200 years 200 objects

200 Years200 Objects

M A R K D I O N

Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians13a Spittal StreetEdinburghEH3 9DY Tel: 0131 229 3555Website: www.artlinkedinburgh.co.ukBlog: www.artlinkeverpresentpast.wordpress.com Artlink is a company registered in Scotland No. 87845 with charitable status. Scottish Charity No. SC006845.

FINAL 4pp A5 COLOUR 200 OBJECTS COVER AND 4.5mm SPINE BY MARK DION.indd 1 06/11/2013 16:56

200 YEARS / 200 OBJECTS 1

An Object for Each Year

An exhibition realised in collaboration with The University of Edinburgh’s

Talbot Rice Gallery


M A R K D I O N

FINAL 56pp A5 COLOUR 200 OBJECTS BOOKLET BY MARK DION.indd 1 06/11/2013 16:55

2 200 YEARS / 200 OBJECTS

200 Objects

1813 Minute Book Vol. 1

1814 One Guinea Note

1815 Soap Dish

1816 Minute Book Vol. 2

1817 Portrait of Henry Erskine

1818 Andrew Duncan Letter

1819 Certification Paper

1820 A Lady’s Black Glove

1821 35 Beds

1822 Tuke Commemorative Plate

1823 Figurine

1824 Well Bucket

1825 Meeting Adjourned Sign

1826 Pinel Commemorative Plate

1827 A Horse and Cart

1828 Shrouded Mirror

1829 Potato

1830 35 Figures

1831 Chalice

1832 Invoice for Annual Fee

1833 Pewter Plate

1834 Phrenology Head

1835 Book on Bloodletting and Medical Cupping Glasses

1836 Portrait of Sir William Fettes

1837 New Plans

1838 Clerical Collar

1839 Gardening Tools

1840 Photograph of Clouston’s Birthplace

1841 Portrait of Victoria and Albert

1842 Donation Box

1843 Research Folder

1844 Map Showing Bedlam

1845 Type Set Block

1846 Book of Recommendations

1847 Skulls

1848 Article Describing a Hallucination

1849 Vegetables

1850 Laudanum Cabinet

1851 Tally Stick

1852 Coffin for a Robin

1853 Alcoholic Drink and Silver Salver

1854 Bobbing Apples

1855 Valentine’s Day Card

1856 Fez and an Exotic Hat

1857 Curling Stone

1858 Syphilitic Skull

1859 Obituary

1860 Silver Teapot

1861 Admission Certificate

1862 Poem ‘Curling Song’, Published in the Morningside Mirror

1863 Board Books

1864 Inhalers

1865 Drawing of a Chair

1866 Red Stick


1867 Regulation Book

1868 Shower Head

1869 Doll’s Arm

1870 Billiard Balls

1871 Patient Drawings

1872 Dogs

1873 Portrait of Thomas Clouston

1874 Notice

1875 Patient Drawings

1876 Patient Letter

1877 Sheet Music of ‘As it Fell Upon the Day’

1878 Magic Lantern

1879 ‘Asylum or Hospital Home’ Booklet

1880 Metal Plan Box

1881 Men of Medicine Photograph

1882 Drawings of Patients

1883 Pin Used in Suicide Attempt

1884 Beer Flagon

1885 Two Keys

1886 Portrait of Elizabeth Bevan

1887 Dix Commemorative Plate

1888 Collection of Padlocks 1880 – 1960

1889 Glass Marble

1890 Invitation

1891 Photographic Reconstruction of a Ghost

1892 Patient Drawing

1893 Pathology Book

1894 Celebratory Menu

1895 Cookbook

1896 Iron Nail

1897 Billiards Medal

1898 Penknife

1899 Pamphlet of Rules

1900 Tailor’s Scissors

1901 Tools Used by Upholsterers

1902 Golf Medal

1903 Snow Shovel

1904 1000 Patient Letters

1905 Annual Report

1906 Cigar

1907 100 Candles

1908 Model of a Theatre

1909 Dispensing Book

1910 ‘Object Temporarily Removed for Restoration’ Sign

1911 A Wasp in a Box

1912 Guinea Pig

1913 ‘Object Temporarily Removed for Restoration’ Sign

1914 Photograph of Lieutenant Huddlestone

1915 Lead Figures

1916 Mirror

1917 ‘Reminiscences and Stories of a Certified Lunatic’

1918 Confidential Files

1919 Dispensing Book

1920 Rules and Regulations from West House




1921 Hand Saw

1922 Chamber Pot

1923 ‘Conflict and Dreams’ WHR Rivers

1924 Ward Light

1925 Floor Plans for West House

1926 Spent Matches

1927 Tailors’ Workbook

1928 ‘Object Removed for Further Study’ Sign

1929 Photograph of Dormitory

1930 Photograph of Pinel Commemoration

1931 Repaired China

1932 Portrait of David Kennedy Henderson

1933 Closed Portfolio

1934 Sports Day Coverage

1935 ‘Objects Removed for Picnic’ Sign

1936 The Escape Book

1937 Article on Miss Thyne

1938 Early ECT Machine

1939 Daily Mirror

1940 Steam Water Boiler

1941 Unusual Potatoes

1942 Happy the Donkey

1943 Battle Fatigued Soldiers

1944 Rules and Regulations Sign

1945 Two Hats

1946 Ice Pick

1947 Repurposed Newspaper

1948 National Health Service Pamphlet

1949 ECT Machine

1950 Straightjacket

1951 Photograph of a Bagpiper

1952 Full-body Straightjacket

1953 Croquet Set

1954 Man Playing Bowls

1955 Aversion Therapy Chair

1956 Commemorative Plate

1957 Glass Syringes

1958 ‘The Practical Woodturner’

1959 Photograph of the New Hen House

1960 LSD Blotter

1961 Occupational Therapy Photographs

1962 The Morningside Mirror

1963 Newspaper Advertisement

1964 Instruction Poster

1965 Doll

1966 Press Photograph

1967 Painting of James Wigham Affleck

1968 Nurses’ Capes

1969 Behavioural Research and Therapy Books

1970 Microphone

1971 U-matic Videotape

1972 Interview Chair

1973 Wooden Ducks



1974 ‘Object Removed for Renaming’ Sign

1975 Film Reel

1976 Sea Trawler Mug

1977 A Pile of Stones

1978 Facsimile of Test

1979 Patient Craftwork

1980 Cat

1981 Basket Weaving Kit

1982 Christmas Decorations

1983 A Garden Fork

1984 Detention Papers

1985 Smashed Goldfish Bowl

1986 ‘Wild Haemorrhages of the Imagination’

1987 Poem Written by a Nurse

1988 Three Trophy Plinths

1989 Red Paint

1990 Sample Card

1991 Violin

1992 Clay Flowerpots

1993 Model of a House

1994 Postcard/Souvenirs

1995 Small Silver Bell

1996 Newsletter

1997 Tipperlinn Bowling Club Brochure

1998 Video Training Pack

1999 Metal Union Badges

2000 Giant Bird Mobile

2001 Coffee Jar, Mug and Spoon

2002 Model of a House

2003 Detention Forms

2004 Hairdressing Scissors

2005 Jigsaw Pieces

2006 Photographs from the Patients’ Council

2007 Innovative Practice Award

2008 60th Birthday Card

2009 Military Food Tin

2010 Patient Drawing

2011 Union Banners

2012 Gnome

2013 Door Bell and Hammer


1813 Minute Book Vol. 1The first patient was admitted on the

19th July 1813. An entry in this book

reports Andrew Duncan composing a

letter to be sent to all Edinburgh medical

practitioners stating ‘the asylum is now

open for the reception of patients of the

middle and higher ranks.’

1814 One Guinea NoteOn the 31st January it was recorded that

six patients had been admitted since the

Asylum opened. The fee was one guinea

a week.

1815 Soap Dish‘The managers have also not been

inattentive to the comforts of the patients,

having erected proper stoves for heating’.

They also plumbed water into the building

and installed baths. Baths were to feature

heavily in the treatment of patients in

the 1800s.


The following text accompanies the Mark Dion exhibition to commemorate the bicentenary of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Miniature of Andrew DuncanThe foundation of the Royal Edinburgh

Hospital was triggered by the wretched

death in Bedlam of the poet Robert

Fergusson, aged 24. His friend Dr

Andrew Duncan was so affected,

he resolved to fund a hospital in

Edinburgh where the mentally ill

could be humanely looked after.

In 1792 he launched an appeal

for funds and, in 1806, the villa of

Morningside and four acres were

purchased with a parliamentary grant.

In 1809 the foundation stone was laid,

and the Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum was

opened in 1813, this original building

later being known as East House.

A lock of Robert Fergusson’s hair

is contained under glass on reverse of

the portrait.


M A R K D I O N


1816 Minute Book Vol. 2The first regulations of the Edinburgh

Lunatic Asylum are recorded in the

minutes. Examples include 1) admissions

of patients require certification 2) the

patients admitted into the Asylum shall

be divided into such classes as the managers

may direct and 12) no person whatever shall

be allowed to visit any patient in the Asylum

without (…) permission in writing.

1817 Portrait of Henry ErskineErskine and Andrew Duncan were

originally classmates at St Andrews.

He proved a powerful friend for, as Lord

Advocate, Erskine was instrumental in

obtaining the £2,000 grant which funded

the purchase of land, and also expedited the

Asylum’s Royal Charter, obtained in 1807.

1818 Andrew Duncan LetterDuncan writes of the death of Robert

Fergusson – ‘The loss of Reason is perhaps

the most deplorable disease to which

a rational being can be subjected’.

1819 Certification PaperThe Asylum was keen to establish official,

witnessed, documentation for admissions.

1820 A Lady’s Black GloveThe first unclaimed item in the Asylum’s

lost and found.

1821 35 BedsPatient numbers fluctuated over the year.

On the 21st January there were 24 patients,

increasing to 35 and then falling back to

26 by the 1st January 1822. The Asylum

was meant to accommodate only 20

patients. The number of residents continued

to be greater than the building’s capacity

and the managers resolved to pursue their

building programme.

1822 Tuke Commemorative PlateDeath of William Batty Tuke, an early

pioneer of humane psychiatry and

commemorated on a plaque on the side of

McKinnon House. Tuke led attempts by

Quakers to set up an alternative to harsh

institutions, and in 1790 opened the York

Retreat. His humane approach was derided

at first, before becoming renowned as

a better way of care.

This portrait was created recently

by Jeanette Bell.



1823 Figurine January minutes: ‘At the end of the ninth

year of the Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum (…)

the management have great satisfaction in

being able to state (…) that the experience

of every day continues to afford them

additional evidence of the benefits resulting

from the institution under their care.’

1824 Well BucketThe minutes record that the ‘force pump’

is frequently out of order, compelling the

servants to carry water in buckets to meet

all Asylum needs.




1825 Meeting Adjourned Sign‘It has been impossible to get a meeting

of the management on the last Thursday

of October on account of them having

been absent in the country.’

1826 Pinel Commemorative Plate The death of Philippe Pinel, the French

psychiatrist who released patients from

chains and restraints in Parisian asylums at

the time of the Revolution. He is celebrated

as the founder of humane psychiatric care,

and his sculpture portrait was placed near

the old entrance to Mackinnon House

a century after his death.

Pinel greatly influenced treatment of

the insane in Great Britain, Europe and

America, shifting emphasis away from

punishment toward understanding. The

insane were no longer seen as possessed

by demons, akin to beasts, or choosing

their own irrationality, but individuals

with illnesses brought on by external or

internal conditions outside their control.

This portrait was created recently

by a patient.

1827 A Horse and CartThe minutes record a ‘suggestion’ by

a Mr Hughes, that, as he has frequent

occasion to travel on Asylum business

between Morningside and the town, the

purchase of a horse and cart might save

time and relieve fatigue.

1828 Shrouded MirrorThe death of founder Andrew Duncan.

He was 84 years old.

1829 Potato‘The managers resolve to keep in view the

creating of proper plans to create a pauper

hospital.’ The old town is overcrowded

and unsanitary, its population swollen

by the rural poor and an increase in Irish

immigrants fleeing the first wave of the

potato famine.



1830 35 FiguresThe Asylum notes that on the 1st January,

of the 35 patients resident in the hospital,

28 may be reckoned ‘incurable’, suggesting

the possibility of release for the remaining

seven. The previous year, eight patients

had been released as ‘improved’. Although

the numbers are small, it is a marked

improvement on previous practice.

1831 Chalice‘In consequence of it having been

understood that in some other lunatic

institutions, Divine Service in the form of

family worship is regularly performed (...)

the managers resolve to make trial of it in

their own Asylum and have great hope of

it having a salutary influence.’

1832 Invoice for Annual FeeIn this year a Mr Hardie requested a

reduction in the rate of board for his

brother, on account of the long time

he had been resident, The board granted

a reduction to £30 per annum, the

equivalent of some £22,800 in today’s

money. As many patients stayed in the

Asylum for the rest of their lives, the cost

to families could be substantial.

1833 Pewter Plate‘Pewter dishes were ordered on the

recommendation of the Medical Gentleman

to be substituted in place of those at present

in use at the Asylum.’

1834 Phrenology HeadPhrenology is a now-discredited theory

based on the idea that measurements of

the human skull could reveal character.

It was very popular in the early nineteenth

century, and the British centre of expertise

was Edinburgh. The underlying idea that

certain human emotions and functions are

held in localised parts of the brain was,

however, an advance towards modern

neuropsychology.

1835 Book on Bloodletting and Medical Cupping GlassesPurging and bloodletting were very

common medical practices of the period,

applied not only for physical disease,

but also for psychological symptoms.



1836 Portrait of Sir William FettesThe founder of Fettes College, he was

a Trustee of the Asylum from its opening,

and later Deputy Governor. He campaigned

locally for funds, and died in this year,

a few days after negotiations began to

provide new accommodation.

1837 New PlansMr Burn, architect, draws up plans for

the Asylum’s expansion, including a new

building to house poor patients.

1838 Clerical Collar‘The chairman called the attention of the

meeting to the labours of their chaplain

Mr MacLean which were continued with

unabated.’ Mr MacLean was granted

a bonus of £10 in addition to his salary.

1839 Gardening ToolsThe position of Physician Superintendent

was created, and the first to hold the office

was Dr William Mackinnon. Under his

direction patients were encouraged to use

whatever trade or skill they possessed.

Occupations included gardening, pig

farming, poultry keeping, carpentry,

tailoring, and sewing. He also encouraged

sporting activities such as curling, and

patients took part in competitions with

other curling clubs.

1840 Photograph of Dr Clouston’s BirthplaceIn this year, in Birsay, Orkney,

Thomas Clouston was born into

a settled farming family. He grew up to

be Scotland’s most eminent psychiatrist

and Physician Superintendent of the

Royal Edinburgh Asylum.

1841 Portrait of Victoria and AlbertA Special Meeting of 5 February records

Queen Victoria’s patronage, and quotes

her letter: ‘You are quite at liberty to

announce… that the queen has given a

donation of 100 pounds and the prince

Albert 50 pounds to the lunatic asylum

and that it is her majesty’s wish, or desire,

or permission, or by what technical phrase

I know not (use which you like best) that it

be named the Royal Edinburgh Asylum.’

1842 Donation BoxWest House, now called Mackinnon House,

opens its doors to poor patients.



1843 Research Folder Commentaries on the causes, forms,

symptoms, and treatment, moral and

medical, of insanity.

1844 Map Showing BedlamAll remaining inmates from the old Bedlam

are moved to the Asylum. Conditions at the

Bedlam, which was attached to the Edinburgh

Charity Workhouse, were notoriously awful.

Patients were treated as inmates, locked in

stone-flagged cells, sometimes in shackles,

with only straw for bedding.

1845 Type Set Block The first edition of the Hospital newspaper,

the ‘Morningside Mirror’, was produced

and printed by patients and staff within

the Asylum and published on the 15th

September. It was sold in local shops.

1846 Book of RecommendationsA printed book of references, including a

letter of application, relating to Dr David

Skae. These were apparently well received,

for he succeeded William Mackinnon as

Superintendent.

He was especially interested in the

classification of mental illness, and began

to develop the Asylum’s reputation as

a postgraduate training centre.

1847 Skulls Minutes detail the numbers of patients,

discharges and deaths. Of the 262 female

patients this year, 11 were discharged cured,

9 were discharged more or less improved

and 8 died. Over the same period there

were 254 male patients, 8 discharged cured,

4 discharged more or less improved and

9 died.

1848 Article Describing a Hallucination An issue of the Morningside Mirror includes

patient testimony of a disturbing incident.

‘I happened to look up a moment from my

book and was not a little astonished to see

that the fireplace and guard had entirely

disappeared and an immense human face

usurped their place.’



1849 Vegetables‘During the last quarter there has been

little permanent sickness in the Asylum.

Although a few cases of diarrhoea have

reoccurred, this may have been occasioned

by the state of the weather and a little

change of diet which has taken place in

the use of turnips in alternate days with

the potato.’

1850 Laudanum CabinetFew drugs were available to physicians at

this time. Laudanum, a mixture of 10%

opium and 90% alcohol flavoured with

cinnamon or saffron was commonly used

as a painkiller, sleeping pill, or sedative.


1851 Tally Stick

EXPERT INTERVIEW Alison Meiklejohn Head of Occupational Therapy

‘They say the tally stick was placed by the Hospital exit, so that

patients going out for the night to visit ‘a special friend’ could cut

a notch in the stick. That way, staff could keep track of how many

left the building.

That raises many questions, though – you can’t remove a notch,

so how did they count the patients back? And how did they know it

was the same patients? It seems a system open to abuse. And you’d

need a new stick every day.

This term ‘special friends’ is interesting, because it suggests a

tolerance of sexual activity, as long as it was away from the Hospital.

We think of the Victorians as very straight-laced, but this indicates

an allowance for human needs. But I imagine this allowance

extended only to male patients.

The stick makes me think of the phrase ‘a notch on your belt’,

or bedpost, that idea of a ‘notch’ referring to a sexual encounter.

At that time, most of the patients were long-term and fee-paying,

the Hospital was their home, and the staff knew them well. That

probably meant a more relaxed regime, not like our acute wards

today where there is such a rapid turnover of patients.

There is still a sense that sexual activity is something that should

happen beyond the confines of the Hospital. Often for good reason.

It’s a communal space, and people are often vulnerable. But if

someone makes an informed choice that they want to have

a relationship with someone – who are we to say that they can’t,

or shouldn’t. The question is how to support that in a dignified way.’




1852 Coffin for a RobinA Mr C befriended a robin from the

Asylum grounds. The bird was so tame it

rarely left Mr C’s company and shared his

meals. Mr C just had to call “Rob, Rob!”

and the robin would fly to him. Sadly,

Rob was eaten by a cat.

1853 Alcoholic Drink and Silver SalverThe patients wished to buy a present for

a departing doctor, James Sherlock. They

decided to give him a drinking cup, but

a strong temperance element refused to

contribute, and so he was given a silver

salver instead.

1854 Bobbing Apples Ninetenth century Health and Safety: Fears of

cholera prevented the patients from enjoying

their customary Halloween apple bobbing.

Only a few apples were permitted at the party,

from the Hospital’s own harvest stores.

1855 Valentine’s Day CardA male patient received a mysterious

Valentine’s Day card from an unknown

admirer who wanted – according to the

card – an opportunity to gaze into his

‘verdant green eyes’.

1856 Fez and an Exotic HatThe Morningside Mirror reports some

patients walking down to Leith to enjoy

‘a very expansive tea’. While there, they

were presented with a hookah and a fez,

which enlivened their long walk back

to Morningside.

1857 Curling StoneA patient almost drowned trying to rescue

two curling stones that broke through the

ice of the duck pond during a competition.

He was rewarded with free brandy and

dry stockings by the Humane Society.

1858 Syphilitic SkullAfter the 1857 Lunacy Act, better records

were required for patients and the

registration of deaths. This skull shows

the effects of acquired syphilis, a relatively

common condition that, in its late stages,

led to general paresis, a kind of dementia.

It was to be one of the first mental illnesses

proven to have an organic cause.


1859 Obituary The Morningside Mirror includes an

obituary for the first matron of the Asylum,

Jane Upton McDougall. ‘Her departure

from amongst us, with whom she spent

nearly the whole of the last 20 years… has

cast a gloom over us of no ordinary kind.’

1860 Silver Teapot‘On Saturday evening, an entertainment

was given to the patients who are engaged

in the Laundry and Washing Room (…)

tea and cookies were handed round. After

satisfying themselves with these delicacies,

the place was then prepared for a dance.’



1861 Admission Certificate

EXPERT INTERVIEW Maggie McIvor and Shirley Gowers The Patients’ Council

‘This paper commits a Mary Calder of Leith to the Hospital,

and describes her as ‘deranged’.

I believe it wasn’t a very easy era to be a patient – not a lot

was understood about mental health. Nowadays you’re either

a voluntary patient or sectioned, not so different from Mary’s

experience. And it’s witnessed by a doctor and a medical officer,

in the same way as there are various signatures here. The big

difference now is that a patient has a right of appeal, which I don’t

think Mary did. The law now calls for ‘least restrictive’ treatment

to be offered.

Some of the wording makes you feel dreadful – ‘insane’,

‘deranged’, even ‘asylum’ – which actually used to mean ‘place

of safety’. Any terminology used to describe mental ill health

eventually carries a stigma and gets replaced by other terminology.

I sometimes think it’s silly – I know what I’ve got, I don’t need

the government making up fancy names – skipping around the

edges of things.

People were committed back then for reasons we now wouldn’t

consider grounds for insanity. Women were sometimes put

away because they found themselves pregnant outside marriage.

This woman could be ‘deranged’ from losing her temper. I’d love

to know what happened to her.

When you come in to hospital, it’s something new you have to

face and you don’t feel well. I’ve been in and out of hospital quite a

few times, but each time is like the first, because you’re not thinking

properly, you just feel frightened, and that blanks out everything.’




1862 Poem ‘Curling Song’, Published in the Morningside Mirror‘Our curlers met at Morningside,

In ruddy health and social glee;

More happy men, on winter’s day.

Ye couldna meet or wish to see…’

1863 Board BooksMale and female patients were kept in

separate sections of the Asylum, and kept

track of in separate registers. These detailed

how much was paid for board and any

arrears owing.

1864 InhalersDr Nelson first patented his ceramic

inhalers in 1864. They were used to

clear congestion of the lungs, a common

condition in ‘Auld Reekie’.

1865 Drawing of a ChairIn response to ‘a considerable want’ of

garden furniture, a patient described as ‘an

ingenious and laborious mechanic’ set about

making outdoor seats from windfall wood he

found in the grounds. They met with great

approval, described in the ‘Morningside

Mirror’ as ‘Not of a coarse and temporary

nature, but neat, ornamental and substantial’.

1866 Red StickThe Athletic Games were introduced for

the first time in 1865. Soon there were

14 categories ranging from ‘throwing the

cricket ball’ to ‘Highland dancing’. Prizes

ranged from pipes and snuff boxes to a red

stick for second prize in the hurdle race.

1867 Regulation BookRules and regulations.

1868 Shower HeadWater treatments (hydrotherapies) of various

forms were widely used in asylums as a

medical remedy, often to calm excitement,

sometimes to stimulate. Some therapies

sounded more like punishment than

panacea. One of these was the ‘bath

of surprise’, a reservoir of water into

which the patient was suddenly precipitated

while standing on its moveable and

treacherous cover.

1869 Doll’s ArmA doll’s arm was discovered during

renovations, wrapped in an 1869

Morningside Mirror.


1870 Billiard Balls‘The grand annual Billiard Belt competition…

has again been held this season... the contest

began on the 23rd, and lasted four days, two

hours each day.’ Indoor and outdoor activities

of a sporting nature continued to be an

important part of Asylum life.

1871 Patient DrawingsDrawings by Andrew Kennedy, including

portraits of Asylum physicians with breasts.

Many of his works are preserved in Lothian

Health Services Archive.

1872 Dogs‘A party from the Asylum went to see the

Dog Show, which had for three days been

attracting crowds to the Gymnasium.

Every variety, from the huge mastiff to

the tiny lapdog, was to be seen…’



1873 Portrait of Dr Thomas Clouston Thomas Clouston was the third and

greatest of the nineteenth century Physician

Superintendents. Appointed in 1873,

he did more than anyone in Scotland

to gain recognition for the plight of the

mentally ill and to transform psychiatry

into a recognised specialty.

He redesigned the prison-like features of the

East and West Houses, and masterminded

the building of Craig House. While

emphasising the necessity for discipline

and order, he also saw the need for pleasant

living conditions, a generous diet, and

active work. Through his lectureship in

the University of Edinburgh, his ‘Annual

Reports’ and published writings, Clouston

sought to educate the profession and the

public alike. He retired after 35 years

service and was knighted in 1911.

1874 Notice‘Any person leaving this door open will

be fined sixpence.’ No detail of hospital

organisation was too small for the attention

of Thomas Clouston.

1875 Patient DrawingsDr Clouston delivered a lecture with the

carefully considered title ‘On Mental

Health’, it explored the concept that the

term ‘health’ could be applied to the mind

just as much as to the body. These drawings

were completed by a patient and likely used

by Skae and Clouston as lecture prompts.

1876 Patient LetterHeaded ‘Robert Low Yule… Record of

Miracles’, this letter itemises the vivid

delusions he has experienced, including

‘A Smith casting a wry look at me, jumped

from the floor to a height of about 9 feet,

then passed through a framed picture

(without injury thereto) and through a solid

14 inch stone wall… ’.




1877 Sheet Music of ‘As it Fell Upon the Day’A song performed by Mrs Clouston at an

amateur concert to mark the opening of

the new dining hall. The audience included

‘about 500 of the inmates, and a considerable

number of ladies and gentlemen in full dress,

friends and guests of Dr and Mrs Clouston’.

1878 Magic LanternOn a January evening, the inmates of

the institution were favoured with a

Magic Lantern Entertainment given

by a Mr Sinclair.

1879 ‘Asylum or Hospital Home’ BookletThis booklet by Clouston sets out his 44

principles of construction – theories of what

makes a good, modern asylum. He would

soon get the chance to test these out in

the massive building programme at Craig

House. The needs of the individual appear

to be at the forefront of his mind.

1880 Metal Plan BoxIn planning new additions to his Asylum,

Clouston recruited the help of a patient,

a former draughtsman, ‘who took a great

interest in the matter’.

1881 Men of Medicine PhotographClouston among his peers. The photograph

was gifted to him by Dr Hack Tuke.

1882 Drawings of Patients These portraits of Asylum patients were

commissioned by Thomas Clouston from

the artist John Myles. They were included

in a hand painted book entitled Bruised

Reeds, with notes on the patients’ various

conditions. It was probably used as a

teaching aid.

1883 Pin Used in Suicide AttemptThe pin is accompanied by a letter

describing the incident.

1884 Beer FlagonOn the 17th July, 120 people from West

House went to the Pentland Hills for

a grand picnic. During the nineteenth

century, beer was allowed to patients.


1885 Two KeysThe West and East Houses each had a

head male attendant and a matron who

supervised the day-to-day running of the

institution. Attendants worked long hours,

living with their charges night and day

under the same roof. They frequently had

to contend with the violent and unruly

behaviour of their patients, and were

vulnerable to disciplinary action if they

showed excessive force. They were not

well paid, had few holidays and were only

allowed to marry with the permission of

the Superintendent.

1886 Portrait of Elizabeth BevanThe granddaughter of Andrew Duncan,

Elizabeth Bevan left a generous bequest to

the Asylum of £5000 plus the residue of

her estate. It was specified that it be for the

comfort of those patients of higher rank

and education who had fallen on hard

times. Philanthropists and social reformers,

motivated by Christian values and middle

class ideals, played a significant role in

bringing about change.

1887 Dix Commemorative PlateThe death of Dorothea Dix, an American

social reformer who campaigned for better

treatment of the mentally ill, especially the

poor. She is commemorated with a cameo at

Mackinnon House. This portrait was created

recently by a Jeanette Bell.

1888 Collection of Padlocks 1880 – 1960Lecture by Dr Clouston on Mental Nursing:

‘The object of treatment must be to arrest

this downward course – the patient must

be placed under supervision, his violence

controlled, his bad habits reformed, and

he must be kept warm and well fed’.

1889 Glass MarbleAn article in the Morningside Mirror

discusses boisterous medical students,

including a chap who had loosed a marble

from the top tier of the lecture theatre.

‘It came slowly rolling down, giving a dump

then a short roll, and so on until it stopped

in front of the Professor’s desk.’

1890 InvitationThe commemoration stone is laid for New

Craig House on Easter Craiglockhart Hill.



1891 Photographic Reconstruction of a GhostOld Craig House, a 16th century building

beside New Craig, is reported to be haunted

by The Green Lady. Reputed to be the wife

of Sir Thomas Elphinstone, she was stabbed

by her husband in a jealous rage. He died

from remorse, and they were buried together.

The ghost is said to appear in the green dress

she wore at the time of her death.

1892 Patient DrawingA drawing of ‘Tam O’Swanston on the

Pentland Hills’ by John Willis Mason.

1893 Pathology BookDr William Ford Robertson was appointed

as Resident Pathologist; he was to make

a significant contribution to the medical

pathology of insanity.

1894 Celebratory MenuNew Craig House and its villas were

formally opened by the Asylum Governor,

the Duke of Buccleuch. At the time, it

was the largest, and considered the most

progressive, asylum in the world. East

House was demolished and private patients

moved to Craig House.

1895 CookbookThis well-used book belonged to the

Head Cook.

1896 Iron NailA nail from the roof of Old Craig House,

attached to a golf score card.

1897 Billiards MedalCraig House Billiards Medal. Sporting

activities were often an arena where

staff and patients met on equal ground.

1898 PenknifePenknife used by Miss M R in a suicide

attempt. With it is a letter describing

the incident.

1899 Pamphlet of RulesCraig House Nurses’ and Attendants’ Rules.

1900 Tailors’ ScissorsIn this year, in addition to making numerous

new items of clothing, the tailors’ workshop

at the Asylum repaired 678 pairs of trousers.




1901 Tools Used by Upholsterers Used to repair furniture, but could have

also been employed to create the holes for

string fastenings on straightjackets, which

were made at the Asylum.

1902 Golf MedalRoyal Edinburgh Asylum Golf Club medal.

There was a small golf course in the grounds

of Craig House. There was also a skittle

alley outside West House, and the Asylum

employed a professional cricketer. Patients

paid him to bowl to them.


1903 Snow Shovel

EXPERT INTERVIEW George Todd Sector Estates Manager

‘I was told by our roofer that there were shovels clipped up in the

rafters. When I went searching, there was only this and a broken

one left. It’s very old and fragile.

The roof of Mackinnon House has two ridges and a centre valley

that takes the water off. The snow can build up there, and once it

gets higher than the slates it starts to leak in to the building. That’s

why you need to take the snow off. A hundred years ago, there’d

be a guy going up and just shovelling the snow and throwing it up

over the peaks of the roof to the other side.

It’s the same job, except now we have to have tie-points all along

the roof that they can harness onto. The risk is the same as 100 years

ago, but now we have to take the risk out of it.

We use plastic shovels, light and easy to maintain. This one is

more handmade, and the reason the blade is made of wood is the

same reason we use plastic, what we call ‘sacrificial’ – the thing

you use to scrape should be softer than the material you’re scraping.

It doesn’t damage the slate.

We get snow almost every year. Up on the roof, you can see so

far, you see the snow coming in. In autumn we have to go up and

do the same with leaves, and in the summer, it’s the heavy rain.’




1904 1000 Patient Letters

EXPERT INTERVIEW Professor Ronnie Jack Patients’ Council

‘The first thing that struck me was the similarities from then until

now of the worries being expressed in the letters. For example, high

on the list (and very high on my own list), was that of tedium. The

day is very long if your mind is doing things you don’t want it to do.

Next, would be lack of privacy. I was put in a room on my own,

and latterly moved into a ward of four but the letters here talk of

wards of 22 beds. Another parallel would be complaints about lack

of contact with the consultant.

What is different is their stricter regimentation, being forced

to rise early and go to bed late and the day being very structured.

Also, the sad letters of entrapment – people told they were going

on holiday or something, only to find themselves in the asylum.

And the marked brutality of the staff – that wouldn’t get by now.

But whether the patients’ experiences were actual or paranoiac,

you can’t tell.

The letters were written by patients while they were still ill,

whether they acknowledged it or not, and the immediacy of that

comes across and made me feel very sad, especially those letters of

appeal to family or friends to come and visit, when perhaps family

have thought, ‘Thank god she’s locked up and safe out of the way.’


1905 Annual ReportIt is recorded in the 93rd annual report that

there are now 870 patients in the Asylum.

There was considerable overcrowding.

1906 CigarSigmund Freud begins a correspondence

with Carl Jung.

1907 100 CandlesTo mark the Royal Edinburgh’s first

centenary, a garden party is held in

the grounds of Craig House, featuring

a marching brass band. Over 1500

guests attend.

1908 Model of a TheatreDr Clouston’s handwriting was famously

illegible. He once wrote an indecipherable

letter to a patient, which the patient kept, as

it had a very official look. He presented it to

a chemist and was given medicine, he took

it to the theatre and was awarded a private

box, he was even able to travel via a private

train car to London by the power of this

unintelligible document.

1909 Dispensing BookSecret Remedies; What They Cost and What

They Contain Extemporaneous Dispensing

Book, published by the British Medical

Association.

1910 ‘Object Removed for Restoration’ SignAn extra large safety pin was confiscated

from a patient who had swallowed and

recovered it more then fifty times.



1911 A Wasp in a Box

EXPERT INTERVIEW Neville Singh Psychiatric Nurse

‘This story of the patient with the pet wasp in a matchbox brought

to mind the Birdman of Alcatraz or the prisoner in the film, The

Green Mile, who kept a mouse in a box, another matchbox, I think.

Two prisoners with precious pets, one mental patient, imprisoned in

his illness, perhaps. I imagine his vulnerable self projected onto the

wasp to be looked after and cared for. But being imprisoned in a box

is not a natural state for the wasp. Unless, being fanciful, the wasp

sought out this patient and readily resided in the box. And when the

wasp died, did the patient keep it still?

The main feeling I have is of sadness, aloneness. I can imagine

the patient having had a bad day on the ward, withdrawing to his

bedroom to communicate with the wasp. Two lonely living beings.

One of the great American psychiatrists, Harold Searles, who

worked with people with schizophrenia, wrote a marvelous book

in 1960 called ‘The Non-Human Environment’. Some people with

mental illness can relate more intensely to an object or a living

thing, prefer non-human contact, and often that isn’t recognised,

how important it is.’




1912 Guinea PigTwenty of Mr McKenzie’s finest guinea pigs

disappeared from the West House garden,

but were returned after he staked out the

garden at night and confronted the thieves,

two local schoolboys.

1913 ‘Object Temporarily Removed for Restoration’ SignA patient made a sculpture depicting the

allegory Knowledge and Justice Triumphing

over Ignorance, Greed and Injustice in walnut

and ivory. The sculpture was gifted to

Dr Clouston who frequently commented

on the life-like quality of the bat, monkey,

snake and magpie represented in the work.

1914 Photograph of Lieutenant HuddlestoneDr SC Huddlestone took a commission in

the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch and

was killed in action while leading a counter

attack across the trenches.

1915 Lead FiguresThe Asylum suffered from lack of staff as

nurses, doctors and orderlies left to aid the

War effort. Yet patient numbers swelled.

In this year, 25 soldiers suffering ‘mental

collapse’ were admitted to West House.

The treatment of shellshock was pioneered

at the Royal Edinburgh and Craiglockhart

Hospitals.

1916 MirrorThis mirror hung in the office of Thomas

Clouston and would have captured the gaze

of many superintendents following his death

in 1915.


1917 ‘Reminiscences and Stories of a Certified Lunatic’

EXPERT INTERVIEW Allan Beveridge Psychiatrist and historian

‘This hand-written journal purports to be the life story of a

‘certified lunatic’. The preface is written by a medical superintendent

at ‘a Scottish asylum’, but is signed only M.D., so we can’t identify

the doctor or the hospital, and I think ‘MD’ is actually a way

of saying ‘a doctor’.

The disappointing thing for me – because I am very interested

in patients’ accounts of illness – is that the story is entirely about

the man’s travels and adventures before he came to the asylum.

Reading it again, what strikes me is that this doctor is very interested

in his patient, which is heartening. Sometimes psychiatrists get a lot

of bad press, but here is this doctor who is obviously fascinated

by his patients. He transcribes the man’s journals in his own hand.

By the look of it, he wanted to get it published.

In the preface, he is says that this remarkable man is actually

sane, an opinion shared by other people who knew him for a long

time, but those who made a brief examination thought he was

unwell.

You can’t tell what the truth of it was, or even if the document is

genuine. The main interest for me is the fact that he is entertaining

the notion that the patient was sane, because the mythology of early

asylums is that people get banged up with nothing wrong with them,

doctors are in cahoots with the state or relatives, and that isn’t my

view, having looked at the archives.’




1918 Confidential FilesConfidential files were held on soldiers, such

as poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfrid Sassoon,

from their time being treated and analysed for

combat stress at the adjacent Craiglockhart

War Hospital. Sassoon’s file stated his mind

was ‘still chaos’ and he was ‘not to be trusted

with men’s lives’. Nonetheless, Sassoon

returned voluntarily to the War.

1919 Dispensing BookFrom “powder for diarrhoea in chickens” to

“tooth powder” this manual contains a carefully

handwritten list of hundreds of remedies.

1920 Rules and Regulations from West HouseThese include warnings about the correct

sending of letters. This was because letters

were routinely read by staff, and intercepted if

deemed to be ‘deranged’ or unsuitable. They

were often appended to a patient’s case notes,

never reaching their intended destination.

1921Hand SawThis handmade saw usually hangs in the joiners’

workshop at the Hospital, and was contributed

by a carpenter whose family have worked at the

Royal Edinburgh for three generations.

1922 Chamber PotChamber pot inscribed with a Royal

Edinburgh Asylum insignia.

1923 ‘Conflict and Dreams’ WHR Rivers Dr WHR Rivers pioneered the treatment

of shellshock through psychoanalysis in

Edinburgh during the Great War. The

building at the Royal Edinburgh where

soldiers returning from conflict are treated

now is named after him.

1924 Ward LightAn electrical supply was fitted in the Asylum.

1925 Floor Plans for West HouseDetailed floor plans of West House. Since

its beginning, the physical hospital has been

in a constant state of flux, expanding to

accommodate more patients, altering to suit

new regimes and methods of care. These

plans were possibly created to facilitate

alterations to the 1842 building.

1926 Spent MatchesMatches confiscated from a patient suffering

from acute pyromania.


1927 Tailors’ WorkbookWorkbooks recorded every item of clothing

made by the tailors’ workshops. All Hospital

clothing was made in-house and was

uniform in appearance.

1928 ‘Object Removed for Further Study’ SignA case of Chateauneuf du Pape was gifted

to the nursing staff by an admiring group

of visiting French psychiatric professionals.

1929 Photograph of Dormitory Jordanburn Nerve Hospital opens. It

had its origins in the work done to help

shellshocked patients during World War I.

1930 Photograph of Pinel CommemorationA stone memorial marking the centenary

of Phillipe Pinel’s death is commemorated

in the Hospital grounds. His principles

of non-restraint were held as an ideal.

The photograph shows, left to right:

Mr TM Gardiner, Chairman of Managers,

the French Ambassador, the Earl of Stair,

and Dr Hamilton Marr, Commissioner.

Behind is Miss Martin, Matron, with

some of her nursing staff.

1931 Repaired ChinaA selection of ceramics broken and repaired

by patients.




1932 Portrait of David Kennedy HendersonHenderson took over as both Physician

Superintendent and Professor of Psychiatry.

He was the first to introduce occupational

therapy in the Hospital and helped guide

the Hospital into the National Health

Service.

He advocated the need to consider the

personal and family history of patients,

along with their psychological and physical

state, in diagnosis and treatment. He also

paid attention to the context of their social

circumstances. He described this conceptual

framework as ‘psychodynamic’.

1933 Closed PortfolioPortfolio of images deemed too disturbing

to be seen.

1934 Sports Day CoverageThe Morningside Mirror celebrates the

Annual Sports Day at West House. Patients,

nurses, attendants, laundry workers, kitchen

and domestic staff are all listed as having

taken part in the games.

1935 ‘Objects Removed for Picnic’ SignA pair of shuttlecocks used in an infamous

patient versus staff badminton tournament.

1936 The Escape BookThis records an Arthur A absconding from

the Hospital His ‘mode of escape’ is listed

as ‘leaving his sister with whom he was

walking in Morningside Drive’. In his own

words, ‘I wanted time to think things over

for myself’. He then returned.

1937 Article on Miss ThyneThe ‘Morningside Mirror’ marks the

retirement of Miss JE Thyne. She nursed in

Cannes and Las Palmas, before returning

to Scotland and positions in Larbert and

Rosslynlee Mental Hospitals before moving

to the Royal Edinburgh, where she rose

to become Lady Superintendent, head of

nursing staff for the entire Hospital.

1938 Early ECT Machine Electroconvulsive Therapy was first used in

the late 1930s.


1939 Daily Mirror The outbreak of World War Two.

1940 Steam Water BoilerEvery ward would have had one of these

boilers until they were replaced by new

technology in the late 1960s.

1941 Unusual Potatoes‘The potatoes illustrated above were dug up

in one of the Hospital vegetable gardens,

and are one of the oddest of Nature’s freaks.

As will be seen, they form an amazingly

life like flight of aeroplanes; as Mr Swan

has suggested, like six fighters escorting a

bomber. Most of them are even complete

with gun turrets on top.’

1942 Happy the DonkeyLacking petrol for the grass mowers,

the Hospital acquired a donkey to pull a

cutting machine. The Morningside Mirror

reported that the donkey ‘proved itself

unwilling to undertake so laborious a task’

and so, ‘A large and most antediluvian (and

extremely heavy) cutter has been unearthed,

and it is drawn by a large set of residents,

harnessed galley fashion, and thus making

fairly light work of it’.

1943 Battle Fatigued SoldiersBy 1943 approximately one third of men

invalided from the Army were discharged

on psychiatric grounds. The Hospital was to

see an increase in patients suffering from war

neurosis, or neurasthenia. The same syndrome

was once known as shellshock and is now

related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.



1944 Rules and Regulations Sign

EXPERT INTERVIEW Tom Arnott Operations Manager

‘This handwritten notice hung in the Jordanburn Nerve Hospital,

which opened as part of the Royal Edinburgh in 1929. It was

probably the first psychiatric hospital where people were referred

without being sectioned and for short periods. It also brought

some services out into the community. Prior to that, if you needed

psychiatric care you were admitted to the asylum, so it was maybe

30 or 40 years ahead of its time.

It did have a darker aspect, though. This was the era when,

if people were thought to be homosexual, they were referred to

Jordanburn for treatment and ‘cure’. Otherwise they might lose

their jobs.

The only rule that strikes me as being different to today’s

principles is the first, ‘Patients should not discuss symptoms

with one another’ – sometimes that can be helpful, especially

within group therapy, to try to empathise with each other,

so that’s changed.

They mention ‘occupation’ as being of great value in treatment.

This is a theme running throughout the Hospital’s history, from the

early days, when if you were a cook or a cobbler or a tailor, you’d

be involved in doing those things for the hospital community.

At Jordanburn they were keen for patients to help with the running

of wards. It’s the beginnings of occupational therapy but it wasn’t

called that yet.

The title ‘nerve hospital’ was a more modern take on mental

illness, getting away from the term ‘asylum’. Some people still speak

of ‘nervous breakdown’.’




1945 Two Hats‘Once more peace has come to this

country and to the world, though as yet it

is somewhat uneasy peace… Gradually old

faces are beginning to put in appearance

once more as various members of the Staff

return to us from their term of service.’ –

Morningside Mirror.

1946 Ice PickIn this year Dr Walter Freeman invented

the ‘ice pick lobotomy’, so called because

the instrument used resembled a kitchen

ice pick. There is no evidence that such

procedures were carried out at the Hospital

1947 Repurposed Newspaper ‘You never had toilet paper till the Yanks

came over. You had newspaper, and you

cut it into halves, then quarters, and you

squashed up the strips till they were soft,

and you put a hole through and hung

them on a bit of string from the wall.’ –

former patient.

1948 National Health Service PamphletOn the 5th July 1948, the National Health

Service came into being. For the first time,

everyone in Britain had free access to a

family doctor, prescription drugs, glasses or

dentures. According to Arthur Woodburn,

Secretary of State for Scotland: ‘We have

had one-legged patients coming in for an

artificial leg who had never had one before.

We have sometimes had the tragedy that it

is now too late to fit limbs and all we can

do is to supply them with wheeled chairs’.

1949 ECT MachineThe ’40s and ’50s saw the use of ECT

become widespread. Helpful in some

cases of deep depression, but with often

devastating side effects, the machine

passes a current through the brain to

induce convulsions.

1950 StraightjacketA straightjacket, possibly made in the

Hospital’s workshops. ‘I remember not

being able to lift my arms up much, and

the front loop pulling up on the crotch

strap. My shoulders didn’t hurt specifically,

but after thrashing around the first time,

trying to get out, my upper body was sore.

When I was released, they had me do

some basic upper body movements, such

as moving my arms slowly in a circle,

moving my fingers, etc.’


1951 Photograph of a Bagpiper

EXPERT INTERVIEW Lothian Health Services Archive staff

‘We don’t know too much about this image. It’s of an older man

piping outside Craig House, the estate built for fee-paying patients.

You can tell it’s spring because of the tree in blossom behind him.

On the back of the photograph someone has written ‘A well-known

character at Craig House’. That suggests it could be a patient.

You realise this man was probably born in the nineteenth century.

We like the historical continuity it reveals. We were at the

Hospital fête this summer and there were pipers there, so it’s part

of a tradition of people piping in the grounds. We have some

wonderful nineteenth-century drawings of individual patients,

including a man playing a fiddle. Music has always been seen

as therapeutic. Even before electricity, they were having dances,

and people played live music.

The photographs are such a revealing part of the Archive.

With text you have to concentrate, you have to dig in, but

a picture is immediate, like a window into 1951.

You can’t help hoping that, when it goes on exhibition,

someone will see this and recognise the man, tell us more about

him. The Archive has contributed 54 objects out of the 200

objects on show, which is exciting for us. Our role isn’t only about

preservation, but getting the material out there and making sure

people can see what we’ve got.’




1952 Full-body StraightjacketThe use of straightjackets was being phased

out around this time, as new drug therapies

came into being.

1953 Croquet SetA well-used croquet set from West House,

now Mackinnon House.

1954 Man Playing BowlsThe extensive Hospital grounds have

long provided a place for recreation and

tranquility. They also have been a source

of fruit, vegetables, and other produce.

1955 Aversion Therapy ChairIn electric shock aversion therapy,

electrodes were attached to the wrist or

lower leg and shocks were administered

while the patient watched photographs

of men and women in various stages

of undress. The aim was to encourage

avoidance of the shock by moving to

photographs of the opposite sex. It was

hoped that arousal to same sex photographs

would reduce, while relief arising from

shock avoidance would increase interest

in opposite sex images.

1956 Commemorative Plate A silver plate marking Royal visits to

Scottish hospitals, from 1956 to 1989,

including the Queen Mother’s visit

to the Royal Edinburgh.

1957 Glass SyringesThe new drug chlorpromazine was

introduced, effective in controlling

psychosis and delusions.

1958 ‘The Practical Woodturner’A book on woodwork from the

Occupational Therapy department

at Craig House.

1959 Photograph of the New Hen House The hen house was modernised. At this

time, there was also a piggery in the

grounds. Patients helped out in both

enterprises.



1960 LSD BlotterRD Laing’s groundbreaking book,

‘The Divided Self’, was published in

1960. He was a proponent of the idea that

madness was not necessarily a breakdown

but potentially a breakthrough into a more

authentic way of being. He famously took

LSD with Sean Connery; the drug was

legal at the time.

1961 Occupational Therapy PhotographsSeries of photographs recording

Occupational Therapy workshops.

1962 The Morningside MirrorThe Morningside Mirror continued to

be produced, publication slowly fizzling

out in 1974 before Artlink, via artist

Ciara Phillips, revived it in 2011.

1963 Newspaper AdvertisementRecruitment of nurses for West House.

At this time, nurses were trained within the

Hospital and received a small wage during

their three years’ training.

1964 Instruction PosterInstructions for operating chloride batteries

for ECT.

1965 Doll Children were, on occasion, born in the

Hospital to patients undergoing treatment

for mental ill health. In the ’60s and ’70s,

babies accompanied mothers with puerperal

psychosis into the hospital, so that a bond

might have a better chance of forming.

This service is now provided by St John’s

at Howden, in West Lothian.

1966 Press PhotographAn unknown celebrity visits the Hospital.

1967 Painting of James Wigham Affleck Affleck became Physician Superintendent in

1967 and headed the Hospital until 1980.

1968 Nurses’ CapesCapes used to be part of a nurses uniform,

although, like caps and separate cuffs,

they are no longer worn at any National

Health Service hospitals.



1969 Behavioural Research and Therapy BooksAlong with drug treatment, a range

of therapeutic approaches grew in

importance, including Behavioural

Therapy and Psychotherapy, influenced

by the work of Laing and others.

1970 MicrophoneThe Hospital started to video-record some

interviews and assessments with patients.

This original microphone has captured

the voices of hundreds, perhaps thousands

of patients since 1970.

1971 U-matic VideotapeInterviews were recorded onto high

quality video tape in a now-defunct format,

capturing the individual’s responses as they

moved through their treatment. These tapes

are in the process of being transferred to

a digital format, but will remain confidential.

1972 Interview ChairThis chair has been used for every video

interview conducted by the Hospital.

1973 Wooden DucksThe toys were given to patients’ children

to play with while their parent was being

assessed.

1974 ‘Object Removed for Renaming’ SignThe abolition of the South Eastern Regional

Hospital Board and creation of Lothian

Health Board; Royal Edinburgh Hospital

fell under the South Lothian District.

1975 Film ReelA film documenting a patient outing to

Morecambe, Lancashire and a Christmas

party at the Hospital.

1976 Sea Trawler MugA patient longed to own a fishing boat.

His friend bought him this mug from a shop

in Morningside as compensation, or the

nearest he could get to his dream.



1977 A Pile of StonesA group of women, survivors of the

holocaust camps, were said to have lived

in the private wing at Marchhall after the

war. They had all passed away by 1977.

1978 Facsimile of TestA test employed to evaluate cognitive

change.

1979 Patient Craftwork Miniature furniture made from chestnuts.

Not all handiwork was so creative:

‘People were given quite menial tasks.

I remember patients making pegs, the

two halves of the peg would arrive with

the springs in huge big sacks. And the

patients would sit all day long putting them

altogether. For therapy that’s mind blowing

isn’t it, just making pegs. I also remember

patients putting elastoplasts into wee bags

which were sold to local grocers and what

not. On the ground floor at Bevan they

used to do mailing for companies, piles

of A4 sheets, they would take one A4

and put it in the envelope.’

1980 CatA patient with a very large appetite blamed

it on the cat with insatiable hunger who

lived in his stomach.


1981 Basket Weaving Kit

EXPERT INTERVIEW Dianna Manson Patients’ Council

‘I was first admitted in the ’60s when the highest optimum dose was

given, and then gradually reduced. This toxic regime literally felled me.

Each day we were brought down to Occupational Therapy for

three hours. It was obligatory – it was murder. Everyone sat around

a table at whatever stage of their journey they were on.

Because of the drugs, you had double vision, and very little

dexterity. And very frightened, because it was the initial stages of

a psychosis. This basket would arrive, and I learned to loathe it.

I couldn’t do it and I felt grossly insulted, having come from medical

school, to think that this was now my objective in life.

I remember the consultant coming round – you were not

identified by name, just by your diagnosed condition, and she would

remark, “I can see she’s too drugged-up. We need to deal with that”.

Never “how do you feel?” “What would you like to do?” I grew more

and more to hate that basket. It was used to gauge how I was.

I managed, against advice, to get a job during the day, still living

on the ward. Eventually discharged, but with no professional support

in the community, it was a constant struggle. I could be readmitted,

then discharged 3 or 4 times during the course of a year…

Things gradually changed and in the ’80s switched to the

opposite extreme – there were baskets for those who wanted them,

but nothing was obligatory, nobody had to go to group meetings

– you just did as you wished, people would lie in bed all day, they

didn’t eat at all or could eat as much as they wanted. People were

even malnourished!

Life is bearable now because people listen. I go into schools and

I talk about my experiences – just a little old lady with a pink stick

and a pink handbag.’




1982 Christmas DecorationsThese decorations were used to mark

Christmas in the hospital hairdressing

salon. When the hairdresser retired,

the salon closed.

1983 A Garden Fork In 1983 the Scottish Association for Mental

Health opened its first service, a Sprout

Market Garden, a horticultural project

for Scotland where people with health

problems could gain work experience.

Its first supported accommodation project

opened in the following year

1984 Detention PapersContemporary paperwork relating to the

sectioning of patients.

1985 Smashed Goldfish BowlDuring the ‘80s, a former Community

Psychiatric Nurse went out into the

community to visit patients suffering with

alcohol problems. At this time, there were

no mobile phones and she had no pager.

Nobody knew where she was and she

went alone.

Once, she was the first to the scene of

an outburst by a patient. He had smashed

up his flat and she became trapped between

the patient and the police. Once the police

had taken him to hospital, she went into the

ruined flat and saw that he had smashed a

goldfish bowl. She picked up the fish and

put it in the kettle.

It wasn’t until the following week that

she remembered that she had not told

anybody that she had done this.

1986 ‘Wild Haemorrhages of the Imagination’ A booklet about the experience of

schizophrenia, written by Dianna Manson.

Dianna’s life has been unusually intertwined

with the Hospital. She grew up just outside

the gates of Craig House, and as a child,

knew what she calls the ‘old timers’ as

friends. She then trained as a medic and

subsequently was resident in Craig House

as a patient.

1987 Poem Written by a Nurse‘I wrote the poem out of passion and

frustration at how patients with mental

health problems were often perceived in

general hospital settings. As you can see,

I did it many years ago on an old battered

typewriter! It has been sitting in my office

for ages but I still feel strongly about

the way mental health patients can be

misunderstood.’



1988 Three Trophy Plinths It is no longer known what trophies stood

on these plinths, who won them or what for.

1989 Red PaintThe interior colour of the cabinet has been

taken from a painted carving on one of the

fireplaces in the grand hall, Craig House

which closed in 1989.

1990 Sample Card A sampler of materials used by the

Hospital upholsterer.

1991 Violin Staff remember a patient who often used

to play the violin in the reception area of

the Hospital. His name was Frank, and he

was possibly a ‘corridor patient’, the phrase

used for individuals who have been released

from the Hospital, but gravitate back to its

familiarity. He died in 1993.

1992 Clay FlowerpotsThe Occupational Therapy Horticulture

Project opened, providing therapeutic

horticulture to people with severe and

enduring mental health conditions. People

were actively engaged in practical care

of plants, with the aim of improving their

work skills and also wellbeing. It can be

seen as a revival of the Hospital’s long

tradition of gardening and agriculture.

1993 Model of a House There was a fundamental shift in care

with the formal introduction of changes

to support people at home rather than in

long-stay institutions. In 1949, Dingleton

Hospital in the Borders was one of the first

in the world to unlock its wards allowing

patients access to the wider community.

In recent years, Scotland has pioneered new

approaches in promoting mental well being,

although resources remain hard fought for.



1994 Postcard/SouvenirsA group of staff and patients went on

a mini-break to Blackpool.

1995 Small Silver BellThe bell began to be used at staff meetings

by the Community Rehabilitation Team,

it was rung when they had a successful

discharge of a patient leaving the Hospital

to be housed in the community. As some

patients had been resident for 40 or more

years, this required much preparation and

effort by the team and the patients involved.

1996 NewsletterThe first ever Edinburgh campaign to

de-stigmatise mental health.

1997 Tipperlinn Bowling Club BrochureTipperlinn Bowling Club, based in the

grounds and open to both patients and

staff, celebrates its silver jubilee.

1998 Video Training PackProduced by the Patients’ Council, the aim

of the video project was to enable users

to transform their own experience into

learning for others. It also serves as

a training aid to raise awareness of ‘how

it feels’ to be a patient on an acute ward

in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

1999 Metal Union Badges In 1999 workers were given the legal right

to collective bargaining by a recognised

trade union. It applies to workers in the

NHS but does not apply to employees

in the growing private sector.

2000 Giant Bird MobileMade by joiner George Brown for the

Hospital crèche.

2001 Coffee Jar, Mug and SpoonOne patient was particularly fond of adding

many, many spoons of coffee to a mug of

cold or hot water. Usually cold.



2002 Model of a HouseAn increasing number of people

receive care in their own homes or in

supported housing rather than in a long

stay institution. This was seen as the

best option from a humanitarian and

moral perspective.

2003 Detention FormsThe latest version of the forms which

confine a patient to psychiatric care.

2004 Hairdressing ScissorsWilma Holmes was the in-house hairdresser

for the Hospital for more than thirty years –

from 1972 to 2010.

2005 Jigsaw Pieces Pieces from a number of different puzzles

mixed together by Mrs H, who claimed

it made the assembling of the images

more challenging.

2006 Photographs from the Patients’ CouncilThe Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients’

Council continues to strengthen the voice

of patients and former patients through

independent collective advocacy.

2007 Innovative Practice AwardThe Mental Health Nursing Forum Scotland

Innovation Practice Award for Adult Acute

Inpatient Services, which was won by

the Self Harm Project in 2007. The award

is a sculpture, ‘The Road to Recovery’,

by Alison McGuigan.

2008 60th Birthday CardThe NHS was born out of a long held ideal

that good healthcare should be available

to all, regardless of wealth. Since its launch

in 1948, the NHS has grown to become

the world’s largest publicly-funded health

service.


2009 Military Food TinVeterans First Point (V1P) is a service

designed by veterans for veterans, offering

welfare and psychological support as

they adjust to life after military service.

V1P works with veterans of all ages and

branches of service (including reservists and

TA) as well as their families to successfully

transition back to civilian life.

2010 Patient DrawingThe tradition of vocational and creative

activity continues through the various

workshops carried out by occupational

therapists as well as numerous voluntary

and community organisations.

Drawings by Albert Stewart Nicolson.

2011 Union BannersUnion Flags from the one-day Pensions

Dispute demonstration in Edinburgh.

Over 4000 union members demonstrated.

Plans begin to redevelop the Royal

Edinburgh Hospital on its existing site

over the next 10 years.

2012 GnomeHistorically, the Hospital held Gala Days

for patients. Working with staff, Artlink

re-introduced a Gala Day four years ago

in the lead up to the bicentenary. Last

year, patients and staff worked on creating

a Gnome Olympics to coincide with the

London Olympics. Numerous gnomes were

made and altered into sporting positions, to

become athletes within the Gnome Olympic

Stadium.

Gnome made by Gareth Shaw,

OT Assistant.

2013 Door Bell and HammerReputed to be the original doorbell to

the entrance of Mackinnon House.

At the same time as the Hospital prepares

for a radical new phase of building works,

it was removed this year and handed to

the EVER / PRESENT / PAST project.

Countless numbers of fingers would have

pressed this bell over the first 170-year span

of the Building’s existence.



Ever/Present/PastThe history of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital (REH) spans 200

years, covering many life times and diverse experiences of the

psychiatric system. These experiences, some sad, some heartening,

some funny and some down right odd, give a different insight

into the everyday life of this hospital and the ways in which it has

changed over the years.

When Artlink was set the task of capturing the Hospital’s

history, it decided to approach the whole project in the same way

it runs its workshops. First start with the individual; learn from

their experience; then see where it takes you. The artists involved

in the programme became researchers, meeting with individuals,

slowly unearthing stories, collating these experiences, offering new

perspectives, turning their research into artworks. The result is

EVER / PRESENT / PAST, a year-long programme curated and

co-ordinated by Artlink, which exposes the history of the REH

through events, talks and exhibitions. The year culminates in the

exhibition at the Talbot Rice Gallery.

Mark Dion’s 200 Years / 200 Objects has seen a spectacular

research programme of involvement and activity, which involved

a monumental programme of collecting, collating and sifting of the

stories connected to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. For Mark Dion

this meant ‘collections’ in the broadest sense, involving tours of the

Hospital and its community. From underneath the floor boards

to up on the roof, he gained an understanding of the Hospital

through the places he visited and the people he met with. He

also cleverly employed staff, patients, archivists and the wider

community to help excavate the Hospital’s history from

their perspectives.

Each year from 1813 to 2013 was assigned an object.

Each object has a story. The objects have been gathered from

a variety of sources, such as the Morningside community, the

Hospital community, and the Lothian Health Services Archive,

amongst others.



Mark Dion has also made specific interventions especially for

the exhibition. Researched information and speculative fiction

are intertwined to construct a compelling and convincing story.

Archive, historical, contemporary, loaned, bought, donated, found

and newly commissioned objects rub shoulders with each other in

the 14m long cabinet. The mass collection of 200 objects combine

to create an involved, complex and thought provoking artwork.

Mark Dion and Artlink would like to thank everyone who

took part in the realisation of this work, from the porter to the nurse,

the local shop keeper to the patient. Your contributions have helped

make it as rich and expansive as the Hospital’s 200 years.

Alison Stirling and Trevor Cromie

Co-curators EVER / PRESENT / PAST

Thanks to: Artlink Director, Jan-Bert van den Berg, for his invaluable

support and guidance throughout the project.



Acknowledgements

Royal Edinburgh Hospital Staff and Patients past and present

Lothian Health Services Archive, Centre for Research Collections, Edinburgh University

University of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery

University of Edinburgh

Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients’ Council

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Robert Smail’s Printing Works

W. Armstrong & Son

Dr Neil’s Garden Trust, Duddingston Curling House

Museum on the Mound, Lloyds Banking Group

Morningside Heritage Association

Veterans First Point

Craighouse Partnership

Cousland Smiddy

Community Rehabilitation Team, Royal Edinburgh Hospital

The Orchard Clinic, Royal Edinburgh Hospital

Nursing Studies, School of Health and Social Science, University of Edinburgh

The Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress

Royal Voluntary Service

Patient’s Library, Royal Edinburgh Hospital

Volunteer Hub, Royal Edinburgh Hospital

Health Promotion Resource Centre, NHS Lothian

Tipperlinn Bowling Club

UNISON

Edinburgh Napier University

Volunteer Edinburgh

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation Council

Caps Advocacy

Advocard

Morningside local shops and businesses

Morningside community



Special thanks to:

Tom Arnott, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Lothian Health

Services Archive staff.

Laura Aldridge, Rohan Almond, Claire Barclay, Jim Baird,

Allan Beveridge, Julie Bishop, Sharon Boyle, Colin Bright, George

Brown, Irene Brown, David Budd, Sarah Cairns, Vanessa Cameron,

Kara Christine, James Clegg, Andrew Connell, Susan Davidson,

Margaret Dunn, Anne Elliot, Stuart Fallon, Angela Farr, Pat Fisher,

Serena Fredrick, Claire Fyvie, Laura Gould, Shirley Gowers, Gen

Harrison, Ruth Honeybone, Susan Hood, Ronnie Jack, Christine

Jones, Maggie Keppie, Louise Learmonth, Dianna Manson, Patrick

McFall, Maggie McIvor, Gordon McLetchie, Alison Meiklejohn,

Ewen Meldrum, Roger Mercer, Susan Mercer, Iain Milne, Eileen

Moar, Tim Montgomery, Mary Mooney, Albert Nicholson, Sarah

Noble, Hazel Norcross, Grace O’Hanlon, Jill Powlett Brown, Fiona

Reynolds, Deborah Ritchie, Peter Ross, Ian Seath, Gareth Shaw,

Dana Sherwood, Neville Singh, Hania Smarecka, Marianne Smith,

Laura Spring, Tommy Stuart, Susan Tennyson, Eleni Thomaidou,

Anne Thomson, Alison Thorburn, Carolyn Thorburn, George Todd,

Catherine Walker, Eric Walker, Kirsty Williams, Louise Williams,

Stephen Willis, Andy Wills.

Mark Dion would like to thank the The Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

for their continued support and the artist, Sarah Mercer for her

assistance during the installation period. He would also like to

acknowledge the exceptional work of the project interns Kristin

Cunningham, Emma Middleton and Page Benkowski, during the

research, conceptualization and production phases of the exhibition.



Credits Catalogue published by Artlink in an edition of 1000, November 2013 Catalogue published to accompany the following exhibition.

200 Years / 200 Objects, Mark DionUniversity of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery.

16th November 2013 to 15th February 2014

© Copyright 2013 the artist, authors and publisher.

The Ever / Present / Past project has been co-curated by Trevor Cromie and Artlink’s Projects Director Alison Stirling, the exhibition has been realised in collaboration with the Talbot Rice Gallery.

Design by Nicky Regan, Submarine DesignText by Nicola WhiteEdited by Alison Stirling and Trevor Cromie

The following images courtesy of Lothian Health Services Archive, Edinburgh University Library.Front cover and page 35 Ref: LHSA/EUL/LHB7/13/14 (7) Page 20 Ref: LHSA/EUL/GD16Page 38 Ref: LHSA/EUL/ P/PL7/P/014

All other photographs Anne Elliot.

Disclaimer

In collating the objects and stories for this exhibit, we drew on the memories of past and present patients, staff and the local community. Some of these stories are based on fact, some are fiction and some hearsay. All have been adapted by the artist for the purpose of the artwork and do not necessarily represent the views of the organisations we have worked with.

Artlink promotes diversity, drawing on lived experiences to inform creative responses which are both relevant and enduring.




M A R K D I O N

Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians13a Spittal StreetEdinburghEH3 9DY Tel: 0131 229 3555Website: www.artlinkedinburgh.co.ukBlog: www.artlinkeverpresentpast.wordpress.com Artlink is a company registered in Scotland No. 87845 with charitable status. Scottish Charity No. SC006845.


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