Recently, scents and sounds from Kirkbride Plan hospitals traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Sensory Decay Symposium, an interdisciplinary conference about multisensorial, experimental archaeology hosted by the University of Amsterdam’s School of Heritage, Memory and Material Culture.  According to conference organizers Pamela Jordan and Sara Mura, the Symposium aimed to enrich our understanding

 Part One  The Costs of Forgetting When considering the futures of the 36 remaining Kirkbride Plan hospitals for the mentally ill, it may be tempting to argue that structures with such disturbing histories should be demolished “out of respect for the former patients.” On one level this reaction is understandable. Although awe-inspiring, these are buildings

Thoughts on “Treat, Release and Repeat”: Season 3, Episode 2 of VICE (Showtime) Directly or indirectly, each of us has experienced the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the mental well-being of our families and loved ones, our friends, our students, our communities, and ourselves. The pandemic has exacerbated the numerous ills of an

The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought havoc at scales that are simultaneously global, national, communal and personal. The challenges presented to our mental well-being are profound, and the consequences of the 1918 Influenza pandemic suggest that we will be addressing the psychical impacts of our current crisis for years to come. Are we prepared? In my

Kirkbride Plan Hospitals for the insane, like all asylums, have complex and difficult histories. Embracing those histories, at a local community level and at a broader human scale, is critical to preserving these remarkable structures and finding new meaningful lives for their continued and sustainable use. Erasure of these immense three-dimensional historical documents and the

Below is Part 2 of 2 mini-reports on my recent visit to Oregon State Hospital, the oldest remaining State building in Oregon, and one of the few remaining Kirkbride Hospitals west of the Mississippi.   [Part 2 of 2: posted to FB July 25, 2016] Prior to visiting OSH, I conveyed to preservationist Hazel Patton