96 Comments Posted by devin

This building at one time held the criminally insane on the top floor who were treated with shock therapy. It is also said to be the most haunted for that same reason.

If you look in the rubble there are some pieces that look like the same squares of white tile that were on the walls of the old picture. Still hard to say for sure.

The dial case has Phillips head screws which were invented in the 30s but came into common use after WWII.

The rest of the device has slotted-head screws. It's possible that the screws for the dial case were replaced.

Hard to tell just how old this thing is. I know it's old and there are people who would love to have this. The corrosion around the screws suggests that the dial has been removed and replaced several times. this creates wear of the protective paint around the screws, exposes the bare metal to the elements -- thus the rust around the screws. This, in my opinion, adds to the personality of the piece.

The voltage is DC and the voltmeter reads up to 300. I have no idea what this was for.

The pipes on the right hang so low that a drop ceiling would be just inches above the doorways. That would look funny.

Ferdy is right. After that much time one would not have to worry about TB or any infectious remnants from former patients. The cause for concern in these kids of places would be asbestos, extreme dust, and some types of molds and mildews are toxic to humans. One might also beware of animal carcasses and droppings -- hantavirus.

How's your appetite after seeing that one?

Plastic tape label guns were used from the 50s-70s. I have not seen one in ages. My parents used one to label objects in the house in order to help my little sister learn to read.

I don't think the bench is very old. My guess is 1950s. It appears to be early-American revival from the 50s-60s era, made of maple, and had semi-hard cushions on it. It looks like the finish has worn off but a light sanding and a refinish would make this as good as new.

Polio comes to mind. Fortunately we have eradicated that horrible disease from the earth.

What if the telephone is on fire?

They look like a musical group -- Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for...

The Rusty Bed-Frames!

CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!

Just the word alone is creepy -- gurney. Gurr-neee -- yuck, a 'gurney' sounds like something that nobody would ever want to go near.

It's not unlikely that the hospital clothes for both staff and patients may have been made on the premises at one time. The size of the thread spool-holders and the machines are for industrial, high-volume manufacture. It's possible that they are not rusted beyond use. Those things were made to be almost indestructible and built to last indefinitely.

If you were to disassemble one and clean every part of it, soak the parts in machine oil, replace a part or two, repaint and add a reproduction Singer decal (yes, they are available) -- you would likely have a nice-looking and usable machine. If you want to go through all that, you may have a $500 item at the end but still, all the work and cost of supplies, you'd be lucky to pull $3/hour.

I don't see any electrical cords -- my guess is treadle power.

This sort of shower was not only for hospital patients but also a fancy version of these were a luxury item in mansions for a very enjoyable shower -- yes, like a stand-up jacuzzi.

Who wants to see me lift that thing and throw it through the window?