“The Lives They Left Behind” April 20, 2008
Posted by anne marie in Books, Special Education, Websites.Tags: , Autism, book, Special Education, Website
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I learned about a very interesting, thought provoking website today from a college friend. She thought I might be interested in this site knowing that my teaching career had started at a state institution. An institution where, when it was first opened, the primary diagnosis for admittance was Epilepsy and not MR. I often wondered about the circumstances that the people who lived there had faced when they were placed. This institution became their “home” and a place that many chose not to leave, when given a choice. So many “what if” questions would pop into my head when I would come to know many of the folks who lived there. Anyway, back to the website– it’s called The Willard Suitcase Exhibit Online. As explained on the site: “When Willard Psychiatric Center in New York’s Finger Lakes closed in 1995, workers discovered hundreds of suitcases in the attic of an abandoned building. The suitcases and their contents bear witness to the rich, complex lives their owners lived prior to being committed to Willard. They speak about aspirations, accomplishments, community connections, but also about loss and isolation.” After more research I discovered that this site is based on a book:
“The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic” by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny. Photographs by Lisa Rinzler. Based on almost 10 years of historical
detective work…. about the lives of 10 people who were committed to Willard State Hospital in New York’s Finger Lakes during the first half of the 20th century.” The book is now on my- “to read” list.
I have also spoke of this on my own blog. Really interesting stuff! They way people were institutionalized. It becomes a way of life and they choose to live in them instead of leave. Fasinating. This is history and should always be out there for the public to not forget
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