The Lives They Left Behind

While I am often moved to tears, I'm rarely speechless. This site inflicted both conditions on me. The subject is The Willard Suitcase Exhibit and it showcases the contents of suitcases which were found on the site of a New York psychiatric clinic that closed in 1995. When you enter the site, look at the links on the bottom. Using those you can navigate to read information about the suitcase owners, the clinic and the project.

I found it a very moving story. Of the patients shown on the site, three years was the shortest incarceration, 62 years the longest. I really urge everyone to look at this.

This is from the site:
When Willard Psychiatric Center in New York's Finger Lakes closed in 1995, workers discovered hundreds of suitcases in the attic of an abandoned building. Many of them appeared untouched since their owners packed them decades earlier before entering the institution.

The suitcases and their contents bear witness to the rich, complex lives their owners lived prior to being committed to Willard. They speak about aspirations, accomplishments, community connections, but also about loss and isolation. From the clothing and personal objects left behind, we can gain some understanding of who these people were before they disappeared behind hospital walls. We can picture their jobs and careers, see them driving cars, playing sports, studying, writing, and traveling the world. We can imagine their families and friends. But we can also see their lives coming apart due to unemployment, the death of a loved one, loneliness, poverty, or some other catastrophic event.

Robin