Byberry state hospital stories books

Even today, inhumane conditions and patient abuse are the main legacies of the byberry mental hospital officially known as the philadelphia state hospital. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested. Rather than a chronological timeline, the book is broken into sections highlighting byberrys start as a city run farm, the staff and patients who. A history of misery and medicine finally, a comprehensive, detailed history of byberry. The philadelphia state hospital at byberry was a psychiatric hospital located on either side of roosevelt boulevard in northeast philadelphia, pennsylvania. The building opened in 1903 and over the decades eventually expanded to become one of pennsylvanias largest hospitals, housing the mentally ill and criminally insane. A fire at an ohio prison kills 320 inmates, some of whom burn to death when they are not unlocked from their cells. Yet it is also a story of reform and redemption, of heroes and human dignity many dedicated staff members did their best to help patients. The book is entitled the philadelphia state hospital at byberry. This is an awesome book for anyone interested in seeing various photographs and details about the history of the state hospital in philadelphia, at byberry. He also has an amazing website about byberry called the story of byberry and is easily found at the top of any websearch. Yet it is also a story of reform and redemption, of heroes and human dignitymany dedicated staff members did their best to help patients. The end result of my decade long obsession with psh is this 176 page chronological story of one of americas most notorious mental hospitals.

This book provides an unprecedented window into the good, the bad, the unusual, and the forgotten history of byberry. A mental ward exposed during world war ii several thousand conscientious objectors instead of fighting were assigned by the federal. The book has 9 chapters of photographs that start with the hospital itself, the facilities, the patients, the living conditions, patients were subjected too. Hopefully soon i can finish my other stories of write new ones. The philadelphia state hospital at byberry was a psychiatric hospital located on either side of. The inhumane treatment of byberrys patients was largely hidden from the public. Though now torn down, it was once the site of horrific abuses, dehumanizing treatment and naturally, a place of restless spirits. The philadelphia state hospital at byberry arcadia publishing. The paperback of the the philadelphia state hospital at byberry. For anyone who has shared my fascination with byberry, this is the book for you. At its peak in the 1960s, byberry was home to more than 6,000 patients and. The pennsylvania center for the book byberry insane asylum.

The name of the institution was changed several times during its history being variously named philadelphia state hospital, byberry state hospital, byberry city farms, and the philadelphia hospital for mental diseases. While the description above sounds like something out of a horror movie, it actually comes from a 1946 life magazine expose of philadelphias byberry mental hospital. While i realize the patients suffered the most in this facility, every single person. State hospital at byberry news newspapers books scholar jstor january 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message. The story is a wild ride, and i hope it helps to shed light on phillys closet of. This is the last chapter of byberry state hospital. Philadelphia state hospital, 1946 despite the bucolic appearance depicted in this 1946 report by the pennsylvania department of welfare, conditions inside byberry were both sad and terrifying. It was specifically located in the somerton section of the city on the border with bucks county. I n 18th century philadelphia, when grassy hills gently rolled from the delaware river on the east across to the schuylkill on the west, an infamous building once stood in the most rural township of philadelphia county, byberry. If youre interested in the philadelphia state hospital at byberrys history and the foundations of corruption in philadelphia government starting around 1900 with israel wilson durham and the gang that ran philadelphia at that time, along with the horrors of being underfunded and neglect to patients, this is the right book with the depth of research you are looking for. Select next to view photographs taken inside the institution for this state report. Byberry state hospital by hannah karena jones arcadia. Construction for a large asylum complex was in progress from 1910 to the mid1920s, which included several dormitories, an infirmary, kitchens, laundry, administration, and two coal power plants.