Description: Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals (The MIT Press) Hardcover – Illustrated, September 4, 2009 Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals (The MIT Press) Hardcover – Illustrated, September 4, 2009 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Powerful photographs of the grand exteriors and crumbling interiors of America's abandoned state mental more than half the nation's history, vast mental hospitals were a prominent feature of the American landscape. From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth, over 250 institutions for the insane were built throughout the United States; by 1948, they housed more than a half million patients. The blueprint for these hospitals was set by Pennsylvania hospital superintendant Thomas Story Kirkbride: a central administration building flanked symmetrically by pavilions and surrounded by lavish grounds with pastoral vistas. Kirkbride and others believed that well-designed buildings and grounds, a peaceful environment, a regimen of fresh air, and places for work, exercise, and cultural activities would heal mental illness. But in the second half of the twentieth century, after the introduction of psychotropic drugs and policy shifts toward community-based care, patient populations declined dramatically, leaving many of these beautiful, massive buildings—and the patients who lived in them—neglected and abandoned. Architect and photographer Christopher Payne spent six years documenting the decay of state mental hospitals like these, visiting seventy institutions in thirty states. Through his lens we see splendid, palatial exteriors (some designed by such prominent architects as H. H. Richardson and Samuel Sloan) and crumbling interiors—chairs stacked against walls with peeling paint in a grand hallway; brightly colored toothbrushes still hanging on a rack; stacks of suitcases, never packed for the trip home. Accompanying Payne's striking and powerful photographs is an essay by Oliver Sacks (who described his own experience working at a state mental hospital in his book Awakenings). Sacks pays tribute to Payne's photographs and to the lives once lived in these places, “where one could be both mad and safe.” Read more DETAILS: Publisher : The MIT Press; Illustrated edition (September 4, 2009)Language : EnglishHardcover : 209 pagesISBN-13 : 978-0262013499Item Weight : 3.8 poundsDimensions : 10.56 x 0.98 x 12.13 inches ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFO: HANDLING TIME: We ship orders within 1 business day of receiving payment, sometimes faster SHIPPING We ship out via expedited shipping that usually arrives within 3 business days. IF YOU NEED YOUR ITEM FASTER UPGRADED 2 DAY SHIPPING IS ONLY $2.99 FOR MANY ITEMS. We Do Not Ship to PO/APO Boxes, HI or Alaska. For international shipments- We are part of the eBay Global Shipping Program. For large items that require Freight shipping a valid phone number is required to call and schedule your delivery. Please make sure to provide the correct shipping address during checkout as the address cannot be changed after checkout. We are not responsible for any incorrect or undeliverable addresses. If an item can not be delivered by our shipping service due to address issues your purchase will need to be cancelled and resubmitted with alternate information. RETURN & REFUND POLICY We offer a 30 day refund policy. WE OFFER FREE RETURNS AND WE PROVIDE THE SHIPPING LABLES. Just send us a note through the ebay returns portal and we will send you the label. All items must be returned undamaged in the original package. A restocking fee may apply.
Price: 69.43 USD
Location: US
End Time: 2025-02-12T05:15:48.000Z
Shipping Cost: 9.99 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Return policy details:
Type: NA
Publication Name: NA
Author: NA
