Asylums Collection

Highwood School, Brentwood, Essex
The administration block at Highwood (or High Wood) School, Brentwood, Essex. The school was opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1904 for the treatment of ophthalmia in children

Charcot & Asylum Patient
UNE LECON CLINIQUE A LA SALPETRIERE J M Charcot demonstrates the symptoms of hysteria with a patient under hypnosis

Tooting Bec Asylum, Surrey
A woman pushes a pram at the entrance to the Tooting Bec Asylum at Tooting Graveney, erected in 1899-1903 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board

Highwood Hospital, Brentwood, Essex
Aerial view of Highwood (or High Wood) Hospital, Brentwood, Essex, used for the care of children with tuberculosis. The site was originally opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1904 for

St Lawrences Hospital, Caterham, Surrey
Aerial view of St Lawrences Hospital at Caterham in Surrey, originally opened in 1870 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as an imbeciles asylum for Londons sick poor suffering from mental conditions

South Eastern Fever Hospital, New Cross, London
The South Eastern Fever Hospital was opened in 1877 on Avonley Road at New Cross, near Deptford in south east London. It was the fifth such hospital to be erected by the Metropolitan Asylums Board

MAB First Ambulance Interior
Interior of one of the first ambulances to be operated by Londons Metropolitan Asylums Board in the 1880s for transporting fever and smallpox patients to and from the Boards hospitals

The Brigantine " Steadfast" - a companion vessel to the Metropolitan Asylums Board Training Ship " Exmouth"

Highwood Hospital, Brentwood, Essex
Children with tuberculosis at Highwood (or High Wood) Hospital, Brentwood, Essex. Beds were placed on the balconies to provide sun and fresh air

Hogarth Rake Plate 8
The Rakes Progress 8. A scene in Bedlam asylum

Training Ship Exmouth, dumb bell drill
Uniformed boys on the deck of the Training Ship Exmouth perform dumb bell drill. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex, was used by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a naval training establishment

Training Ship Exmouth
The Training Ship Exmouth, operated from 1876 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board on the River Thames off Grays, Essex. In 1903

Airing Court at Fountain Mental Hospital, Tooting, Surrey
Children and nurses enjoy playing with toys in an airing court at the Fountain Hospital at Tooting in Surrey (now South London)

Training Ship Exmouth, full crew
Full group photo of the crew of the Training Ship Exmouth. The Exmouth, moored off Grays in Essex, was used by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a naval training establishment for pauper children

St Annes Home, Herne Bay, Kent
In 1876, the former Pier Hotel in Herne Bay (centre of picture) became a convalescent home for pauper children from the South Metropolitan School District

Empire Hotel, Lowestoft, Suffolk
The Empire Hotel at Lowestoft, Suffolk, opened in 1900. In 1921 it was acquired by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and reopened the following year as a hospital for tuberculosis patients

Childrens Ward, Fountain Mental Hospital, Tooting, Surrey
Children in cots and nurses in a ward of the Fountain Hospital at Tooting in Surrey (now South London). The hospital was opened in 1893 as a fever hospital by the Metropolitan Asylums Board

Highlands Hospital, Winchmore Hill, Enfield, Middlesex
The entrance to the Highlands Hospital, Winchmore Hill, Enfield, Middlesex. The site began life as the Northern Convalescent Fever Hospital (or Northern Hospital)

Bethlem Hospital / 1926
or BETHLEM/BEDLAM HOSPITAL The oldest hospital for the treatment of the insane - after the First World War it was moved to Moorfields Date: 1926

Caterham Asylum. Surrey - Disabled Childrens Ward
A disabled childrens ward at Caterham Imbeciles Asylum. Like its twin at Leavesden, the asylum was established in 1870 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board for Londons sick poor with mental conditions

Caterham Asylum, Surrey - Childrens Training Centre
The childrens training centre at Caterham Imbeciles Asylum. Like its twin at Leavesden, the asylum was established in 1870 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board for Londons sick poor with mental

Caterham Asylum, Surrey - Carpentry Class
A carpentry class for inmates of Caterham Imbeciles Asylum. Like its twin at Leavesden, the asylum was established in 1870 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board for Londons sick poor with mental

Western Ambulance Station, Seagrave Road, Fulham
Entrance to the ambulance station at the Western Fever Hospital on Seagrave Road, Fulham. Opened in 1877, it was the fourth such hospital to be erected by the Metropolitan Asylums Board which in 1869

Grove Hospital, Tooting Grove, south west London
Administration block of the Grove Hospital, Tooting Grove, south west London (originally in Surrey), one of five new hospitals opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in the 1890s for the treatment

Grove Military Hospital, Tooting Grove, Surrey
Children stand at the gates of the Grove Hospital at Tooting Grove, Surrey (now South London) during its First World War service as a military hospital

Fountain Hospital, Tooting, Surrey
The Fountain Hospital at Tooting in Surrey (now South London) was opened in 1893 as a fever hospital by the Metropolitan Asylums Board

Grove Fever Hospital, Tooting Grove, Surrey
Birds eye view of the Grove Hospital, Tooting Grove, Surrey (now South London), one of five new hospitals opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in the 1890s for the treatment of infectious

Asylum at Hanwell 1843
The Asylum at Hanwell

Caterham Asylum, Surrey
Aerial view of the Asylum for Imbeciles opened in 1870 at Caterham in Surrey. The Asylum, with its twin at Leavesden, was established by the Metropolitan Asylums Board to provide care for Londons

Band, Darenth Training Colony Band, Kent
The military band at the Darenth Training Colony near Dartford in Kent. The colony, for adult mental defectives, was set up by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1904 as an addition to the existing

Grove Hospital, Tooting Grove, Surrey
The Grove Hospital, at Tooting Grove, Surrey (now South London) was one of five new hospitals opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in the 1890s for the treatment of infectious diseases such as

Darenth Schools and Training Colony, Kent
The Darenth Schools (top left), near Dartford in Kent, were opened in 1878 by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a residential institution for imbecile children from London

Home for the Friendless, New York City, under the Management of the American Female Guardian Society, c
1079552 Home for the Friendless, New York City, under the Management of the American Female Guardian Society, c. 1853-54 (hand-colored litho); Collection of the New-York Historical Society

An Exmouth boy, Training Ship Exmouth, early 1900s

Wireless training, Training Ship Exmouth, early 1900s

Going ashore, Training Ship Exmouth, early 1900s

Divisions at meals, Training Ship Exmouth, early 1900s

Boys drilling on deck, Training Ship Exmouth, early 1900s

Patients at Villejuif and Earlswood Asylums
Photographs of artworks by patients at Villejuif and Earlswood Asylums, including a portrait, a seascape, cityscape, sculptures of people and carved ships

The dining hall in the Victoria Patriotic Fund Asylum (engraving)
604626 The dining hall in the Victoria Patriotic Fund Asylum (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The dining hall in the Victoria Patriotic Fund Asylum)

Man bending prison bars (litho)
3096387 Man bending prison bars (litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Man bending prison bars)

Downs Schools, Sutton, Surrey
The Downs Schools on Banstead Road, Sutton, acquired by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1902 for treating children with ringworm. The site later became the Downs Childrens Hospital

The centenary fete of the Asylum for Female Orphans (engraving)
604627 The centenary fete of the Asylum for Female Orphans (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

View of the asylum in St Georges Fields (w / c on paper)
604605 View of the asylum in St Georges Fields (w/c on paper) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: View of the asylum in St Georges Fields)

The gymnasium of the Asylum for Idiots (engraving)
604603 The gymnasium of the Asylum for Idiots (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The gymnasium of the Asylum for Idiots, Park House, Highgate, London)

Licensed Victuallers Asylum on the Old Kent Road (engraving)
604623 Licensed Victuallers Asylum on the Old Kent Road (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Licensed Victuallers Asylum, Old Kent Road)

The Asylum for Idiots (engraving)
604604 The Asylum for Idiots (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Asylum for Idiots, Park House, Highgate, London)

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"Exploring the Enigma of Asylums: A Journey through History and Humanity" Step into the world of asylums, where Charcot's groundbreaking research and compassionate care transformed lives. From Tooting Bec Asylum in Surrey to Highwood Hospital in Brentwood, Essex, these institutions were havens for those seeking solace. St Lawrences Hospital in Caterham, Surrey stands tall as a testament to resilience and healing. Its walls witnessed countless stories of triumph over adversity. Inside MAB First Ambulance Interior, hope mingled with despair as patients embarked on their journey towards recovery. Hogarth Rake Plate 8 captures the raw emotions experienced within these asylum walls. The Brigantine symbolizes freedom amidst confinement - a reminder that even in darkness, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Highwood School in Brentwood served as an educational sanctuary for young minds battling inner demons. Here, knowledge became a powerful weapon against mental illness. Witnessing the disciplined dumbbell drill aboard Training Ship Exmouth instills discipline and camaraderie among its residents - proving that unity can conquer any storm. South Eastern Fever Hospital in New Cross was not just a place for physical ailments but also provided comfort to those suffering from feverish thoughts. It offered respite from society's judgmental gaze. Airing Court at Fountain Mental Hospital in Tooting allowed patients to breathe freely amidst lush greenery - nature becoming their ally on their path towards restoration. Asylums may have been misunderstood by many but they held within them tales of compassion, resilience, and hope. These institutions remind us that every individual deserves understanding and support on their journey towards mental well-being.