Comments

Jackieb,

It makes it difficult to do a search for historical items on eBay or anywhere on the web because of the changes in terms over the years. It also makes it difficult to understand what other people are talking about because many of the categories overlap or are mutually exclusive. I find it is always helpful to go over vocabulary before I talk to anyone because there are plenty of misconceptions from words and terms we used to use and because our concepts change every few years and we learn more.

Here are some of the many old terms, all of which were "official" terminology sometime in the past 250 years:

Psychiatric Illness:
lunatic hospital
lunatic asylum
insane hospital
insane asylum
state hospital
psychiatric hospital
mental institution
mental hospital
mental asylum
asylum
sanitarium
sanitorium
inpatient hospital
psychiatric ward
forensic hospital/ward
residential psychiatric facility
mental home
mental health institution
madhouse
psych ward

Intellectual Disabilities:
asylum for idiots
feeble-minded
amentia
mental deficiency
mental subnormality
mental retardation
idiot
imbecile
moron
trainable
educable
low-grade
high-grade
mentally challenged
mentally defective

yeah; i'm in live with this old industrial places. It makes me think of the PC game Fallout...

I drove past it on my way to work a couple of mornings ago. It was foggy as hell. You could barely make out a mass on top of the hill. I remembered the many times I came out of the Bonner building, and seen the Kirkbride enveloped in fog. It's about 100 yards and you could barely see the building, the fog was so thick. I remember the feeling of the Kirkbride looming in the fog, barely contained menace, radiating from it. Then I catch myself and think that's a ridiculous way to think about it. Next foggy morning, it would happen all over again. On foggy nights the place was just that more spooky looking. The glow of the various lights that still burnt in the building. It was a scene out of a Lovecraft novel. But inside the Kirkbride, the place was just as normal a place as any other place of employment. None of the dread feelings you'd get from the outside.

After climbing about in ruins, and the detritus of decay, touring this pristine environment must have been a real pleasure. This is one of the best galleries you've ever done.

Thank you, Mr. Motts. This was my first experience of your work, but I am now definitely a fan. Eden Hall will always have a special place in my heart....and in my memory.

We liked to think of it as standing for "I have suffered" but we were taught it was the first three letter of Jesus' name in Greek, as Mr. Motts states above.

It was truly beautiful...we went to 7:00 Mass every morning...we lined up according to height and filed in, shortest first, so the shorter girls were always sitting up front and the taller ones supposedly could see over them, I guess. But at that hour and at that age, I'm afraid I didn't appreciate the beauty that was surrounding me. Thanks for these pictures...you've brought back many memories.

We students sat in the pews and the nuns sat in the individual seats along the sides...there was a name for them but I can't remember it. I was there in the 50s...a long time ago.

What I love is that each cherub has its own personality! Great shots!

This room looks so Scary.

I see Two Latex Gloves on the Floor. Thanks Motts Good EYE.

Miss Gabriel would have been able to translate it...she was our Latin II teacher.

I love the Green Color shot Motts. Thanks.

I see the man in the wall. Thanks fangs i didn't see that.

The motto of Eden Hall was "Dare to Be True", Weebs...I like that you think it "still dares to gleam."