Last week I was talking to a co-worker about pictures I had taken of the abandoned Brooklyn Water Works. He was excited to draw a may for me to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. He told me it was easy to get to and that most of the buildings were unlocked so it would be easy access. I was so excited to take my camera and begin this urban exploration. But I had no idea of the history and the amount of hairs that would raise on end as I drove to the entrance of this massive complex.
I was so excited as I saw the building and noticed the open doors. It was early in the morning and the sun was shining so bright. I got out of my car with the intention to explore at the least the first floor of the main hospital building. Then as I stood at the entrance with
the door wide open my heart begin to beat. I began thinking “This is the creepiest place I have ever been to in my life.” I thought of the excitement how I could literally spend days here taking pictures. But I was frozen with fear. I walked in and made it to this hallway that was the perfect set to any modern day horror. The arched ceiling mounts, the broken glass, the littered floors, the paint peeling of the walls and the sun casting eerie shadows off the vines wrapped around the rusted bars. “I can do it,” I tell myself. I snap a few pics and decide to at least go to the edge of the hallway where the darkness began. I turned with the darkness to my back to take pictures from the other angle and “BOOM!!!” I ran to the end of the hall and captured an image that made the hairs stand even straighter. I laughed at myself that a 36 yr old adult would be scared in broad daylight like this. I turned the corned to check out a couple rooms. Then there it was. A chair sitting in the middle of the room all alone, like it was part of some ancient ritual. Then I see the graffiti, “This way to hell.” It was
pointing to a door that I can admit I didn’t get near but could see a staircase that I really would love to go back and see but I would need some friends to be with me if I am going to explore this abandoned asylum. At that moment I took it as my reason to leave and explore the outer portions of this compound. I really do hope to go back and shoot more pics from the inside of this amazing place. Problem is I now know the history of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center:
Some of the worst cases of human abuse by the medical field has been done here including over 2,000 lobotomies, shock therapy and more. Hundreds of patients died while in their care and now all that remains are these haunting building set to make the hair stand on end of even the bravest of souls.
Originally designed to house 12,500 patients on 1,900 acres of land, Pilgrim still holds the record of being the largest psychiatric hospital in the world - its peak patient population at one time was 16,000. The original hospital constructed from 1930-1941 consisted of four large continued treatment groups, each having about six separate buildings. The hospital also included a large medical building where patients and employees with acute diseases would be diagnosed, as well as housing laboratories, consultation rooms, a nursing school, and the pathology department. This building was flanked by two large reception buildings, where new patients would stay for an average of one month to be examined and diagnosed. Each building was separated by gender, and connecting corridors on each floor allowed patients and staff to work closely and quickly between the related services they provided.
Many types of shock therapy were performed at Pilgrim;
Insulin shock therapy: The patient is injected with large doses of insulin, which causes convulsion and coma. Introduced at Pilgrim in 1936.
Metrazol shock therapy: Injections of Metrazol (or commercially known as cardiazol) quickly induces powerful seizures.
Electric shock therapy: Currents of electricity are passed through the brain to induce grand mal seizures, commonly used to treat schizophrenia and mood disorders. Pilgrim State started using this technique in 1940, and has recently been under investigation for forcing this treatment onto patients.
Pre-frontal lobotomies were performed at Pilgrim starting in 1946, and through 1959 as many as one to two thousand lobotomies were performed here; most procedures were done in Building #23. A report on lobotomies was filmed at Pilgrim in 1992, hosted by Tom Jarriel of 20/20. It contains information on the history of the procedure, personal case studies of Pilgrim patients, as well as footage from some of the now-abandoned buildings on the Pilgrim campus.
THESE IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE: www.bellaphotographynyc.co..m
I made it to the end of the hall where you see it turn black and I could go no further!