This exhibit explores the events surrounding the trial of Charles Julius Guiteau, who assassinated American President James Garfield in 1881. Topics covered include the history of the insanity defense and the growing relevance of eugenic thought in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Drawing on the Oskar Diethelm Library's collections, this exhibit makes use of unpublished notes and manuscripts to provide a unique perspective on this landmark moment in the history of the relationship between psychiatry and law.
This exhibit showcases the life of Thomas W. Salmon (1876-1927), a prominent psychiatrist active in the mental hygiene movement and early advocate of psychiatric care for veterans suffering from PTSD. It focuses on the pivotal role Salmon’s tenure at Ellis Island (1904-07) played in formulating his preoccupation with public health administration, education, and advocacy. Through this angle, the exhibition explores the relationship between psychiatry, immigration, and philanthropy in the early 20th century, revealing how psychiatrists used a rising tide of immigration into the US to reimagine their position in society.
Immigration, Psychiatry, and Mental Hygiene consists of a series of chapters focusing on periods of Salmon’s life and his writings, alongside explanations of larger issues and cultural trends that shaped his perspective and reaction to different issues. The exhibition is based on the archival holdings of the Oskar Diethelm Library, including materials from the Thomas W. Salmon Collection and the National Committee for Mental Hygiene Collection, as well as materials from the Rockefeller Foundation Archives.
This exhibit explores the events surrounding the trial of Charles Julius Guiteau, who assassinated American President James Garfield in 1881. Topics covered include the history of the insanity defense and the growing relevance of eugenic thought in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Drawing on the Oskar Diethelm Library's collections, this exhibit makes use of unpublished notes and manuscripts to provide a unique perspective on this landmark moment in the history of the relationship between psychiatry and law.
Utilizing the resources at the Diethelm Library, this exhibit examines cocaine's introduction to medicine, where it was first championed within psychiatry and neurology.
This exhibit explores the activist and intellectual movement of anti-psychiatry, drawing upon resources from the Oskar Diethelm Library. Largely focused on the USA and Canada, it explores patient voices in the collection, as well as anti-psychiatry’s origins and 20th century expressions.
"Asian Exclusion Zone" from the 1917 Immigration Law. The "Asian Exclusion Zone" corresponded to the area enclosed by the thick black line, encompassing the entirety of South and Southeast Asia. The 1917 Act stipulated that no one from these regions was allowed to immigrate into the US except in very specific cases.
