Asylum: Inside the Pauper Lunatic Asylums

by Mark Davis

A stranger has come To share my room in the house not right in the head, A girl mad as birds – Dylan Thomas, ‘Love in the Asylum’With the advent of ‘care in the community’ for the mentally afflicted, the self-contained villages for the apparently insane have now been consigned to the history books. These once bustling Victorian institutions were commonly known in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the ‘county asylum’ or the ‘pauper lunatic asylum’, and were an accepted and essential part of society for nearly two centuries. It is difficult to believe that, in 1914, there were 102 such asylums, accommodating over 100,000 patients, the majority of whom lived their entire lives under care and treatment. In 2014, with the exception of those that have already been demolished, these buildings now lie empty and derelict, or have been converted for contemporary living. Through this photographic book, we journey into the inner sanctum of a world of lost dreams, where hope was more often than not unwillingly traded for an uncomfortable acceptance.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Author, historian and award-winning photographer Mark Davis has earned a reputation as a documentarist with an acute social conscience. His fascination with the lost world of Victorian Britain is evidenced in an array of highly regarded books, most focusing on crime, deprivation and poverty.

His 11th book Necropolis, from Amberley Publishing, presents a photographic history of Undercliffe Cemetery, the vast 19th century graveyard and resting place of some of Bradford’s great and good. It is the latest expedition into the past by an individual whose all-seeing lens continues to put on record these forgotten corners of Victoriana.

Reviews

[Rue Baldry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abandoned asylums, in many cases caught just before they were demolished, make for atmospheric, beautiful photographs. An overview of the building and a little about the running, of those asylums while active, is informative. Both are contained in this book. However, there is a disconnect between text and photos. I could have done with more explanation, and visual evidence of, terms like ‘broad arrow design’, for instance. The photo captions were scant, could have done with some filling out. What I learned about asylums was good but undetailed and somewhat repetitive. The photographs, however, capture a beautiful, haunting abandonment, a moment now forever lost. I’m glad David captured it while that was possible.

[Bookworm Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into these architectural masterpieces that were once hailed as 'state of the art' hospitals that would cure the insane; but within a short time were often overcrowded, places of sadness, despair and very little hope to ever leave.

This book highlights the demise of the Victorian Asylum but also their extraordinary beauty and grandeur. The images of the ballrooms alone made me think that there must have been moments of joy perhaps at Christmas time.

These skeletons are very much part of our social history. Great photographs. I would have preferred a bit more text as a very short book but I will certainly keep and would recommend to others.

[?0?0?0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
It would've been better with more details on the locations and more asylums included, but for those interested in forgotten history of this sort this is a worthwhile read with excellent photographs alongside an eerie reminder of what humanity is capable of doing to the weak and those deemed lesser or ill in society.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more from this, especially from what I have heard about Davis. However if this was going to be a book of photos it should be marketed as such. I was expecting photos of the current abandoned buildings with information on each. Which I got, but there was so little information I shouldn't have bothered. Photography was fantastic though

[Missymo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though photos of abandoned asylums Mark tells the story of the many asylums that existed. An interesting book but many of the photos were lost in the kindle edition and I felt the impact would have been greater reading in a large colourful hardback edition.
A quick, interesting enjoyable read

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence with this book. On one hand it was informative as to the original intention and statistics on each of the pauper asylums, including the pictures of the buildings now, but on the other hand I was expecting more expansive telling of the history of each. So, with that in mind, if you have a project due on asylums, this is a good book to pick up, but if you're looking for a more substantial history, this ain't the one for you.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some excellent photographs of abandoned asylums in this well presented book & some nice background information along the way. It's a nice companion piece to the fictional novel Poppet that I am currently reading, which is partly set inside a UK high secure unit. If you like this book it's also worth checking out Derelict London by Paul Talling.