No asylum in this country has carried out the non-restraint principles so far as the best English asylums; but what has been accomplished by a singularly mild and humane treatment at the Willard Asylum of this State of the wildest and most incurable cases from the county poor-houses, shows what can be done by humanity and science combined. She and I talk quite often about some of the owners of the suitcases. and grounds. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), nursing pioneer and reformer, is regarded as the founder of modern nursing. In 1995, the New York State Office of Mental Health closed the doors of the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane. WorldCat record... http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63f8p0j The first one entitled Willard Suitcases: Unpacking The Rest funded photographing roughly 80 cases, while the second one Willard Asylum Suitcase Documentation, helps Crispin to fund shooting the remaining cases. reproductions; color snapshots and negatives; and 35 mm slides. I have just begun to actively work on locating venues that will exhibit the work. Beside this project, for which is easy to assume is massive, Crispin has other projects he works on: In addition to this project, I also work as a freelance photographer, so it is in some ways difficult to devote as much time to the suitcases as I would like. Each case is a story for itself, but we couldn’t help but wonder if some of the cases touched Crispin more than others: “I have never viewed one case as more special that another. National Archives and Records Administration. Some duplicates are present. every aspect of staff and patient daily activities, as well as special occasions. of Mental Hygiene. Later scenes are taken from photographs of clinics, including maintenance, construction, and equipment. 5 x 7", and 8 x 10" are also present, as well as a few black-and-white photo prints. I was immediately taken by the spirit of the place.”  said Crispin about his first experience with the asylum. Some prints are captioned on the verso or have handwritten, stamped, or typewritten captions attached. The owner of this case is Dmytre, he was committed to the hospital in 1953 and stayed there for 24 years. 9,000 negatives, ca. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Center. These include colleges and universities, mental health support organizations, hospitals,  and historical associations, just to name a few.”. Early Twentieth Century Photographs, contains photographs, stereoscopic photographs, and postcards (1886-1909). (corporateBody). of a wide variety of images reproduced from old master paintings, prints, sculptures, stained glass, and other illustrations. Office of Mental Health, New York (State). Series B1445, Willard State Hospital School of Nursing Records, contains additional photographs of similar subjects. Department of Mental Hygiene, Mental health facilities--Employees--New York (State), Psychiatric hospitals--Employees--New York (State). celebrations; entertainment; and visitors. (corporateBody). Included are patient and staff identification and activities of nurses of the American Red Cross (ca. A distinct group of 34 slides (ca. staged?) It was built in 1866. These earlier negatives are usually The images span the institution's evolution from the Willard By act of the legislature passed on April 30, 1864, the secretary of the State Medical Society, Dr. Sylvester D. Willard, was authorized to investigate the condition of the insane poor in the various poorhouses, almshouses, insane asylums, and other institutions throughout the state (except those required by law to report to the legislature), and to transmit the acquired information to county judges in the state. and cheerleaders) and other unidentified subjects are also represented. 450 silver gelatin and albumen prints mounted on board Some 200 instant camera photographs ("Polaroids") and some black-and-white snapshots are also present in this subseries. Subseries 3 includes black-and-white photographs, negatives, and contact sheets; a history of Willard Psychiatric Center; I found a very interesting silent movie that I wanted to share with you. National Archives and Records Administration. This series consists of photographic materials such as prints, slides, postcards, and film from Willard Psychiatric Center. National Endowment for the Humanities, University of Virginia Library 1920s) in foreign countries such as Haiti, the Philippine Islands, You can read more about this fascinating project on Crispin’s blog here Jon Crispin’s Notebook. 9,000 negatives, ca. 1,900 slides, and ca. Some black-and-white negatives measuring 2 1/4 x 3 l/4, 1978-1993, Recently we had the pleasure to interview Crispin and have a closer look at this remarkable project. 1,900 slides, ca. Approximately one-half of the slides are labeled or otherwise identified. Some of the photographs are labeled as the property of the Willard Psychiatric Many of the photographs are captioned on the verso; some show a stamp identifying I prefer to see the collection as a whole. 9,000 negatives, ca. Her meetings with other former patients, their families, and the hospital staff reveal the painful legacy of our state hospital system and the crisis left by its demise. (New York State Archives). Dr. Karen Miller is a poet and psychiatrist, and she has had access to those records. 275 lantern slides maintained at Willard Psychiatric Center. The images span the institution's evolution from the Willard Asylum, to the Willard State Hospital, to the Willard Psychiatric Center, and provide extensive visual documentation of almost every aspect of staff and patient daily activities, as well as special occasions. Some of the negatives are unidentified, Her journey back sparks a decade-long effort to face her past and learn the story of the now abandoned institution that once held her captive.