<p>This digitised material is free to access, but contains information or visuals that may:</p><ul><li>include personal details of living individuals</li><li>be upsetting or distressing</li><li>be explicit or graphic</li><li>include objects and images of objects decontextualised in a way that is offensive to the originating culture.</li></ul>By viewing this material, we ask that you use the content lawfully, ethically and responsibly under the conditions set out in our <a href="https://wellcomecollection.cdn.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/d4817da5-c71a-4151-81c4-83e39ad4f5b3_Wellcome+Collection_Access+Policy_Aug+2020.pdf">Access Policy</a>.

'Life in a Mental Hospital', by Fyfe Robinson, Picture Post 23 November 1946; with 'Postscript' to article, with responses from readers, Picture Post 15 February 1947

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Shop

Café

Due to essential system maintenance, online requesting will be unavailable from 9pm until midnight on Tuesday 21 April. You can still search the catalogue as usual. We apologise for any inconvenience.

We're running paid user research studies to improve Wellcome Collection online

Take part in research

This article of 1946 includes many photographs. Picture Post asked the Retreat in 1946 - the 150th anniversary year - to be allowed to produce an illustrated article. The journalist Fyfe Robertson and the photographer K. Hutton lived at the Retreat for ten days in order to produce the piece. The purpose of the article was to publicise the topic of mental illness and dispel fears about mental institutions. The Retreat is unnamed, but the article says: "The hospital visited is not necessarily typical. It was one of the pioneers of humane treatment in Britain. But it is the duty of every public authority charged with the care of the mentally ill, to see that the standards and achievements of its own hospitals match up with those described." The 'Postscript' article was published after 500 letters had been received

Content advisory

'Life in a Mental Hospital', by Fyfe Robinson, Picture Post 23 November 1946; with 'Postscript' to article, with responses from readers, Picture Post 15 February 1947

Licence and re-use