Comments

Hey I see that Shyria.

OH THE UNKNOWN!!!!!! We'll never know what's behind the door. Leave them wanting more. Good job Mr. Motts

I think the room is just reflecting how tacky our tastes were at the time, myself. And truthfully, few patients' rooms were ever this ornate (unless they were pretty rich or came from rich families). I am guessing this was a staff bedroom (but that's just a guess).

Oh geez, it's been a while. Lemme see - it was Olivia deHavilland, wasn't it? And Leo Genn (I loved him in Quo Vadis) was the psychiatrist. I believe it was late 40s or early 50s, before antipsychotic medications were discovered. All they had back then were restraints, hydrotherapy, neurosurgery, and the various shock therapies (electric, insulin, Metrazol, etc.). Since there were few successful treatments, all hospitals were filled past capacity, and the states were never given enough money to adequately house or care for the many, many, many people that were sent there. This was a movie sort of proclaiming the wonders of psychotherapy, which doesn't work quite that well most of the time for people with severe and profound psychiatric disabilities. I liked the way the movie and the book painted an accurate picture of life in a psychiatric hospital at that time. What I never understood was how a movie and book could become as popular as occurred without the American people getting all riled up at the time and demanding that something be done to better the living conditions. I suppose that's why I get unhinged when people get all excited about the conditions that used to exist without trying to figure out how they got that way and why there still needs to be a lot more public knowledge and education about it.

Sorry - long answer to a short question. :-)

A very powerful picture

Thank you, Lynne. It's been so long since I've seen the movie, just couldn't remember. But the movie made an impression on me. Can you give me any more info on it???????

The amount of detail and decoration on these coffins is just amazing.
Very nice work

creepy,reminds me of my school which is really creepy! lol

It took me a minute to notice it, but you can see what looks like a feminine face and hand near the right-hand side of the doorway into the blue room. I can also imagine seeing part of her dress in the little bit of sunlight streaming into the room from the opposite side of the wall.
Tricks of the mind, maybe?

It looks like it would make for a very soft (if itchy) final resting place
Beautiful pictures, as always!

I can hear all those wood knockers clacking on the tables waiting for the show to begin..Does anyone know what ever became of Billy Alfred? I kept in contact with Saul Kaye from the band - he used to be the head of our High School Band in Clifton, NJ also doew anyone remember Phil Bowler who played the bass in the band - he was from CT. If so e-mail me at :
Doreen4remax@aol.com

I remember this lobby filled with people after dinner..they would all have song sheets and sing along with Getrude Turtletaub on the piano - many of the people had on those green "Pines" hat with the feather they used to sell at the gift shop..ahhh memories....if you remember send me an e-mail
Doreen4remax@aol.com

Just commenting on the fact that the person would indeed die without water in about 4 days.

Ah, but they can die when the building dies.

Motts was there a padded room there?