As I photographed this abandoned mental hospital, it quickly became apparent that most of my photos were focused on doors and windows. Portals. The interior had been meticulously cleaned and removed of most all debris upon the closing of this center - minus a poster here or a sign there. But really, nothing was left to photograph in these large empty rooms.
Photographer's self-portrait, reflected in the window. A newsreporter chronicling the demise of this institution had his jacket, and car keys and identification within, stolen for a short while by a patient. He mused the possibility of having to convince hospital staff he really did belong on the outside. It seems to me that sometimes the border between realty and insanity is a very fine line. A door, a window, whatever, can be just that deciding line.
Sometimes a view such as this might be all one person had to connect with the outside world. The buildings' interiors are fairly institutional and devoid of any fancy. The exteriors feature Romanesque architecture, not too bad if it is all you have to look at. For those who had access to the grounds, it would make a most pleasant place for a picnic or just reading a book. Or smoking a cigarette, which seemed to be a hobby of choice. Being caught for that however, would lead to the loss of one’s "Honor Card." (More on that later.)
Luckily the fire doors did not have to be used for that case, for evacuation of such a facility must have been a task unto itself, trying to manage hundreds of people not able to take care of themselves and get them out in time.
The sturdy staircases lead down to Nuclear Fallout Shelters in the basement.
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