Damnation Island : poor, sick, mad & criminal in 19th-century New York /
Roosevelt Island is a two-mile stretch of land in New York's East River. In the past, it was Blackwell's Island: site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals. Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility it became, in the words of a visiting...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina :
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill,
2018
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| Edition: | First edition |
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| Summary: | Roosevelt Island is a two-mile stretch of land in New York's East River. In the past, it was Blackwell's Island: site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals. Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility it became, in the words of a visiting Charles Dickens, 'a lounging, listless madhouse.' Through the gripping voices of the island's inhabitants, as well as the period's officials, reformers, and journalists, Horn brings its forgotten history to life. In doing so, she shows us how far we've come in caring for the least fortunate among us-- and reminds us how much work still remains. -- adapted from jacket Roosevelt Island is a two-mile stretch of land in New York's East River. In the past, it was Blackwell's Island: site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals. Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility it became, in the words of a visiting Charles Dickens, 'a lounging, listless madhouse.' Through the gripping voices of the island's inhabitants, as well as the period's officials, reformers, and journalists, Horn brings its forgotten history to life. In doing so, she shows us how far we've come in caring for the least fortunate among us-- and reminds us how much work still remains. -- adapted from jacket "It's now known as New York City's Roosevelt Island. Originally called Blackwell's Island, it housed a lunatic asylum, prison, hospital, workhouse and almshouse in the 19th century. This book re-creates what daily life was like on the island, what politics shaped it, and what constituted therapy and charity in the nineteenth century"-- "On a two-mile stretch of land in New York's East River, a 19th-century horror story was unfolding ... Today we call it Roosevelt Island. Then, it was Blackwell's, site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals. Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility the world had ever seen, Blackwell's Island quickly became, in the words of a visiting Charles Dickens, 'a lounging, listless madhouse.' In the first contemporary investigative account of Blackwell's, Stacy Horn tells this chilling narrative through the gripping voices of the island's inhabitants, as well as the period's officials, reformers, and journalists, including the celebrated Nellie Bly. Digging through city records, newspaper articles, and archival reports, Horn brings this forgotten history alive: there was terrible overcrowding; prisoners were enlisted to care for the insane; punishment was harsh and unfair; and treatment was nonexistent. Throughout the book, we return to the extraordinary Reverend William Glenney French as he ministers to Blackwell's residents, battles the bureaucratic mazes of the Department of Correction and a corrupt City Hall, testifies at salacious trials, and in his diary wonders about man's inhumanity to man. In Damnation Island, Stacy Horn shows us how far we've come in caring for the least fortunate among us--and reminds us how much work still remains."--Dust jacket "On a two-mile stretch of land in New York's East River, a 19th-century horror story was unfolding ... Today we call it Roosevelt Island. Then, it was Blackwell's, site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals. Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility the world had ever seen, Blackwell's Island quickly became, in the words of a visiting Charles Dickens, 'a lounging, listless madhouse.' In the first contemporary investigative account of Blackwell's, Stacy Horn tells this chilling narrative through the gripping voices of the island's inhabitants, as well as the period's officials, reformers, and journalists, including the celebrated Nellie Bly. Digging through city records, newspaper articles, and archival reports, Horn brings this forgotten history alive: there was terrible overcrowding; prisoners were enlisted to care for the insane; punishment was harsh and unfair; and treatment was nonexistent. Throughout the book, we return to the extraordinary Reverend William Glenney French as he ministers to Blackwell's residents, battles the bureaucratic mazes of the Department of Correction and a corrupt City Hall, testifies at salacious trials, and in his diary wonders about man's inhumanity to man. In Damnation Island, Stacy Horn shows us how far we've come in caring for the least fortunate among us--and reminds us how much work still remains."--Jacket |
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| Item Description: | This WorldCat-derived record is shareable under Open Data Commons ODC-BY, with attribution to OCLC |
| Physical Description: | xii, 284 pages : illustration, maps ; 24 cm xii, 284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm xii, 284 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm xii, 284 pages ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-284) Includes bibliographical references |
| ISBN: | 1616205768 1616209356 9781616205768 9781616209353 |