It IS the Hanibal Lector of doors!

I love the way it looks distorted...

Hospital beds are usually totally dismantled and cleaned between residents (or at least they're supposed to be), and there's often spare parts in storage by the cleaning room.

Cool mirroring, both with the water and door and because the colored panels are opposite each other.

Not odd at all to find in a gym of a psychiatric hospital! I worked at a rehab that had a psych ward as well, and some of the patients with anger issues were in the gym next to the physical therapy room whenever they felt the need to express it.

I agree the picture looks later than 72. Those patterned panties look more 80s, and jogging bras were all the rage in the early 80s.

Yeah, it looks like a photo to document abnormal posturing. I've taken them myself during physical therapy. (other people's physical therapy, not mine....) They're pretty routine and you end up taking quite a few to document changes.

The white stuff on the floor in the picture looks like patterned linoleum.

We still use "giant baby beds" like these--at the rehab I used to work with they were called "high-rail beds". They're not to keep people IN--they're to make sure that people who are unsteady walkers aren't able to get out of bed half-awake, say to go to the bathroom, and take a nosedive. The one's for confused people have taller rails (you can sit up in them) and have tops.

I second a face--my brain keeps trying to interperate that door beyond it as a nose.

Perhaps they had more baby diapers left BECAUSE they had less call for them?

BTW, I used to work in a medical rehab and some of the wheelchair bound women used to use baby diapers in the place of maxipads, because they were easier to get into position under you if you can't stand. It can be hard for women with paralysis to tell when things are in the right position down there or if things have shifted. Bigger pad = less likely a mess.

Yeah, the colors and play of light are amazing! Great shot!

I love the side enterance thingies on each side of the stage. They almost look like giant, old fireplaces. This must have been stunning new. Such a shame...

I used to work in a medical rehab--that mattress in the foreground is the type for old adjustable beds. You know, the kind you can elevate the head or foot. It has to strap to the frame so it doesn't slide down or flop forward if it's up all the way.

And you know, just because all the beds are in this one place now doesn't mean they all were when the place was in use...

They used to just expect that state buildings would be "stately'" back in those days. They also used to build state-owned buildings with an eye towards what it might end up being converted to in the future, very practical.

Very pretty entrance.

Like someone up thread said, pink for girls, blue for boys is a 1950 and after thing. I'm an old building geek and Victorian designers used to favor pink for bathrooms, because it was the lightest "warm" cold.

Was this on the ground floor? I'd assume the stairs up to the window were a fire excape for people who couldn't climb well: a couple staff go out first (after all, they'd hardly be able to evactuate themselves) and others get the patients to go up and through to be lifted down.

that really is lovely. Look how the building just blends in with the undergrowth, both reddish-brown and the cream-colored trim... lovely

You know, I had an great-aunt with Downs and one of her favorite toys was a typerwriter--she knew her ABC, but was a "adult thing"... some people with retardation resent kids books and things... I reolize it's more likely they just stored all the office equipment there when they were closing up, but it's possible these weren't from the offices.

This is one creepy picture! Your eye is drawn to the black cave(?) in the center, and the drab ceiling and walls sort of go together color-wise to frame that black area...

It almost looks like a painting!

the railing looks so fluid and graceful against the rough stone! Normally I love the older, rougher-looking stuff, and can't see what people see in modern style, but in this case, the railing sets off the brick/stone beautifully.

it's lovely the way the yellow wall is peeling to show the green paint underneigth, while the yellow wall picks up the yellow-greens of the plants... ties them together beautifully!

yes, they knew that heat rises, but remember these places had to accomodate people who were dangerous to themselves--harder to burn yourself (on purpose or not) on a high-placed radiator. Not to mention seditives and other meds--can you imagine if some sedated patient fell asleep against one? Better to elevate them.