485 Comments for Manteno State Hospital

All of these photos bring back multiple memories, some very positive and some heartbreaking, of my time as a clinical psychologist at Manteno State Hospital in the late 1960s. I could, and maybe should, write a book about those years just before the beginning of depopulation and the creation of community based mental health treatment.

Normally I hate vandalism but this is a story, it holds emotion and it has meaning, it makes you feel something and think about yourself, this is much closer to art than vandalism

Thanks for the links Jude. I oculdn't read it all. Too evocative. to me this is still how people are and though I am more fortunate than most like Gennie I still find that most of the authority figures I am required to deal with are just as abusive and dismissive today as they were to her during her life and me as a boy and through my whole life.

This is one of the most interesting stories I have personally ever read.

Yes, Adler was the name of one of the buildings at the hospital; the number 2 is probably her ward number. Someone who worked there might know more about the building.

My aunt was a patient at this facility in 1947. I have a letter from my grandmother to my aunt, and someone wrote in pencil ADLER 2 on the front of the envelope. Was there a particular ward/section named ADLER? What do you know about it? Was it reserved for particular mental illnesses?

I grew up minutes from here, as teenagers we would go at night and walk through there used to be TONS of stuff but people took things like it was a garage sale its sad. My in laws used to work there! love your pictures very awesome!

The slant in the ceiling (to the right) of the next room somewhat parallels the slant at the top of the door...this perspective is really playing with my brain.

DEBYJ - you are so correct!!!
LOVIATAR - yes, "proof of what humans are capable of doing to one another..." sometimes in the name of science, but also continuing today simply because some groups see other groups as 'less human'. Seeing anyone as 'less than' regardless of their sanity brings out the worst in those who consider themselves 'superior'.

Wow, this makes me want to cry....not just for this woman, but because man's inhuman treatment of others never gets better through the ages....it only changes form.

I really want to see this place

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The story behind this art piece is so sad. The woman "Gennie" suffered from Bi-polar disorder and was subjected to horrendous human experiments. By the time of her death, she was a living vegetable. For those that think this is simply "desecration" of a building, think about the desecration of souls that were once forced into this place. This piece is proof of what humans are capable of doing to one another, all in the name of "science". I can't imagine living with my BPD during this period of time. People were and still are so cruel towards mental illness.

My heart breaks for this poor woman that seemed to want nothing more than to be independent from her family after she completed her college education. I had to know more. A lot of the links above are no longer active but I found a couple of articles that gave a more complete picture of the horrors of this poor girls life.
http://www.kirkbridebu...pic.php?f=18&p=10009
http://sometimes-inter...-of-gennie-pilarski/

is that actual gold in there? or fake?