, have a seat."