The ‘Ever Present Past’ project at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital was developed and coordinated by Artlink. The project explored the history of the Hospital through a series of talks, events and workshops and artist placements throughout 2013 – the Hospital’s bi-centenary year. The programme culminated in a public exhibition at the Talbot Rice Gallery from 16th November 2013 to 15th February 2014.
1965 Doll
Children were, on occasion, born in the hospital to patients undergoing treatment for mental ill health. In the 60s and 70s, babies accompanied mothers with puerperal psychosis into the hospital, so that a bond might have a better chance of forming. This service is now provided by St. John’s at Howden, in West Lothian
Did you know that there is a talk on at 11am at the Talbot Rice Gallery on Saturday 8th February? There should be seats available, so just turn up!
As the REH becomes a shiny new building it is important that we look back and consider how the designed landscape that surrounds many of Scotland’s hospitals came to be seen as very important in the treatment of patients.
The talk will be given by Christopher Dingwall, Garden Historian.
..the guided tour was not only an insight into the physical environment of The Royal Edinburgh Hospital but a much privileged access to the environment of a patient’s mind. The lady who took us around really took us back to moments she experienced whilst in that facility, sometimes humorous, often full of pathos but always insightful and honest authenticity. The result was a step into a world, god forbid, that you would never really want to visit as a patient, yet knowing full well that if you ever needed to, you would be in the best of all places at the Royal Edinburgh, cared for and understood and guided towards recovery and rehabilitation. People need to know more about mental illness and its treatments to help reduce persisting stigma and misunderstood ideas of what it is really like. The 200th anniversary events enable this to take place.
Some very lovely feedback ………. today’s event was a perfect complement to Mark Dion’s exhibition, making the theme of mental illness all the more clear and bringing it to life with stories across time. It was as if we were sitting in or eavesdropping on conversations – and if as a visitor to the event today, you weren’t affected by those words then you aren’t really very human!
Pauline Goldsmith, the actress was excellent and Ruth Honeybone was very good too, but the credit must really go to Artlink
Rehearsal
The performance
Upcoming Events
Saturday 1 February, 11am
Voices From the Past
A Performative talk by Pauline Goldsmith and Ruth Honeybone, travelling backwards and forwards through time, creating a picture of the Royal Edinburgh hospital from the perspective of the people who have lived and worked there over the past 200 years.
During the research for Mark Dion’s ‘200 Years, 200 Objects’, many stories about the Royal Edinburgh Hospital were unearthed. Some of these were obvious fabrications, whilst others would appear to be true, but all need to be told.
Arlink has put together a talk which knits together all these stories, from interviews and anecdotes found within the archive, to old newspaper articles and letters from 19th century patients. The result is a fascinating portrait of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital that is at times sad, at times humourous.
Introduced by Alison Stirling, Artlink.
Pauline Goldsmith is an award winning actress, comedian and writer. Ruth Honeybone is the manager of the Lothian Health Services Archive. The LHSA have been instrumental in the collation of work and information for the EVER, PRESENT, PAST exhibition.
Admission FREE
This event is now fully booked.
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On Saturday we ran another very successful Markers Tour of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Led by Maggie and Jane, the group got to see the hospital from two entirely different perspectives, with a few add ins from Alison.
We asked people who went on the talk to give us a little feedback. Here is what they said….
‘I attended the tour yesterday, and a big thank you to our wonderful guides, especially Maggie – who conveyed the importance of the hospital to those who have been part of its history. More of a treasure hunt- we came across these magical markers of personal history and experience: a surprise around every corner.
The juxtaposition with the ‘official’ art on the walls of the corridor (which is itself an impressive collection) emphasised the intensely personal nature of the plaques. Such an important place for so many at their most vulnerable: at last some markers of their passing through. Congratulations to all involved’.
and…………….
‘Many thanks for organising the tour round the Royal Ed on Sat 25th Jan 2014.It was extremely interesting and Very well presented with All 3 guides filling in where required.‘
Listen in this Wednesday at 1.30pm for the third part of the series on BBC Radio Scotland. 
EVER / PRESENT / PAST /
CELEBRATING
200 YEARS
Saturday 25th January
2pm to 3pm
Meet at 2pm Car park, MacKinnon House
Markers Tour. BOOK SOON AS SPACES VERY LIMITED
An Alternative Tour of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
A series of small wall paintings have started to appear around the hospital. ‘Calling Cards’ from past and present patients within the hospital.
Each painting has been placed in a space which is of personal significance to the person who painted the picture. It just so happens that each of the spaces also has had a number of different identities over the past 200 years. This walking tour will provide people with stories about each of the paintings, the personal significance of each space and stories of the corridors, wards and rooms of this Victorian Psychiatric institution. There is a guidebook written by Nicola White to accompany each tour.
To book call Artlink on: 0131 229 3555 OR BOOK HERE
LISTEN HERE to a very interesting second episode about the patients experience.
Here are some Charles Doyle artworks.
A brilliant thought provoking talk. Owen and Ronnie gave the audience an interesting insight into the impact of having a parent with mental ill health and the repercussions. Truly enlightening.
As part of our research we got to explore parts of the hospital which are closed to the public. Underneath the main corridor in the dark basement of the hospital scratched into the ceiling we found grafitti from 1902. There are several lists of names down there. This one is a list of painters. Perhaps you recognise their names?
Tap the image and go straight to the review
Loneliness, boredom and isolation has always been a problem for patients in psychiatric hospitals. We came across many stories and accounts, perhaps best illustrated by the story of the Wasp in a Box from 1911. A patient had a pet wasp. Apparently, it ‘wintered’ in the box and was fed syrup and water. The patient would carry the box in his pocket.
EXPERT INTERVIEW – Neville Sing, Psychiatric Nurse
‘This story of the patient with the pet wasp in a matchbox brought to mind the Birdman of Alcatraz or the prisoner in the film, The Green Mile, who kept a mouse in a box, another matchbox, I think. Two prisoners with precious pets, one mental patient, imprisoned in his illness, perhaps. I imagine his vulnerable self projected onto the wasp to be looked after and cared for. But being imprisoned in a box is not a natural state for the wasp. Unless, being fanciful, the wasp sought out this patient and readily resided in the box. And when the wasp died, did the patient keep it still?
The main feeling I have is of sadness, aloneness. I can imagine the patient having had a bad day on the ward, withdrawing to his bedroom to communicate with the wasp. Two lonely living beings. One of the great American psychiatrists, Harold Searles, who worked with people with schizophrenia, wrote a marvellous book in 1960 called ‘The Non-Human Environment’. Some people with mental illness can relate more intensely to an object or a living thing, prefer non-human contact, and often that isn’t recognised, how important it is.’
Patients took a great deal to do with the day to day running of the hospital, utilising the many skills and professions they came into the hospital with. For example, in 1875 Dr. Clouston delivered a lecture with the carefully considered title ‘On Mental Health’, it explored the concept that the term ‘health’ could be applied to the mind just as much as to the body. These drawings were completed by a patient and likely used by Skae and Clouston as lecture prompts.
Edi Stark explores 200 years of pioneering mental health care at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Talbot Rice Gallery, Tuesday 14th January 2014 at 6pm.
Join Professor Owen Dudley Edwards as he talks about Arthur Conan Doyle, exploring his relationship with his father, Charles Altamont Doyle, and its influence on his writing.
Charles Doyle, as well as being father to Arthur, was a gifted artist with a history of mental ill health, spending a good part of his life in mental institutions. Ironically, it was during his time in these institutions, that Charles created some of his best artwork. He created this work to prove his sanity, sending the drawings to his family as proof of his wrongful confinement. In spite of these efforts, he would remain in an asylum for the rest of his life. On the morning of October 10, 1893 Charles suffered from a severe epileptic fit that proved too powerful for his weakened heart. He was buried in a graveyard in Dumfries, Scotland.
How did this affect the creator of the world’s greatest detective?
Introduced by Professor Ronnie Jack, esteemed academic and long time friend and colleague of Owen Dudley Edwards.
Professor Owen Dudley Edwards is honorary fellow of the School of History, University of Edinburgh. He is the general editor of the Oxford Sherlock Holmes series, and is a recognised expert on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Professor RDS Jack is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the English Association. He holds a personal chair in Scottish and Medieval literature and is a member of the Royal Edinburgh Patients Council.
Twenty-eight minutes and fourty-two seconds into the Culture Studio listen to Trevor Cromie, Nicola White and Claire Barclay talk about Ever, Present, Past.
Markers is an alternative tour of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
“As ways of caring for people change and parts of the hospital are replaced by new buildings, then look over to the painting of the care worker on the telegraph pole, or the landscape on the trunk of the tree and remember some of the people who spent time here.”
Maggie Keppie – Our Planets
Looking out of the window of the Link corridor, you can see Maggie’s work painted on a window ledge by a set of small steps. This was where Maggie, taking a break from duties at the Patients’ Council, would smoke and talk with her friend Allison. The work was made in remembrance of Allison, who died recently. The text around the flowers reads: ‘We met when our planets aligned, I hate that yours fell before mine.’ The corridor, linking Mackinnon House with the Jordanburn Clinic, has been used as a gallery area for the past twenty years, after it was refurbished with a lottery grant. It was also the location of the Patients’ Council’s former office, where Maggie served as chairwoman
Joan Templeton – Kingfisher
Joan attends art sessions at the Glasshouses when she comes to visit her son in the hospital. She is interested in drawing nature, especially birds and flowers. This bright kingfisher on the greenhouse door was a detail taken from a larger design for a banner. The Glasshouses are currently used as the centre of Artlink’s activities at the Royal Edinburgh. They house a range of creative workshops in addition to gardening activities. They were built to house a previous Horticulture Project which involved many of the patients, but dwindled as Occupational Therapy moved to more modern job-related activities such as office work and trade skills.It is likely that there were greenhouses on this site before these ones, when the hospital was home to resident gardeners and their families, along with a pigman and another family who ran the chicken house. 
Anna Redpath – Hair Spectrum
This painting, spanning the doorway of the WRVS shop, is a vibrant composition by an artist fascinated by pattern and colour. The woman’s hair takes on an imaginative life, radiating in circles, filled with a harlequin pattern of colour. Anna chose this spot for her work because she comes here every Wednesday to buy milk for the art group, and will enjoy seeing it, as will the many shop customers.
The shop is situated beside the original entrance to Mackinnon house, and the staircase beside it was once the main staircase of the hospital, though it seems too narrow for that purpose. But Mackinnon House, then known as West House, was built in back in 1840 to house poor patients, and so the decoration and proportions were deliberately modest and plain.
In December 2013 we organised a massed sing with The Heart & Soul Singsters in the Talbot Rice Gallery. The date was set for a Friday afternoon and we were very unsure people would turn up. We thought perhaps we would get a few people who would brave the cold weather and join in. On the day of the mass sing, the choir set up and a few people trickled through the door, then a few more, then more and more. We were taken aback! More than 50 people joined the choir to sing. It was brilliant!
Up until 1967 homosexuality was illegal. The REH offered ‘treatment’ to people who had unfortunately gone through the criminal justice system or had the threat of the criminal justice system hanging over them. There was the constant fear of job loss, public humiliation and even prison. We came across an ‘aversion therapy chair’ from around 1955. Which was used as part of treatment. The person would sit on a small pad on a chair. They would be shown images (of semi nude men or women) and if they became aroused, then they would get a small shock from the pad. Needless to say most people using it, thought it useless. The law was changed in 1967. The chair is one of the exhibits in Mark Dions artwork 200 years/200 objects. 
A series of small wall paintings started to appear around the hospital. ‘Calling Cards’ from past and present patients within the hospital. Each painting has been placed in a space which is of personal significance to the person who painted the picture. It just so happens that each of the spaces also has had a number of different identities over the past 200 years.
This walking tour will provide people with stories about each of the paintings, the personal significance of each space and stories about the corridors, wards and rooms of this Victorian Psychiatric institution.
On Saturday 7th December we held our first walking tour of the hospital. A small group of people were introduced to the hospital from the perspective of our guides. It was a resounding success!
Participants had the opportunity to hear the wit and wisdom of some amazing people. Look out for the next tour at the end of January.
Ever / Present / Past 