More photographs from Pennhurst,
the “Shame of Pennsylvania”

Pennhurst Deteriorated Exterior by Richard Lewis 2015

Pennhurst Asylum by Richard Lewis 2015

Pennhurst Wheelchair by Richard Lewis 2015

Pennhurst Day Room Couch by Richard Lewis 2015

Rags and Deterioration by Richard Lewis 2015

Pennhurst Medication Dispensary by Richard Lewis 2015

Pennhurst Hospital Bed by Richard Lewis 2015
Above are some more images from my trip to Pennhurst Asylum on a Photography Workshop with Matthew Christopher. These images differ from my last post about Pennhurst because they examine the facility itself and its current condition instead of a reflection on what happened here to thousands of young patients that were housed here over the years.
Click here to see my previous post on Pennhurst
Enjoy
Nice you grabbed a few outside shots even though you said the lighting was bad. The buildings look awesome in your captures. Love the bed shot. Great interior decorator ideas going on there ( :
Thanks Buck. The light was bad but that one facade in black and white was in shadow and I cropped out the blown out highlights. I’m not 100% happy with light in the color one but I loved how that front porch looked. Glad I could inspire your interior decorator ideas. I guess a little cracked plaster mold and rust can do a lot for a room. You redecorating?
Those are some interesting shots of the interior of Pennhurst. The last time I was down there I could never get inside the Private Property signs that were all over the area. I am assuming that you just walked into the area and buildings at your leisure?
Hi Les. Thanks for the compliment. I went to Pennhurst as part of a photography workshop held by Matthew Christopher (AbandonedAmerica.us). I tend to respect gates and private property signs (most of the time). We were restricted to a couple of buildings. It would have been nice to see more. There is so much there.
I have begun a second poem for the new book Abandonment. There will be several from this photo shoot you did. The one I have going on today sound like this so far,
*The Voices*
It does not take much
for me to be able
to hear the trailing
off sentences and
artful conversation of
the physicians on
the porch of this
abandoned hospital
where men and women
were discarded for the
inappropriateness of
their ideas and emotion.
The way they spoke
or lurched and craned
their necks – this way and
that – offended those
just over the wall out
there – along the edges
of the property – covered
with razor wire and
barbed wire to maim
their already stifled
bodies and wounded
souls. They were regarded
as no more than dilapidated
specimens of mankind
gone awry and
just plain mad.
Peace,
This is beautiful Tom. I’m looking forward to collaborating with you on this book. I’ve got a lot to share with you about this project. We need to talk! Thanks for sharing this poem.