Hinter Mauern: Fotografie in psychiatrischen Einrichtungen von 1880 bis 1935

Abstract

"Many psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland house a treasure trove of historical photographs that go back to the 19th century and until now have never been studied properly. Glass slides and negatives, loose paper prints, and photo albums allow fascinating insights into the modernization of these establishments - and at the same time into the history of photography. The medium that was new at the time was used by psychiatrists to record diagnoses, as well as to show the public life behind institutional walls. Thanks to increasingly handy cameras, it was also possible to record the modest celebrations, leisure and creative activities. Behind Walls introduces these testimonials of life and scientific practice in psychiatric institutions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that are accessible to the public for the first time. The essays critically study the use of photography as a medium in psychiatry from different perspectives." -- Publisher's website.

Contents

Contents note: A Critical Look at the Use of Photography in Psychiatric Institutions in Switzerland around 1900 -- Nothing To See -- Photography in Swiss Psychiatric Institutions between 1880 and 1935 -- Work As Therapy -- Photography in Psychiatric Hospitals and Patient Work in the Interwar Years -- In Front Of The Lens -- Dr. Marie von Ries-lmchanitzky: Photography in the Clinic, Behind and in Front of the Lens -- The Lion Who Went Round In Circles -- Or the Double Life of the Photographs from the Estate of Olga and Hermann Rorschach -- Record, Compare, Evaluate -- The Beginnings of Psychiatric Photography and Advances in Photographic Technology between 1850 and 1930.