471E4--Week 7 Questions/Comments--Tuesday

I really like how Yanni describe the paradox of the asylum, "On the on hand, it was possible to assert that asylums should be unassuming and utilitarina, expressing the economic constraints of the state. On the other hand, they might better offer magnificence, thereby enhancing the hospital's status in society and enticing the public to respect the mas civic enterprises" (20). This point is backed up by the Moorfields' Bethlam hospital which was beautifully designed on the outside, but he patients could not use the lawn. This suggests that later reason for asylum design might be true because the design was not for that patients, but for the public. Just food for thought, "the fact that they {Willard et al) reused a collegiate building suggest an affinity between the two types of buildings" which begs the quesiton what is the role of colleges in this paradox (82).- -Kasey Moore

After all of our debated and talk about visitor to the aslyum, I never thought that the visitors could help protect patients from wrongful treatment as proposed by Jonathan Andrews.-Kasey Moore

I have to go with Kasey here. After all that we've read so far, it was interesting to see the point that having visitors at the asylum could actually be beneficial rather than completely detrimental, but I feel like you would have to look deeper into where exactly visitors were allowed. If they were only allowed in a smaller section of the asylum, only a few patients would benefit. --Carly W.

Do you think ventilation was for the patients or for the doctors/keepers' comfort (early 19th century)? Kasey Moore

Just like Jack stated, I sometimes find it mind boggling too how much care was put into the architecture of asylums but it makes me give 19th century asylums more credit. While some of the architectural aspects seem silly to us I think it shows how strongly people believed in the influence of architecture in asylums. The most interesting part to note for me was the concept of the air causing sickness among the other patients. -Maggie Nunn

Why does the architecture of the asylum matter? They either build it to match the architecture of the city surrounding it, or in the new style of the time in the outskirts somewhere. Why were they all on such grand scale? Was it to hide the horrors on the inside? ~ Emily Barry

I wonder how the patients felt about the role of architecture. Were the aesthetics of architecture something that society as a whole found appealing? We know that the appearance of the institutions had to work a dual purpose of establishing authoritative legitimacy and a feeling of home, but what did the people outside of the psychiatry circles think of the way institutions look? Did they see asylums as a fancy zoo containing people-animals? --Chelsea Chin

The comparisons between hospital and prison architecture are so interesting. It seems like Yanni is leaning away from the social control model. Would it weird if I used this as a coffee table book? I love the blueprints and photos. Wondering why so many of these look like Monroe. Some of the patient rooms are very pretty and well-appointed. What did the typical patient's room look like?.--Stef L.

I was surprised by the correlation between colleges and Asylums. After reading it and thinking about the similarities it really made sense. While a single building would be easier to accommodate I think that separate buildings could be associated with better care with a purpose rather than just throwing all of the patients together. Just like UMW and other universities, we have buildings for separate uses. It would not benefit a history major to be in a building that is dedicated to science. – Courtney Collier

While Tomes gives a good reason for an increase of asylum buildings in the nineteenth-century, I think it also had to do with lack of understanding and technology. Many of those who were considered insane could probably have been cured by other methods than the asylum. Due to the lack of medical knowledge doctors saw the asylum as the only hope while today we rely on medical science and psychiatry. – Courtney Collier

It is still mind boggling how much went into designing asylums in the 19th century. Through out the entire century when asylums were built the first topic that came to mind was money. So why focus so much on the aesthetics of the asylum and not the rudimentary principles? Why not build an asylum without the fluff and just let it do its job? That would have certainly saved money. Rather than the public be proud of the building like Kasey noted, why not be proud of what the state is trying to do, which was to cure the insane? –Jack Hylan

To answer Kasey’s second question I believe ventilation was for both parties. Doctors and keepers needed a sufficient place to work, as do patients need a relief of fresh air. We can look at South Carolina for one and see how bad the conditions were for both because there was a lack of ventilation. –Jack Hylan

Was the style of architecture, the aesthetics that is, determined by practical concerns? Like the proportions or utilities? Or, were the aesthetics considered based on what served the needs of the patients mental welfare? Was that even a factor in the decision-making? ~ Alex Young

To answer Emily's question, I think the architecture of asylums had to be on such a grand scale simply because they thought it was necessary to contain all of the patients within one building. Each wing of the building would have to house several hundred people. Also, if you invest the time and materials to build something that massive, you probably want to make it look impressive and fashionable. -Joanna Jourdan

I thought the housing of black patients in lodges separate from the main building was an interesting idea. However, Yanni does not explain how living conditions in the lodges were different from either the basements black patients originally lived in or the main building. How did the location of the lodges impact the treatment of black patients? -Joanna Jourdan

Yanni making the comparison between asylums and other public buildings actually does not surprise me (although I will admit I didn't even think about the connections until he made the actual comparisons). In theory, they all serve to do the same thing: set up an environment to influence and control the behavior of the inhabitants. I think this goes back to a theme we see throughout the whole book of the importance of buildings being purpose-built. --Carly W.

To go off of Emily and Joanna, I also think the architecture was so grand because of the desire to make the asylum have a positive status in society. If it looked nice then it was more welcoming, and if it was large, it (in a way) presented its authoritative status in the care of the mentally ill. --Carly W.

If you got the choice to stay in an asylum that looked like a dungeon, with very few windows or a place that looked like the Biltmore where would you pick? I would definitely pick the Biltmore! Also, if you are in need of patients, to foot the bills your establishment has to attract them. When asylums were a newer idea, it could have been to distinguish asylums from prisons. – Katie Tryon

I found the section on colleges and asylums really interesting as the asylum I’m studying for my research paper was first created at university and eventually moved to another location. I never thought of the similarities between the two before reading this. – Katie Tryon

What I enjoyed most about Yanni’s book is the number of photos and blueprints of the different types of buildings. This was really a great way to understand what Yanni was discussing. - Morgan H.

Like others have mentioned, I was surprised by the similarities between asylums and colleges. It does make sense to have separate buildings for different uses and it shows how the same plans can be used for different reasons to benefit people in ways we may not always think about. Morgan H.