Insane Asylum Collection

Pinel releasing mental patients from shackles in France, 1796
Philippe Pinel releasing mental patients at La Salpetriere from their bonds, 1796. Hand-colored 19th-century halftone reproduction of a painting

Parts of the London Wall and Bethlem or Bedlam Hospital, built in 1675. Copperplate engraving drawn
FLO5000557 Parts of the London Wall and Bethlem or Bedlam Hospital, built in 1675. Copperplate engraving drawn and etched by John Thomas Smith from his Topography of London

Southwest view of Bethlem or Bedlam Hospital and London Wall, 1814. In the 18th century
FLO5000567 Southwest view of Bethlem or Bedlam Hospital and London Wall, 1814. In the 18th century, visitors paid a penny at the Penny Gate to view the inmates

View of Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, 1747. Creator: Thomas Bowles
View of Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, 1747. L'Hospital de Fou, (mad hospital). Founded in 1247, Bethlem, or Bedlam

A Rakes Progress VIII: The Rake in Bedlam, 1733 (oil on canvas)
SJS2005 A Rakes Progress VIII: The Rake in Bedlam, 1733 (oil on canvas) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); 62.2x75 cm; Courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Soanes Museum

A Rakes Progress, Plate 8, 1st State, 1735 (engraving)
1071401 A Rakes Progress, Plate 8, 1st State, 1735 (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764); 34.6x38.7 cm; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas

Augusta Walker, 1876. Creator: Unknown
Augusta Walker, 1876

Catherine Holborn, 1876. Creator: Unknown
Catherine Holborn, 1876

Elizabeth Tappenden, 1876. Creator: Unknown
Elizabeth Tappenden, 1876

Caroline Nightingale, 1875. Creator: Unknown
Caroline Nightingale, 1875

Ann Chittenden, 1875. Creator: Unknown
Ann Chittenden, 1875

Strait jacket used on a mentally ill patient
Insane asylum use of the strait jacket to restrain patients, New York City, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Engraving by Casper Heinrich Merz after the 1835 drawing by Wilhelm von Kaulbach
THE MADHOUSE. Engraving by Casper Heinrich Merz after the 1835 drawing by Wilhelm von Kaulbach

A mentally ill woman being kept chained in a prison cell. Line engraving, 19th century
ASYLUM, 19th CENTURY. A mentally ill woman being kept chained in a prison cell. Line engraving, 19th century

Blackwells Island Lunatic Asylum, New York City, 1860s
Patients in the yard of Blackwells Island Lunatic Asylum, New York harbor, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

NEW JERSEY: ASYLUM, 1875. State Asylum for the Insane, Morristown New Jersey. Lithograph, 1875

LOTTERY ADVERTISEMENT, 1873. Advertisement for a lottery to provide funds to establish a state insane asylum in Nevada

SEA MONSTER, 16th CENTURY. Mariners battling sea monsters. Woodcut, French, 16th century

MENTAL HOSPITAL, c1899. Patients in the mens infirmary ward of the Boston Insane Hospital, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Photographed c1899

INSANE ASYLUM, 1912. Interior of Ward No. 3 Male Insane, at Philadelphia General Hospital, 1912

BINGHAMTON STATE HOSPITAL. Binghamton State Hospital in Binghamton, New York. Photograph, c1900

An entertainment for the patients at the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum, Colney Hatch
INSANE ASYLUM, 1853. An entertainment for the patients at the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum, Colney Hatch. Wood engraving from an English newspaper of 1853

The Bottle has Done Its Work--It Has Destroyed the Infant and the Mother, It Has Brought the Son
CRUIKSHANK: TEMPERANCE. The Bottle has Done Its Work--It Has Destroyed the Infant and the Mother, It Has Brought the Son and the Daughter to Vice and to the Streets

in a cell of the hospital at San Jose, Costa Rica. Wood engraving, 1860
INSANE WOMAN. in a cell of the hospital at San Jose, Costa Rica. Wood engraving, 1860

A demented idiot under restraint in a French asylum. Line engraving, 1838
INSANITY, 1838. A demented idiot under restraint in a French asylum. Line engraving, 1838

The Insane Hospital at Indianapolis, Indiana. Wood engraving, 1854
INDIANA: ASYLUM, 1854. The Insane Hospital at Indianapolis, Indiana. Wood engraving, 1854

Asylum for the Houseless Poor, Cripplegate. Wood engraving from Henry Mayhews London Labour and the London Poor, 1861
MAYHEW: LONDON, 1861. Asylum for the Houseless Poor, Cripplegate. Wood engraving from Henry Mayhews London Labour and the London Poor, 1861

New York lunatic asylum on Blackwells Island in 1868. Contemporary colored engraving
NEW YORK LUNATIC ASYLUM. New York lunatic asylum on Blackwells Island in 1868. Contemporary colored engraving

New York luantic asylum on Blackwells Island in 1868. Contemporary engraving
NEW YORK LUNATIC ASYLUM. New York luantic asylum on Blackwells Island in 1868. Contemporary engraving

The State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, Massachusetts, erected in 1831. Wood engraving, 1839
MENTAL HOSPITAL, 1839. The State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, Massachusetts, erected in 1831. Wood engraving, 1839

The Retreat for the Insane at Hartford, Connecticut, erected in 1824. Wood engraving, 1854
INSANE ASYLUM, 1854. The Retreat for the Insane at Hartford, Connecticut, erected in 1824. Wood engraving, 1854

INSANE ASYLUM: DANCE. Dance of patients of the Lunatic Asylum on Blackwells Island in New York City, in celebration of the completion of a new building, 6 November 1865

FRANCE: INSANE ASYLUM. Hydrotherapy at the Saint Anne Asylum in Paris, France. Wood engraving, French, 1868

INSANE ASYLUM, 1867. Day room for male patients at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, built 1863, in England

MINNESOTA FIRE, 1880. The fire at the Insane Asylum of St. Peter, Minnesota, in 1880. Wood engraving from a contemporary American newspaper

HOGARTH: RAKEs PROGRESS. Scene in Bedlam. Plate 8, steel engraving, c1840, after the original engraving of 1735 by William Hogarth

TRANQUILIZING CHAIR. Developed in 1810 by Benjamin Rush. Contemporary American line engraving

ASYLUM, 19th CENTURY. A mentally ill woman being kept chained in a prison cell. Line engraving, 19th century

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"Unveiling the Chains: A Glimpse into the Insane Asylum" Step back in time to witness a pivotal moment in history as Pinel, a compassionate French physician, takes a bold step towards humane treatment. In 1796, he fearlessly releases mental patients from their shackles, forever changing the course of psychiatric care. Delve deeper into this captivating narrative through William Hogarth's masterpiece "A Rake's Progress VIII: The Rake in Bedlam. " Painted on canvas in 1733, it vividly portrays the harrowing reality faced by those deemed mentally ill during that era. The story continues with an engraving titled "A Rake's Progress, Plate 8, " created by unknown hands in 1735. This haunting image serves as a reminder of society's perception and treatment of individuals struggling with mental health issues centuries ago. Fast forward to the late 19th century when Augusta Walker, Catherine Holborn, Elizabeth Tappenden, Caroline Nightingale, and Ann Chittenden find themselves captured within photographs taken by anonymous creators. These portraits offer glimpses into their lives at a time when understanding and compassion for mental illness were still evolving. Witness the tools used to restrain and control patients – strait jackets – depicted in an engraving by Casper Heinrich Merz after Wilhelm von Kaulbach's drawing from 1835. These stark images serve as reminders of how far we have come since then. Travel across continents to Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum located amidst New York City's bustling streets during the tumultuous 1860s. Explore its imposing structure through evocative visuals that reveal both its physical presence and its impact on countless lives. Finally, journey to Morristown New Jersey where you'll discover an asylum etched onto lithograph paper. Created in 1875 and simply titled "New Jersey.