March 30, 2015

"Song-ography, the 'Another Brick in the Wall' edition...


Do you remember sunny days?




Yeah me neither (either?).  That's why I'm time hopping to last Autumn for some sun AND color for this week's Song-ography.  Plus, I completely forgot that I never posted any photographs from my day surrounded by lots and lots of brick walls at Norristown State Hospital, previously known as "The State Lunatic Hospital".  Yeah, a great place to hang out on October 31st.  If it wasn't so sunny, it would have had a major creep factor.


"I don't need no arms around me
And I don't need no drugs to calm me...



"Another Brick in the Wall"
Norristown State Hospital Campus
Norristown, Pennsylvania






"Building 17"
Norristown State Hospital
Norristown, Pennsylvania





Despite all the decaying brick walls surrounding the 265 acre campus, it is still an active psychiatric hospital in the suburbs of Philly...tho greatly downsized.  Opened in 1879, it was the first institution in America to recognize female physicians.



I have seen the writing on the wall.
Don't think I need anything at all...












These photos are from Building #17.  It is the former  Acute Admissions Building on the campus of Norristown State Hospital.  But now?   Even in neglect and decay, it is intriguing and beautiful.  Just a bunch of bricks.  Falling down. Engulfed in overgrown branches and weeds.  Yet beautiful and quite mesmerizing.



We don't need no thought control...















During it's early years the hospital placed great emphasis on a human approach towards psychiatric treatment.  However, by the 1930's and 1940's electroshock therapy, insulin coma therapy, and lobotomies became increasingly common on the grounds.


...All in all, 
it was all just bricks in the wall."

-Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd)





During it's peak years, the hospital housed 4,700 patients on it's grounds.  Today, there are about 380.

The stories these bricked walls could tell.






**********

Funny thing happened last week.  I had been toying with next week's Song-ography suggestion for quite awhile.  I mean, there is a LOT to work with in this song.  But I've kept it on the back burner.  That is UNTIL I got a message from one of our regular participants (hmmmm...talkin' about MOLLY!), suggesting the same song I'd been pondering.  So she pushed me in the direction of throwing this one at ya...

"American Pie"
Don McLean

Maybe the longest song everrrrrrrr!  Yet, I know every word.  Lots, and lots, and LOTS of possibilities with this song.  So let's see whatcha can do with it NEXT Tuesday.  In the meantime, thanks for linking up.  Take some time and visit a few of the other participants.  And one last thing, I hate being a biatch BUT...please only link up to Song-ography if you have a photograph that is influenced by a song or lyric. I mean, that IS the point of this link up.  I don't want to discourage participation but I am going to start deleting links that don't abide by the purpose of Song-ography.  It's simple:

Song + Photograph = Song-ography

Bend it.  Stretch it.  Morph it any way you'd like it.  But PLEASE don't make my inner biatch come out folks!  It ain't pretty.






(click on image for description of Song-ography)

27 comments:

  1. Beautiful building in these colors. Autumn emphasizes its beauty

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amazing photography. You can sense the history behind this place!

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are awesome! I would love to wander around there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great shots Kathy. I love those thin but strong vines that look like they are holding the door shut to keep people out. Yes, I agree.......without sun it would be creepy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful building and one that I suspect holds many horror stories as well as revelations. From the (final) acknowledgment of women as physicians to the freedom and release of mental illness for its sufferers. As a mental health social worker I visited the WV State Mental Hospital (now regularly shown on the Ghosts Hunters show) where I witnessed things that will stay with me for the rest of my life. On one hand, an institute where people could drop off their crazy uncle and move on with their life. On the other hand, a place where finally some patient's could find relief and perhaps treatment that allowed them some freedom from their daily battles with mental illness. Personally, as a counselor, it was the last resort level of treatment for my patients.

    Next week's song was just on the radio Sunday when we took Ryan back to school and boy oh boy did he complain about how LONG that song was. haha!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great minds think alike. Only those vines...they are poison ivy...and even though I knew that I still got it. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After the fact, when I was looking at my photos...I wondered if that was poison ivy! Guess I got lucky, no itching!

      Delete
  7. Soooo creepy! I need to check that place out!! Love the photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather, if you do you'll get pulled over by security unless you have a permit. Don't ask me how I know that! Haha. Good thing is, I went to the administration building and the gentleman was very nice and gave me a permit :)

      Delete
  8. Oh wow! This song plus and asylum is very cool! I'm glad you are deleting non-song posts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah well, had to pull out my "Inner Philly" this morning already and delete a few. Some gorgeous photography, but nothing to do with the link up.

      Delete
  9. Oh Kathy, these are just stunning....I love how the colors on the brick match the colors of the trees. I just wasn't organized enough to link up this week...I've had 5 doctor visits (one was the dog) in 6 days. Hopefully next week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim...isn't "I can see for miles, and miles" a song?

      Delete
  10. I'm always astonished to see such beautiful old buildings falling to ruin. Beautiful and creepy, beautiful and horrifying, beautiful and sad. Your photos really capture all of that.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Photos like these {places like these} always make me wish I was a gajillionaire....I'd buy this place, give my dad a drawing board and get about restoring it. As you know, I LOVE the brick - and it doesn't take much imagination to see how gorgeous this place could be. I'm also glad you're deleting non-song inspired posts....I never comment on them even if I like the photos!

    ReplyDelete
  12. P.S. - this song has always bugged me for some reason - so I picked a different one. Tried to stay true to the era/style!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wonderful vintage shots of an amazing building with lots of history ~ Colorful ~

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's a shame that buildings begin to decay, but I have to say that they are at their most beautiful when they do. The rust, chipped paint, broken windows, are all art forms in their own right. Stunning captures! Popping over from Our World Tuesday x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow Kath, fantastic photos!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. What an awesome old institution and your colorful images are stunning. I just can't imagine that people actually live here today. Lots of bricks :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Gorgeous buildings, they are. And your photos are beautiful. I'm guessing that the patients are kept in buildings that are not as run down as these. When they finally close the hospital, I wonder if someone will come along and turn it into apartments or maybe a grand resort. I'll be polite and not even start tossing out names. :-)
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is one of the abandoned buildings on the campus. Patients are housed in much nicer facilities :)

      Delete
  18. Is this a case of great minds think alike.... *grins

    I love your images, I might have to check this place out when we come in the summer and talk nicely to the people in the Admin building and see if they will let me and my camera take a wander

    Mollyxxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. It is fascinating to look at these shots and remember back to the beauty of fall. Also hard to imagine all that happened behind these walls. also much have been an incredibly huge place.

    ReplyDelete
  20. How do you get to Building 17? I'd love to see this up close. I'm familiar with Norristown Farm Park but can't figure out where it is in relation to the Doctors House, dairy barn, etc. Any help is much appreciated - you take such lovely photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The address of Norristown State Hospital is:
      1001 Sterigere St
      Norristown, Pennsylvania 19401
      Once you are on the campus, all t he buildings have signs outside that give their number. I also believe there is a map posted on the grounds too. Hope that helps.

      Delete