Lunatics Collection

Union Workhouse, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland
Female lunatic inmates sit in an airing yard at the Cootehill Union Workhouse, County Cavan, Ireland

City of London Asylum, Stone, Dartford, Kent
The City of London Asylum for pauper lunatics was established in 1862 on Cotton Lane at Stone near Dartford, Kent. The buildings, designed by James Bunstone Bunning

The Bicetre Asylum in Paris (gouache on paper)
CHT234670 The Bicetre Asylum in Paris (gouache on paper) by French School, (19th century); Musee de la Ville de Paris, Musee Carnavalet, Paris

Les Fous De Constantinople (engraving)
2789150 Les Fous De Constantinople (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Les Fous De Constantinople. Illustration for Journal Des Voyages, 18 April 1886)

Notes in a Lunatic Asylum at Capetown, South Africa (engraving)
1055191 Notes in a Lunatic Asylum at Capetown, South Africa (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Notes in a Lunatic Asylum at Capetown, South Africa)

La Maison de fous (engraving)
3629511 La Maison de fous (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: La Maison de fous. Illustration for Le Magasin Pittoresque (1836)

St Lukes Hospital (coloured engraving)
811010 St Lukes Hospital (coloured engraving) by Rowlandson, T. (1756-1827) & Pugin, A.C. (1762-1832) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: St Lukes Hospital)

Paris, Les folles a la Salpetriere (engraving)
3623937 Paris, Les folles a la Salpetriere (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Paris, Les folles a la Salpetriere)

Twelfth night entertainment at the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum (engraving)
604599 Twelfth night entertainment at the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics, Old Street (engraving)
559518 St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics, Old Street (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics)

Portrait of a lunatic (engraving)
604632 Portrait of a lunatic (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Portrait of a lunatic.); Look and Learn / Peter Jackson Collection; English

A Ward in Bethlehem Hospital (engraving)
654361 A Ward in Bethlehem Hospital (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Ward in Bethlehem Hospital)

St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics, Old Street (coloured engraving)
559524 St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics, Old Street (coloured engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics)

St Lukes Hospital (coloured engraving)
559579 St Lukes Hospital (coloured engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: St Lukes Hospital)

Lunatic Asylum humour - Upside down wheelbarrow
Visitor to Dottieville Lunatic Asylum which is undergoing structural improvements (to harmless lunatic who is extremely busy wheeling a barrow upside down)

Smithston Asylum and Poorhouse, Greenock, Renfrewshire
The Smithston Asylum and Poorhouse, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, was opened in 1879 to house the areas lunatics and paupers

Cage of the unenfranchised. A wicker cage constrains hens and a parrot with a ticket listing those who are outside the democratic process criminals, aliens, Paupers, lunatics and women

Workhouse / Kitchener Hospital, Brighton, Sussex
Part of the Brighton workhouse in its First World War guise as the Kitchener military hospital. The H block as normally occupied by inmates classed as lunatics. Date: Circa 1916

Source Size = 5868 x 3384
Asylum for Criminal Lunatics, Broadmoor, Sandhurst, Berkshire, Uk, 1867

Source Size = 5716 x 1920
The Asylum for Criminal Lunatics, Broadmoor: the Terrace, Uk, 1867

Source Size = 5725 x 1914
The Asylum for Criminal Lunatics, Broadmoor: the Airing-Court, Uk, 1867

The circle of lunatics, or Watts private parties at his Heathfield estate

Illustration of Bedlam from A Tale of a Tub by Jonathan Swift, fifth edition
XJF465162 Illustration of Bedlam from A Tale of a Tub by Jonathan Swift, fifth edition published 1710 (engraving) by Lens

Meeting of like minds at the Lnatic Asylum
Dottieville Lunatic Asylum - Inmate to new arrival: " What, you mad too! So gad." Date: 1898

Comic caricature in a lunatic asylum by Phil May
Dottieville Lunatic Asylum Visitor to the Asylum - " Is that Clock Right?" The Dotty One - " O course it ain, or it wouldn t be here." Date: 1900

St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics, London, England, 19th century artwork. This mental asylum was founded in 1751, the second such institution to be built in London

City of London Lunatic Asylum, Stone, Dartford, Kent
The City of London Lunatic Asylum for pauper lunatics was established in 1862 on Cotton Lane at Stone near Dartford, Kent

Twelfth Night Entertainment at the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum
Inmates of the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, a pioneering institution for the Victorian age which operated a non-restraint policy

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"Lunatics: Exploring the Historical Asylums and Portrayals of Mental Health" Step back in time as we delve into the intriguing world of lunatics, their lives, and the institutions that housed them. From the Union Workhouse in Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland to the City of London Asylum in Stone, Dartford, Kent - these places served as both refuge and confinement for those deemed mentally ill. Artistic representations provide a glimpse into this enigmatic realm. The vivid gouache on paper painting depicting The Bicetre Asylum in Paris showcases its imposing architecture against a somber sky. In contrast, Les Fous De Constantinople engraving transports us to an exotic setting where madness knows no boundaries. Traveling further south to Capetown, South Africa through Notes in a Lunatic Asylum engraving reveals another facet of this global phenomenon. La Maison de fous engraving captures moments within an asylum's walls - perhaps revealing hidden stories waiting to be told. St Lukes Hospital emerges with vibrant colors through a captivating colored engraving while Paris' Salpetriere is immortalized by delicate lines etched onto paper. The lunatics of Villejuif come alive through a mesmerizing color litho - their expressions reflecting both anguish and resilience. Beyond mere depictions lie tales of entertainment amidst despair. Twelfth night festivities at Hanwell Lunatic Asylum evoke curiosity about how laughter could coexist with affliction. St Lukes Hospital for Lunatics stands tall in Old Street according to an intricate engraving - reminding us that even amidst bustling city life there existed spaces dedicated solely to healing troubled minds. Lastly, Portrait of a lunatic engraving invites contemplation on individual experiences within these institutions; each face telling its own story yet collectively representing society's struggle with mental health throughout history. These glimpses into historical asylums and artistic portrayals remind us not only of our past but also of the progress made in understanding and supporting mental health today.