SPR 10 UHQ pp 100-174_UHQ Stories/pp.4-68 3/12/10 3:42 PM Page 134
Reflections: A Photographic Essay of the Utah State Hospital By JANINA CHILTON
T
he following photographs represent a brief visual history of the Utah State Hospital beginning in 1885. Included are pictures that are at times exemplary and at other times disturbing. The history portrayed in these images parallels treatment in usage at other institutions across America. Even the architectural style of the buildings echoes the style of mental health institutions elsewhere. Many of the photos have not been seen for decades and most have never been published. They come from a variety of sources, but many were found in old cabinets or boxes in forgotten closets during the demolition of buildings at the hospital. Most were taken by unknown photographers, few were dated. They are rare portraits of some of Utah’s forgotten citizens and of the compassionate and exceptional people who provided care to those citizens. There are many quality works for the reader desiring a detailed history
Janina Chilton is currently curator of the Utah State Hospital’s Historical Museum. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. degree in history and has worked forty-one years in Utah’s Public Mental Health System.
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