Northampton State Hospital; established in 1856; was built with the optimistic spirit of humanitarian reform. For many years; it was run by Dr. Pliny Earle; a champion of treatment that combined individualized care with manual labor; religious worship; recreation; and amusement. This vision was overwhelmed as the hospital was called upon to care for ever-larger numbers of people with varying needs. By the mid-20th century; the hospital was an isolated small "city;" with hundreds of employees caring for more than 2;000 patients in overcrowded and inadequate conditions. It became a nationally important center of political and legal struggle over the role of state hospitals in the care of the mentally ill. After being gradually phased out; the hospital was closed in 1993; and the buildings; though listed in the National Register of Historic Places; were demolished in 2006. This volume brings to life the 135-year story of Northampton State Hospital through beautiful and haunting photographs drawn from the collections of Historic Northampton; the citys local history museum.
#2502641 in eBooks 2014-10-27 2014-10-27File Name: B00PCTMJDU
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Intriguing study of american cultureBy Nikica GilicFirst of all; I agree that this book participates in a very dubious tendency of contemporary study of culture. You could call it "the metaphorical phallacy" but basically; it boils down to using wit and metaphor to construct actual connections between groups of people; while all the time explaining how the relations between the groups are very complex and; oh; so complicated to understand.So; instead of writing argumentative sociology; contemporary cultural analysis (Slavoj Zizek; for example) connects ideas in a way worthy of the best modernist fiction writers or even poets...While I am suspicious of the authors method; I think he applies it very well: his method is consistent and the richness of data is great.The thing I miss are mostly caused by my own slant: I like jazz; and whether Gershwin; Goodman; Shaw and Mezzrow are Jews or not; Im interested in their direct or indirect contribution to the development of this multicultural artistic form.Not being American (nor African nor Jewish); I find this book very interesting as a clarification of an interesting side issue of my general interest in American art; culture and popular culture and my particular interest in jazz.So; here are only a few "culturological" quibbles I have with this interesting and insightful book:I miss a short paragraph on Sammy Davis Jr. (he was too popular and intriguing public figure to be missing from this sort of book) and; also; the relation of African American artists and their Jewish promotors; impressarios etc. needs more elaboration (wasnt Norman Granz Jewish? What about Joe Glaser?). Also; Im not really comfortable with the way "queer" issues creep into this political and racial discussion; the connection could have been better explained (or illustrated); otherwise it seems only fashionable spice to the thesis (digression: once asked whether his computer HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey had homosexual undertone in his voice; Stanley Kubrick answered that HAL is absolutely heterosexual computer).9 of 18 people found the following review helpful. If I Had a HammerBy DonDWhen youre holding a hammer; everything starts to look like a nail. Jeffrey Melnick has a theory -- actually more a gripe -- and; by God; any piece of evidence; no matter how flimsy; no matter how anecdotal; is going to prove his theory."A Right to Sing the Blues" might have been far more compelling or provocative if it had been a magazine article; or a piece for the New York Review of Books. It really doesnt stand up as a scholarly monograph -- the "research" consists largely of fairly wide reading in secondary sources; coupled with a number of anecdotes that get repeated and repeated and repeated until you get the feeling that what youre reading is not a "book" at all; but rather discarded paragraphs from Melnicks dissertation.This is probably the kind of trendy; jargon-filled claptrap that gets tenure at less-than-front-rank colleges; but; as scholarship it degenerates into a kind of poorly expressed ideological horse-beating for the easily impressed. No one; for example; not even George Gershwin has a "career" -- everyone has a "project." You get the idea.Melnick does not seem to understand; or care very much about; the art forms or the artists hes writing about; but hes damn-sure going to indict every Jew in show business who ever dared to write a pop song or appear onstage. I thought we were over Jewish self-loathing. Well; maybe most Jews are; but Jeffrey Melnick defintely aint one of them.I was prepared to like this book; and I have to say there are moments of genuine insight. However; you have to slog through more than 200 pages of vacuous "argument" to find them. Not a very good deal.7 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Semi-excruciatingBy XaurreauXI give this book two stars instead of one only because Im assuming there is a significant amount of fact--dry fact. If this book is to be used as a reference for research it would best be utilized in combination with other books dealing with the same subject. It shouldnt be relied upon by itself.In addition to the Jew-bashing noted by another reviewer; I found the book to be boring. Although I purchased it over a year ago; I have been uninspired to complete more than half the book. I suppose Ill get around to it at some point; but Im in no hurry.
