Essex County Hospital Center 35mm Slides (Part 3)

Posted: Friday February 1, 2013

A continuation of digitalized 35mm slides originating from the defunct Essex County Hospital Center. This 2013 series of scanned slides details aspects of patient life as well as provides a look into the daily workings of a psychiatric hospital. Most of the scenes captured within the images appear to date back to sometime during the 1970's.

Pictured above is Building 33, better known as the Peer Building, a small hospital/office building separated from the main campus by Fairview Avenue. The Peer Building was never used to house patients, instead the building's original purpose was to house student nurses, however over the years as the idea of resident nurses became obsolete, the building was converted over into office space as well as storage for financial records. Peer was one of the first buildings to close, shuttered long before the remaining hospital buildings.

Who I assume to be a hospital employee tending to a patient within the beauty salon. Strangely, the salon is located within the basement building 11, a thin temporary sheet-rock wall divides the salon off from the morgue, which is located just behind the wall.

Pictured here, a doctor returning a book on american psychiatry to the medial library on campus.

A group of patients gather to converse over a meal, within one of the many day rooms.

A male patient consumes a cafeteria style prepared meal. The patient is sitting with his back against the cinderblock wall within the male cafeteria.

An older gentleman reading scripture within the synagogue. Despite the term "synagogue" denoting Jewish faith, the room was used by patients to practice various religions. The pulpit pictured within the photo above still remains inside the room.

A picture showing patients interacting with an older man. It is my best guess that the photograph was taken inside the Green House building, which was demolished in 2009.

Three nurses tending to a bedridden patient. It's possible the man seen in the back of the picture wearing the black suit may be a doctor or psychiatrist, overseeing a procedure.

A hand crafted billboard detailing information about radiology. What appear to be pictures of brain scans and X-rays are tacked to the board. The Radiology Department was located in the basement of Building 11, operating out of a small corner room. Inside the room once remained a single full body X-Ray machine, however it was removed from the hospital a few months after closure.

Interested in decreasing your productivity at work?
Why not take a look back at Part 1 or Part 2?

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