This photo came to me with two pieces of identifying information. “Folz Studio, Moose Lake, Minn,” printed on its cardboard frame and, written in pencil on the back: 6-25-1955. Whether or not further information exists on the back of the photo itself will remain a mystery; the adhesive is still holding strong 70 years later….
Erna Deiglmayr: Courage, Service, Resistance
A few months ago, a second copy of Vol. 2 of the midcentury American Handbook of Psychiatry arrived at my house. I scanned, as I always do, for evidence of a former owner. There was a small address label in the inside cover, but the text had been redacted. Thankfully, there was just enough difference…
America’s First Black Psychiatrist: Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller
In honor of Black History Month , I draw your attention to the life and legacy of Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, M.D., the first Black psychiatrist in the United States, and a pioneer in neurology and pathology whose discoveries illuminated the true etiological origins of dementia. Born in Liberia in 1872, Dr. Fuller was the…
An Aria for Beverly Samans
Later this month, Hulu will premiere their original drama “Boston Strangler,” starring Keira Knightly and Carrie Coon as Boston Record American reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole. McLaughlin and Cole contributed significantly to public awareness of the violent atrocities which befell women in the greater Boston area in the early to mid 1960s. It will…
The Inkblot Purist
The Inkblot Purist is an independent academic examination of the history of state institutions in the United States, delving into the architecture, politics, society, and culture of those locations designed and constructed for the purpose of addressing the residential psychiatric and developmental needs of the public. Of paramount importance is this project’s commitment to illuminating…