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
The museum features a range of objects, historical documents, artwork, photographs, and everyday objects used in the hospital.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.
You might not expect...
FROM THE COLLECTION
ECT Machine
The museum has several different models of ECT machines within its collection. Electroconvulsive Therapy was first introduced as a treatment in the 1930s and is still used today.
This Ediswan Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) machine, 1939, was the first to be built in Britain. The machine was built to the specifications of Grey Walter, an eminent neuroscientist, for use at the Burden Neurological Institute, Bristol. It conducted the first alternating mains current Electroconvulsive Therapy in the UK.
Short electric pulses are administered to the brain to cause a brief and controlled seizure. This creates changes in the brain that enable recovery. The therapy is usually for severe mental illness, and often when other treatments, like psychotherapy or medication, have failed. Electroconvulsive Therapy is one of the most controversial treatments in modern psychiatry.
See our insights article on ECT for more information on the treatment and its use at the Burden Neurological Institute.
REVIEWS
Visitors have said
A glimpse of asylum life
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. The treatment focused on providing a good diet, frequent exercise, a purpose in life through occupation, sleep, rest, and an environment that could lift a person’s spirits.
Each ward had a dormitory with a single bed made up with linen, blankets, and a pillow. There was a dining room with tables and chairs set for regular meals prepared in the central kitchen, a bathroom, and a room for recreation and rest. The building also included various spaces for daily exercise and entertainment, such as a theatre, a skittle alley, exercise courtyards, and extensive grounds with a cricket pitch.
