Artifacts

The Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health houses a large collection of materials related to the operation of several state-run hospitals and the people who lived and worked within their walls.  Browse highlights from the collections here.

05 May 2, 2011

Straitjacket

2018-03-02T20:57:40-08:0005, 02, 11|Artifacts|0 Comments

This straitjacket is thought to be from the Eastern Oregon State Hospital in Pendleton.  It has a tag in the back that reads "Melrose 4000."   It is well-worn, and there are patches on both shoulders [...]

02 February 7, 2011

Watchclock

2018-03-02T20:57:42-08:0002, 07, 11|Artifacts|1 Comment

Portable watchclocks like that on the left in the above photograph and key stations like the one on the right were basic tools used by security personnel at the Oregon State Hospital and many other factories and [...]

04 April 13, 2010

Salem’s Brew

2018-03-02T20:58:06-08:0004, 13, 10|Artifacts|1 Comment

If you’re like me, Salem isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when you think of beer.  But even before the dawn of Oregon’s microbrew industry, beer and hops were big business in [...]

03 March 24, 2010

Motoring Through History

2018-03-02T20:58:29-08:0003, 24, 10|Artifacts|0 Comments

Not all of the historic items housed at the Oregon State Hospital relate directly to psychiatry and medicine.  The objects preserved at the hospital also provide a wider view of our past, like the history of truck [...]

02 February 7, 2010

Clinic

2018-03-02T20:58:30-08:0002, 07, 10|Artifacts|3 Comments

  This painting is one of the many treasures uncovered in the Gold Room.  Painted by the Oregon artist Martina Gangle Curl, it depicts a man using a stethoscope to [...]

01 January 28, 2010

Postcard Views from the Past

2018-03-02T20:58:30-08:0001, 28, 10|Artifacts, Buildings, History|Comments Off on Postcard Views from the Past

These vintage postcards of the Oregon State Insane asylum are part of a collection put together by OSH Director of Quality Improvement Ted Ficken.   Postcards of important government buildings, like the Oregon State Hospital, were used for all sorts [...]

01 January 6, 2010

Bits and Pieces

2018-03-02T20:58:30-08:0001, 06, 10|Artifacts, Inventory|1 Comment

These miscellaneous parts were found during the inventory process.  While they may look like junk (and many of them may turn out to be just that), the innocuous looking metal piece T2009.002.053 proved to be much [...]

Go to Top