Comments

This place is so well preserved, i think you photographed this one at just the right time, i just hope they can keep this one in this condition.

wow. this photograph is an inspiration to any one who has had to face up to their deamons in a time of crisis. I also get an optimitsic feeling about it, like the ending scene of "The Wall: The Movie."

Not shocked, more amazed, because it was unusual... the reason for the cages is for the safety of other patients and the staff, it doesn't imply that the residents were not being helped. If a giant 300 lb dude was throwing one of those beds at me I'd appreciate those cages very much!

And don't forget the maddening moiré.

...I do believe it's a lamp...

No shit, sherlock?

Yes, I can understand if that shocked you, sir Motts... I mean, they were supposed to help people there, right? Not lock them up in cages?
...
This is weird, no?

Wow, look at that neat tiling! I'm glad they're not going to tear this wonderful place down.

Now, now, Tony, you know the pirate dances are forbidden until Lynne gets here....

Is this our first "lonely bed" shot? :) (It does look like it's wistfully staring out the window wishint it was outside...)

It kinda reminds me of a jury box in a courtroom, especially with all that marble.

The illusion of authority...I have been wondering how overwhelming this must have seemed to someone coming here for the first time to be committed; especially those who were functional and capable. How frightening!

Awww...no food? What shall I do? I like food lots... :'0(

There's a lot of mesh at the place I work - in the old sections. I am going to try to blackmail Motts to come down and take some pix of my place at some point and you'll be able to see this stuff everywhere in the old sections (not in the buildings where folks currently live). However, the building I work in still has mesh like this across the windows on the upper floors. I was in working with the Chief of Nursing last night and as I looked out the window I realized that the windows of her office, which was formerly a solarium, all have mesh like this across them. We are just so used to them we forget they are there. The truth is, mesh like this is much prettier than bars and it is S-O-L-I-D, I can assure you. You couldn't ram anything through those babies.

Without there being an open flame, I doubt that these would have gotten hot enough to start a fire. No actual flame would occur until the wood was around 535 degrees, which is when the gases released would become combustible. Before that the wood would smoke, dry out, probably char, but not burn. This can be taken advantage of to char decorative patterns into wood, technically called "burning", safely. Since the temperature on most steam radiators (I'm assuming this was steam, right?) doesn't exceed 230 degrees, this would be completely safe.

I have to run to an appointment, but tonight I'll post a link to some historical pix of this place - old postcards and some old pix I picked up somewhere another along the way.