Oh, and by the way, they make an excellent container for salsa and dips when your having a party for someone at work. (after you work in the ER for a while, nothing is gross anymore.) :-)

I work in an ER, and we only use those for patients who want to "spit into something." Their useless for vomiting into. (we hand out the large, sqaure shaped buckets) Whoever invented those small emesis basins just weren't thinking!!

Quite a few EMT's are also firefighters...perhaps these were used (and subsequently forgotten) during a training session in the building

Beautiful, just beautiful. Craftsmen took such pride in their work in the "good old days." I wish that we could afford this type of detail in 2006!!

Beautiful architecture!!

Tetnus shot, anyone??

I have worked in the medical field for 10 years, and I would rather have just about anything (and I do mean anything) then a N/G Tube.

Worst job in the world #120: Cleaning this room up. :-)

At the same time that TB was rampant in this country, we must also remember that so, too, was Polio.

Well, that seems safe. Why not fill up the tub and plug in the toaster while we're at it!!

Ah, if only the people who instituted HIPPA could see this photo...they'd probably develop some kind of nervous twitch. :-)

Although I doubt it is a place that was used by the Mason's (and I could be wrong, who knows??), I would not be suprised if perhaps the architect was a Mason.

Breathtaking room. Just beautiful.
As the daughter of a Master Mason, and having spent much of my youth in Job's Daughter's (Masonic organization for young women.) I have spent a lot of time in Masonic temples. I really don't see much that would indicate this was Masonic. And, if this room is on the first floor, then it most certainly NOT a Masonic meeting room. (All Masonic temples have their meeting rooms on the 2nd floor. The reasoning behind this dates back to the betrayal and fall of the Knights Templar's)
And Silkster, you are indeed right that the Star of David is not a Jewish symbol within the language of Freemasonry.
PS- " Oh Lord, My God, is there no help for the widow's son?" is given in conjunction with a hand gesture to indicate a Mason is in distress.

I am not a religious person, but looking at these Pennhurst photo's make me think of a Biblical passage...
"...and the meek shall inherit the Earth."
As "normal" (whatever the Hell that means) adults caring for societies most venerable souls, it was their duty and moral obligation to protect these residents from harm. It saddens me to my very core that some of those people chose to abuse and mis-treat children and adults who were so helpless and dis-advantaged.
I also believe everything eventually comes full circle. If the God I believe in truly exists, he has reserved a special place in Hell for abused their positions against those at Pennhurst.

This seems more than a bit out of place-especially in a Pennsylvania mental hospital.
I wonder what percentage of the patient population was blacK?? Or, did that even have anything to do with this mural?? Interesting.

I live in N.C., and work in an E.R. This photo reminds me of a story one of our ER Doc's told me about one of our state mental hospitals (Broughton) He said that in the early days of the hospital, patients would actually SLEEP in their simple pine coffins instead of bed's. And, when they died, you simply had to nail the lid on on and bury them. I suppose they thought it was not only cost effective, but convenient as well.
FYI- Your site is amazing!! Fascinating and wonderful photo's- Keep up the great work!!