1861 - 1994
Psychiatric
Hospital
A remarkable collection that traces the history and development of mental health care and Glenside Hospital as a psychiatric institution from its inception in 1861 to its closure in 1994.
The museum offers a profound glimpse into the changing attitudes and approaches towards mental health and its treatment over more than a century, as well as the personal stories and experiences of patients and staff who lived and worked at the hospital.
The Museum, altar and psychiatric nurse stories
Recovered
Artist Denis Reed
Artist Denis Reed was briefly a patient at Glenside Hospital in the early 1950’s. He was encouraged to draw draw by Dr Early his psychiatrist. Many of the drawings are pages taken out of Dr Early’s notepad. The drawings provide us with a poignant record of life in the hospital shortly after the NHS had taken over the management. Each of his beautiful drawings of patients; sleeping, shaving, bathing, walking, talking, retain a startling power.
Our Collection
A wealth of medical artefacts
The museum features a range of objects, historical documents, artwork, photographs, and everyday objects used in the hospital. Each tell the story of the hospital, its development through the decades, and the advancements in mental health care.
Visitors can learn about the daily lives of patients and the different therapeutic approaches used over time, reflecting the wider social perspectives on mental health and informing their own understanding of what creates personal wellbeing.
The collection is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and heritage of mental health care, and the role of Glenside Hospital in shaping the local and national landscape of psychiatric services.
Interactive displays
At Glenside Hospital Museum, we know people explore in different ways. Some prefer to read, others engage more through conversation, and some learn best by stepping into an experience. Our interactive exhibits allow visitors to enter scenarios like this mock-up padded room.
Padded rooms were introduced from 1861, beginning at Hanwell Asylum, as a more humane alternative to mechanical restraints for patients experiencing psychotic episodes or epileptic fits.
The pads were made from leather and canvas stuffed with horsehair, creating firm but resilient walls. The darker panel in our museum is an original; the others are reproductions.
You might not expect...
A glimpse of hospital life
5 pillars of care
From its inception as Bristol Lunatic Asylum the hospital was designed on the principle that people were "curable sufferers." Our collection illustrates how the Victorian county asylums were designed to support the mentally ill by providing a safe place.
Treatment focused on providing five pillars of care. The entire hospital was intended to be an uplifting environment to help lift patients' spirits, a good diet to ensure adequate nutrition, daily exercise followed by plentiful sleep, and a purpose in life through occupation.
The occupational tasks undertaken at the hospital were later formalised into a paid work programme via the Industrial Therapy Organisation.
Memories of Glenside Hospital
Thanks to a grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund our PoW! (Protect Our Wellbeing) project has enabled us to collect and capture on video bite-size memories recalling elements of everyday life that defined the hospital.
