I Want to Talk About Dead People for Awhile.

About two years ago, an insane asylum in Portland, Oregon was being cleaned out. The creamated remains of 5,000 unidentified patients were discovered “tucked away in a closet.”

It seemed to be fairly common in 19th c. insane asylums that many of the inmates were without relatives, names, or even identities. At The Ridges, in Athens, Ohio, many inmates were buried in anonymous graves, their tombs marked only by a number.

These particular remains were sealed in copper containers that corroded over time, creating fascinating patterns on the outside of the cans. Artist David Maisel has been photographing the remains. The individuality of the “portraits” he takes seems to give the inmates the identity they have been denied in death.


Further reading:

Wikipedia: Athens Lunatic Asylum
Boing Boing:
Cremated remains of 5,000 mental patients discovered in old Oregon sanatorium