Behind Walls
Photography in Psychiatric Institutions from 1880 to 1935
- Features for the first-time images from previously unresearched historical photo archives of psychiatric establishments in Switzerland
- Illuminates and explains the use of these photographs e.g. for diagnosis, public relations work, and documentation of institutional life
- Offers insights into the modernisation of psychiatric hospitals between 1880 and 1935
- The first book to address this highly current topic
- Accompanies the Behind Walls – Photography in Psychiatric Institutions from 1880 to 1935 exhibition at the Prinzhorm Collection in Heidelberg, Germany (24 March to 31 July 2022), Thurgauer Kunstmuseum in Warth, Switzerland (2 October 2022 to 18 April 2023), and Psychiatrie Museum in Bern, Switzerland (26 May 2023 to April 2024)
Many psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland house a treasure trove of historical photographs that go back to the 19th century and until now have never been studied properly. Glass slides and negatives, loose paper prints, and photo albums allow fascinating insights into the modernisation of these establishments — and at the same time into the history of photography. The medium that was new at the time was used by psychiatrists to record diagnoses, as well as to show the public life behind institutional walls. Thanks to increasingly handy cameras, it was also possible to record the modest celebrations, and leisure and creative activities.
Behind Walls introduces these testimonials of life and scientific practice in psychiatric institutions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that are accessible to the public for the first time. The essays critically study the use of photography as a medium in psychiatry from different perspectives.
Text in English and German.
- Publisher
- Scheidegger & Spiess
- ISBN
- 9783039420568
- Published
- 14th Jun 2022
- Binding
- Hardback
- Territory
- World excluding Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, United States, Canada, and Japan
- Size
- 290 mm x 230 mm
- Pages
- 132 Pages
- Illustrations
- 35 color, 66 b&w
Distributed by ACC Art Books
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