The Willard Suitcase exhibit

Lives They Left Behind - Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic

"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."

Collection criteria: The online exhibit is part of a larger, traveling exhibit. There five six main sections to the site with information on: the traveling exhibit, the suitcases/patients, the institution, the book written about Willard Center, and questions & conclusions. The site offers glimpses into the lives of nine institution patients, all committed to the Willard mental hospital in the 1900s. Only a few images are shown for each person in the exhibit; mainly images of photographs, a few books, letters, and other things unique to each person who owned them like tea cups, clothings, and other personal effects. The entire collection online contains around 100 images - of the institution, the cemetery, and the patients & their belongings. There are also several audio files of former hospital staff and patients who gave their recollections of the Willard institution.

Metadata: Not much. In fact, this site is frustrating because of the lack of information it gives about the images - a caption giving a few specifics would be nice. I'm assuming, based on the fact that the website is only a couple years old, that the images are mostly digital photographs, but no information on them is given; no sizes, file types, or resolutions. There is one page of credits that tells who and where the different photographs came from. The credits page also names who wrote the text and designed the website. The audio files tell who conducted the interviews, as well as the names and brief background of who was interviewed, but again lacks information about the files themselves.

Object characteristics: The website is a Flash site, with a focus of looking good over function; the site is hard to navigate. You can choose if you want to view the site and images in low, medium, or high quality. The images can't be made larger or smaller - they appear to you as they are. Some images are in color, others are black & white or sepia toned.

Intended audience: People interested in asylum history and early mental healthcare. Those who like unusual subject matter or unique galleries – because the idea behind the gallery is fascinating. Advocates for better mental health treatment.