I’m not sure why I went back to the old Pennhurst Hospital which is often referred to as the “Shame of Pennsylvania.” The hospital for “feeble-minded children” (from its original name) was built in 1908 and had a long history of being overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed which lead to abuse and neglect of the young residents until it was closed in the 1980’s.
On my first trip to Pennhurst I was searching for the ghosts, remnants of those who were forced to live here. Walking through and recording a place with such a tragic history proved to be a very emotional experience for me. The current owners of the property are capitalizing on its history by staging “Haunted Asylum” events. While this doesn’t do much to dignify the many souls who were unfortunate enough to inhabit this place, it does provide a way to generate much needed income to preserve the buildings. Maybe because of this, I decided to look at Pennhurst as a vehicle to create art as a small way to honor those who were here as patients.
Whether it is a beautiful landscape or the inside of a dilapidated building, the quality of the light is extremely important. It can have more impact on the finished images and the resulting story those images tell than anything else.
The Fan by Richard Lewis 2016
The Chair by Richard Lewis 2016
The Wheelchair by Richard Lewis 2016
Looking Out From A Dark Place by Richard Lewis 2016
Partitions by Richard Lewis 2016
Pennhurst Playground by Richard Lewis 2016
The Remains of the Hospital Building at Pennhurst by Richard Lewis 2016
Stacks of Televisions by Richard Lewis 2016
Dark Corner at Pennhurst by Richard Lewis 2016
An Old Barn at Pennhurst by Richard Lewis 2016
Maybe coming back here to look at these solemn buildings with an artistic eye may do a little bit to heal what happened here. Maybe it will give some recognition to the children and adults who lived here as patients. These people at Pennhurst were victims of a system that didn’t have the time, money or inclination to properly care for them. It’s hard not to feel the sadness that pervades this place.
Enjoy
Your photos manage to be both poignant and haunting. The playground was especially evocative but I found the almost abstract shot of the televisions to be the most striking.
Thanks Laura. I was very drawn to the playground and spent a fair amount of time just looking at it trying to comprehend it as a place of refuge. Hoping it was somewhere that the children here could find a few moments of happiness.
Those televisions were just plain creepy. They were in a very dark room and fortunately I had a light I could use. It was one of the more unusual things I have ever photographed.
Evocative and disturbingly beautiful. Fit as many oxymoron’s into this comment as possible. The ones with wheelchair and chair most eerie. I too like the TV sets.
Thanks Rudi. I always appreciate your comments. I too found the chairs eerie. These are artifacts of the time when this was a hospital and have a very strange vibe. When I found the TV’s it was quite surreal. They were in a very dark room, but fortunately, I carry a portable LED video light which made this image possible.
I wonder of the stories of this place. I saw a program sometime back about an old psych hospital that was said to be haunted. It seem I remember it may have been in PA. Wondering if this is the place.
Back in the 1960’s a local TV reporter did an a series on Pennhurst’s abuses called “Suffer The Little Children”. I’m pretty sure it’s on YouTube. It lead major court battle that ended up closing down places like this one down.
Another thought-provoking post Rich. I like that you chose to process many of these in B&W. The light and especially the shadows speak to me in this set. It looks like they opened up some new areas as I haven’t seen the TVs before … I really like that image!
Thanks Denise. They opened up the old administration building. These things were in a really dark room but fortunately I had a portable LED light with me. You were the one that turned me on to this light. It comes in very handy.
I have always wanted to visit here. In researching it, it looks like it is only open to the public during its Halloween haunted nights and to photographer workshops which cost a decent amount of money. Is there any open days to the public for shooting or should I just bite the bullet and book a workshop?
As far as I know Kristia, the only way to photograph on the grounds legally is to join a workshop. It is actually a good idea because they open some of the buildings up and the staff knows a lot of the history of the place. The two times I went was with Matthew Christopher and he provides instruction and pointers if you want them.
Thanks for the info. That’s what I figured.
Wonderful shots! I love the one with all the old TV’s stacked up!
Thanks Laura. Those TV’s sort of have a bazaar sense of beauty about them don’t they?
Yes they do! Kind of like a twilight zone feeling.
Amazing photos!
Thank you for the compliment!
I’ve seen this style house well maintained and you are correct. It would have been a simple, but beautiful home.
You have taken some great Images of Pennhurst. Pennhurst is but about a hour drive away for me. I’ve been there, but when there I was kept out by Private Property signs all over the area. It seems now you can enter the area at will.
Thanks Les. I appreciate the compliment. Pennhurst is not open to the public and very well guarded. My images were done on a photography workshop.