Abandoned Pennhurst State School and Hospital administration building in 2008 at 100 years old
see: Preserve Pennhurst at http://pennhurst.890m.com/
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/preservepennhurst.html
The institution, also known as an asylum for the "feeble minded" and "defective" at one time, closed down operations decades ago:
"The buildings at Pennhurst have suffered nearly two decades of neglect by the state. Thieves have stripped them of their valuable metals; graffiti tags are scrawled across the walls, and a thick blanket of vegetation obscures many of the abandoned structures." http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20080816_Trio_wants_to_preserve_legacy_of_Pennhurst.html
From 1970 to 1972, I was a Therapeutic Activities Worker at this large institution in Northern Chester County, around 35 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The sprawling campus housed over 1000 "retarded" and brain damaged individuals. Part of my job was to supervise a testing and training program for a Sheltered Workshop where residents could earn money for light assembly tasks.
The following are pencil sketches by me, Joe Szimhart, of Pennhurst residents and sketches by residents. Most of the sketches I did of residents I either gave to the resident or to staff who requested a sketch. These are what I saved for my collection.
Benny working at sheltered workshop test site.
"Batman" by Larry Taylor (a middle-aged man)
Larry Taylor by Joe Szimhart
"Man" by Gerald Ford who was in his late teens at the time, as I recall.
Marie had a delightfully distinct profile. This caricature is not meant as a
distortion.
"this a big place Were all people go When They Die" by Tom, a man around thirty.
"Harry" by Joe. Harry Callahan was mildy retarded but had certain gifts like an
ability to whistle or hum classical music. He also liked to draw.
"Joe Szimhart" drawn by Harry Callahan.
self-portrait on small note paper by Beatrice Safern, an older woman.
"Goo" by Joseph Catron, around age 20.
a happy man by Joe Delvecchio who was in his late teens.