Welcome! This exhibit was created in fulfillment of a master's thesis to explore techniques in website design and public interaction with history. The central focus of the site deals with nineteenth century insane asylums and the idealistic pursuits of their founders who tried to create an environment to heal the mind. Such a utopia never existed in a pure form due to the necessity of using restraints and medicine to treat the mentally ill, but physicians tried to limit these dystopian practices through architecture and landscape.
You can navigate the site through links at the bottom of each page, through the navigation bar at the top of the site, or however you wish. Terms such as "insane," "lunatic," and "madman" reflect the vocabulary of the nineteenth century. A bibliography has been provided to extend the research presented in the core of the exhibit.
You can navigate the site through links at the bottom of each page, through the navigation bar at the top of the site, or however you wish. Terms such as "insane," "lunatic," and "madman" reflect the vocabulary of the nineteenth century. A bibliography has been provided to extend the research presented in the core of the exhibit.