4,537 Comments for Pennhurst State School

I really like how the photo is clearly black and white, but the sky still looks blue.

"I've noticed alot of these abandoned asylums and such are very pretty architecturally but the beauty has been made poisonous with all the tragedy..."

Lunar, a lot of these old buildings were, well, just built that way. It has nothing to do with "tragedy and human misery" or anything. Years ago this is how they built almost any building. I applaud Mr. M for perseving these small architectural details from the past, it is truly a lost art.

*Blushes*
I don't know if I deserve my own soap box just yet guys :-)

LST89,
I must know,
i must!

Maybe a handy one?

I think I love you, LST69! LoL! I think you could have your very own soapbox so that you and Lynne could do double duty against those that don't "get it." AMEN! I bow down before you! Definately, Lurk no more! :0)

Well..desk chair type things anyway....

HEY A not so lonely chair ;-)

Our Lynne's gonna love you! 8 )

Stands and bows in LST69's direction!

Lurk no more!!!!

I lurk no more. Motts I love yer pics man, if you don't Photoshop them other than B+W, man have you got an eye for capturing lighting, composition, depth of field contrast, you are my hero, truly a photographer to try and emulate *drops to knee, bows head*.

Ok, now that that is out of the way. If I'm out of line here as a newb I'm sorry, but I have read a great deal of this site (I even get soap dispenser/light fixture) and I can no longer just, well, not comment.

I want to try and respond to the people who constantly, CONSTANTLY, say "Aww that's such a sad/horrible/cruel place to have been in." Yes it can be sad, very sad, but to someone like myself who has been on BOTH sides of institutional life, I get kind of riled up when some people that have no REAL idea of what goes on inside these places lump all of the staff at these facilities into the same categories, cruel/heartless/abusing/uncaring/thoughtless/inhuman, monsters. Damn, that just makes me sooo angry! Yes, there are bad staff at various places, like bad employees in ANY industry/company, and THEY ARE ALWAYS,ALWAYS, IN THE MINORITY(sorry for the shout but can't make my point any other way)!!!

Man, if it weren't for some AWSOME staff..*sigh* my life probably wouldn't be what it is now, and I'm talking about..more than 20, yes more than 20 years ago, SUPRISE, there were enough CARING people waaaaayyyy back then (before some commenters were even born) to make a huge difference in my life. People like Lynne in other words, people who really try to make a difference inside, as well as out, trying to get others to understand that the MAJORITY of caregivers, really do care about the people in their care, and they do make a difference, every single day.

That part said, I sort of get a kick out of comments about the above picture being way creepy, hideous, whatever. Firstly overcrowding could be a reason for using a basement room; secondly this painting was done years ago when that room was brightly lit with electric light, and had not been abandoned for years and years. Plus the staff member or resident who painted it was not Mikey Anjello. It was an attempt to brighten a drab space. Now it is a sad reminder of the past which Mr. M has captured most perfectly.


So sorry for the rant, I think I found Lynne's soapbox under a lonely chair.

Lynne You de Man... um well umm you know what I mean ..*blush*

I'd love to, but it's quite difficult to find photos of some institutions, especially from the inside. Also being one who travels around and photographs a different location every weekend, I don't have much time to get in contact with historians and other people in charge, getting the rights to reproduce the photographs, etc. I do have a few interesting items showing these places in their prime, again it's a matter of time to work them into the website...

Motts,
Would it be difficult to add some before pictures to show people what some of these places used to look like.
I am sure they would be few but what there is may help some of us understand better what we are looking at.
There is a before and after picture of an autopsy table (i forget where exactly ) that really shows a stark contrast between then and now.

I have to say that years ago, when these pictures were painted on the wall, it was most likely thought to bring a sort of cheerfulness to the playroom that the children had to be in. I see it as a positive rather than a negative. It was run by the state, they could not hire the best artist in the world ya know. So the pictures are not the best quality- they may have brightened up the room a little for the kids. I remember murals like these on the walls at Children's Hosp. when I was little back in the late 70's early 80's. I had open heart surgery, and I LIKED seeing character pictures on the walls. It is only creepy in this pic since the place is weathered! There probably was carpet and seating.

And here ~Me sits thinkin that I was the only one who saw the midget doing tricks!