Magazine

Archive

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St. Joseph Museums

The image shows a two-page spread from a magazine titled "Museum of Madness," featuring a story by Adam C. Holland with photos by Brian W. Kratzer. The layout includes an image of a mannequin wearing a straitjacket on the left page, along with text describing the "tragic past treatments of the mentally ill" and questioning whether patients or doctors needed more help. The right page contains a column of text, detailing the history and exhibits of the museum, and a smaller photograph of an old wooden restraint device known as the "lunatic box," used in the 18th and 19th centuries to keep patients in total darkness. The spread emphasizes the evolution of understanding and treating mental illness, with the historical context provided by the Glore Psychiatric Museum in Missouri, which houses a collection of artifacts illustrating the treatment methods used in the past.

The image shows a two-page spread from a magazine titled "Museum of Madness," featuring a story by Adam C. Holland with photos by Brian W. Kratzer. The layout includes an image of a mannequin wearing a straitjacket on the left page, along with text describing the "tragic past treatments of the mentally ill" and questioning whether patients or doctors needed more help. The right page contains a column of text, detailing the history and exhibits of the museum, and a smaller photograph of an old wooden restraint device known as the "lunatic box," used in the 18th and 19th centuries to keep patients in total darkness. The spread emphasizes the evolution of understanding and treating mental illness, with the historical context provided by the Glore Psychiatric Museum in Missouri, which houses a collection of artifacts illustrating the treatment methods used in the past.

Name/Title

Magazine

Entry/Object ID

2014.2.3046

Scope and Content

"missouri" Winter 1999, Pgs. 20 - 23. "Museum of Madness" story by Adam C. Holland

Context

"Tragic past treatments of the mentally ill rise the question: Who needed help most - the patients or the doctors?" Photos include: 'A mannequin models the type of straight jacket used at the St. Joseph State Hospital until about 1960. Leather arm restraints were used sometimes to protect both the patients and doctors.'; 'The "lunatic box" was used in the 18th and 19th centuries to calm patients. When the block on the top was lowered, the person inside was engulfed in total darkness.'; 'Hundreds of embroidered words cover a large cloth in one of the displays. Done by a schizophrenic patient, the embroidery offers a glimpse into the confusing world of the mentally ill.'; Electroconvulsive therapy was used at the hospital often on patients suffering from severe depression. A few institutions, mostly private ones, still use this form of therapy today, but the practice was discontinued in 1978 at St. Joseph.'; and ' George Glore, left founder of the Glore Psychiatric Museum, and Scott Clark, the museum's curator, have both worked to expand and preserve the museum's collection of outdated devices.' An in-depth history of the treatment of the mentally ill from the 15th century, through the years of the operation of the St. Joseph, Mo. State Hospital No. 2, to the origination of the Glore Museum and its ongoing expansion.

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Tertiary Object Term

Magazine

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Periodical

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Serial

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Archive Details

Primary Language

English

Dimensions

Dimension Notes

8" x 10.5"