Curator’s introduction – Edition 81
Dear readers,
So far this hasn’t quite been the 2022 we had all hoped for. Restrictions to combat COVID’s Omicron variant meant a slow start at the Museum, and recent rains and humidity have wreaked havoc in the collection stores. On the bright side, we’ve all had an extra long and refreshing break and everything is now sparkling clean!
I am so thankful to Robert for sharing his experiences as an assistant mental health nurse in the 1960s, the feature article of this edition. Large residential psychiatric hospitals such as St Audry’s were an innovation in mental health care when they were established and operated almost as a small village. While most certainly not without their problems, Robert’s recollection of his experiences working in an asylum highlights some aspects of chronic mental illness we may be overlooking today. It’s a fantastic read.
Again I’d encourage any of our readers with their own experiences in medicine to share to please get in touch. We can help you put together an article and find the right images, alternatively you might prefer for us to interview you and tell your story that way. Long or short, amusing or deadly serious, we welcome any stories. Details on how to contribute can be found on our website or by contacting the Museum.
Thanks to everyone who voted in our newsletter renaming survey. We had a great response and some clever and creative suggestions from our readers. The results were neck and neck but we have a winner. The new name will grace the top of our next newsletter in June.
Despite the start, 2022 promises to be an exciting year for the Museum, with new acquisitions, exhibition and events in the pipeline. I hope your year is looking equally bright.
All the best,
Charla