The Burdens – Mental Healthcare Pioneers
The straitjacket and padded cell – care or brutality?
Drawings of life in the Bristol Mental Hospital in the 1950s, by Bristol artist Denis Reed.
Video by Mark Neath
Denis William Reed
(ARCA, RWA) 1917-1979
The artist within Glenside - a talented painter with a turbulent Life
Glenside Hospital Museum has a collection of around 80 drawings and sketches by Denis Reed. Denis was a talented and ambitious graduate from the Royal College of Art. He was a patient at Glenside Hospital in the 1950’s and suffered from bouts of severe depression. The drawings are beautifully executed and provide us with a poignant and moving account of life in the hospital.
In this blog post, we will look at Reed's life, his stay at Glenside Hospital in Bristol, and how his remarkable artwork provides a unique glimpse into life at the hospital during that era.
‘How marvellous it is to be an artist to see everything in terms of colour, form, rhythm, space and atmosphere’
The War Years
After completing their first year at the RCA, Denis and John found themselves caught up in a war. They held strong socialist beliefs and became conscientious objectors.
‘I still believe this is a phoney war. A war to put the workers back and re-instate the capitalist class in France, Germany and this country – also to improve armament production in order….to attack Russia, the real enemy of Capitalism’.
Denis to Elwyn, 1940
After the war Denis returned to the RCA, and graduated with a Diploma of Associateship (ARCA), gaining a distinction. However, within months Denis experienced what he described as a “nervous breakdown” and returned to Bristol to convalesce.
‘I’ve been busy trying to relax - with some success I hope. I think the doodles started me up in a state of tension during the war and I’ve never come out of it.’
He took up the post of senior lecturer in painting at Loughborough but a further recurrence of illness forced him to resign, and his eight year relationship with his wife Patricia Daly ended.
Artistry within Healing Walls
His mental health worsened after returning to Bristol, and he had a three-day mental health evaluation at Stapleton Institution (previously the Stapleton Workhouse) before entering Bristol Mental Hospital on 7th April 1952.
Drawing was encouraged for Denis while in the hospital. His consultant psychiatrist, Dr Donal Early gave him materials, such as hospital paper, and pens, pencils and watercolour.
Despite his struggles, Denis’s drawings are beautifully executed. They capture moments, emotions, and the human experience within the hospital setting. Each stroke of his pencil or brush tells a story, revealing the resilience of the human spirit even in challenging circumstances.
Life after hospital discharge
On 12th January 1955 he was discharged to his mother's house in Clifton, records state his condition as “not improved”.
By 1957, he was teaching art, craft and general subjects in a secondary modern school in Luton. He later returned to Bristol and continuing to paint the Bristol landscapes he loved. He was a member of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA), and during 60s and 70s his paintings were selected for exhibition at the Royal Academy.
Artistic Legacy
He has paintings and drawings in the permanent collection at the Bristol Museum, the RWA and the Wellcome Library. In 1992, the RWA honoured his memory by holding an exhibition of his work. In 2018, an exhibition of his drawings was held in Bristol city centre at the Vestibules Gallery
Explore our collection from anywhere
Discover the fascinating history of Glenside Hospital Museum wherever you are. Browse our collection virtually through the free Bloomberg Connects app, and don’t miss our specially curated Top 20 Highlights Tour.
Contact us about the museum
