Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals

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The book showcases striking photographs capturing the grandeur and decay of America's abandoned state mental hospitals, which once housed over half a million patients at their peak. Designed based on Thomas Story Kirkbride's vision, these institutions featured symmetrical layouts and serene environments intended to promote healing through nature and activities. However, the shift to community-based care and the advent of psychotropic drugs led to their decline, resulting in the neglect of these once-majestic buildings and the stories of those who inhabited them.