This Way Madness Lies: The Asylum and Beyond

'Superb ... all the lucidity you could wish for when struggling to apprehend this most disturbing and problematic of subjects' - London Review of Books

A compelling illustrated exploration of the evolution of the asylum and attitudes to mental illness from the 17th century to the present day

This richly illustrated book, which accompanies the exhibition, Bedlam: The Asylum and Beyond at London's Wellcome Collection, tells the story of changing attitudes to mental illness from the middle ages to now, through the lens of the history of the asylum

Rarely seen photographs and illustrations drawn from the archives of mental institutions in Europe and the U.S. illuminate and reinforce the compelling narrative, while extensive ‘gallery’ sections present revealing and thought-provoking artworks by asylum patients and other artists from each era of the institution and beyond.

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