Glenside Museum facts for kids
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| Location | Glenside Campus, Fishponds, Bristol, England |
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The Glenside Museum is a special place located on the Glenside Campus of the University of the West of England in Fishponds, Bristol, England. It tells the story of how mental health care has changed over time.
The museum was started by Dr Donal F. Early, a doctor who worked at Glenside Hospital starting in the 1950s. He began collecting interesting items and memories from the hospital. At first, his collection was just on a balcony! Later, when the hospital building closed, the collection moved to the old Glenside Chapel. This chapel was built in 1861 and is a very old and important building. Over time, Dr. Early's collection grew into the museum you can visit today. The museum doesn't charge an entry fee, but it welcomes donations to help keep it running.
Contents
A Look at the Past
The museum's collection shows what life was like at Glenside Hospital. This hospital had different names over the years. It was once known as the Bristol Lunatic Asylum. During World War I, it became the Beaufort War Hospital. Later, it was called Bristol Mental Hospital.
The museum also has items from other local hospitals that helped people with learning disabilities. These include the Stoke Park Group and the Burden Neurological Institution. You can see many interesting objects and old photographs.
Art at the Museum
The museum features drawings and paintings by a talented artist named Dennis Reed. He created images showing daily life at Glenside during the 1950s. These beautiful artworks are displayed in the chancel area of the chapel.
Old Medical Equipment
Among the exhibits, you can find some early Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) machines. These machines show how medical treatments have changed over history.
Famous Painter at Glenside
One well-known person who worked at the hospital was the painter Stanley Spencer. He later became Sir Stanley Spencer, a very famous artist. In 1915 and 1916, he worked there as a medical orderly. This was during World War I.
Glenside as a War Hospital
During the war, the hospital was used for military patients. It was renamed the Beaufort War Hospital. It had to care for many wounded soldiers, sometimes more than 1,460 at once! Some patients who were already there helped with simple tasks.
Stanley Spencer found his time at the hospital challenging. But he also had quiet moments that inspired him. He wrote about his second day, saying he had to clean the hospital church. He saw it as a test of his feelings about the war. He also mentioned that some of the patients were good workers. One patient always saluted with the wrong hand, and another thought he was an electric battery.
Remembering Stanley Spencer
On December 14, 2009, which was 50 years after Spencer's death, the University of the West of England held a special event. They now own the hospital building. They unveiled new artwork and a blue plaque. This plaque remembers Stanley Spencer's time at the busy Beaufort War Hospital.
See also
- Healthcare in Bristol
- Blackberry Hill Hospital
- Churches in Bristol
