Old Photograph Gartnavel Asylum Glasgow Scotland

Old photograph of Gartnavel Asylum in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1804 the Committee of Management of the asylum was formed, construction began in 1810 and completed in 1814. Originally opened as the Glasgow Lunatic Asylum in 1814 in the Cowcaddens area of Glasgow, when a royal charter was obtained it became the Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum in 1824. The facility moved to new premises designed by Charles Wilson in 1843, the new premises were designed to allow segregation by patients' gender and social class. In 1845 the Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum published Gartnavel Minstrel, this is the earliest example of a publication written and edited by hospital patients. These premises were again extended in 1877, 1973 and 1959. The Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum became the Glasgow Royal Mental Hospital in 1931 and the Gartnavel Royal Hospital in 1963. Sir David Henderson was physician superintendent at the hospital from 1921 to 1932. Donald Ewen Cameron worked at the hospital during the 1920s and R. D. Laing worked at the hospital for a number of years during the 1950s.



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