Camarillo State Hospital, affectionately known as "Cam," officially opened its doors in 1936, during a time when the California State Commission in Lunacy oversaw the treatment and care of those deemed mentally ill. A pioneering research institution in autism and schizophrenia, Cam achieved notoriety as one of two state institutions that accommodated children and as the first state hospital to receive certification for treatment of the developmentally disabled. Although it was an independent body, retaining its own dairy, farm, residences, and even a bowling alley, Cam also developed creative relationships with volunteers, educators, and businesspeople for the betterment of its patients. "Enhancing Innovation Through Independence" became Cam's final ambition and, in the end, its ultimate achievement.
When Lacey joined a cohort of child psychology interns at Camarillo State Mental Hospital, she feared for her life. She would not only study and work at the institution, but would live on the hospital grounds a short distance from the wards and take her meals with the patients. Lacey wanted to learn to work with difficult children, however, Camarillo housed some of the most dangerous youngsters in the State of California. The institution was also as notorious for its scandals as it was for its rambling Mission revival style psychiatric wards. Soon Lacey discovered that her battle would not be with the children. They rarely assaulted interns and staff members with the kindest of hearts. No, trouble lurked from someplace far deeper within the asylum. It seemed to ooze from the thick stuccoed walls like black mold in a flooded basement. Surely, the warning signs were there if Lacey could only learn to read them. Or would she become just another casualty in the field of mental health? A riveting tale with unforgettable characters. Based on a true story.
A young woman is labeled schizophrenic, but is living with anger and withdrawing from the oppression of abuse and trauma. She gains solace and amusement expressing herself writing poetry in an insane asylum. The book is illustrated with pictures and drawings. The hospital was Camarillo State Hospital in Ventura, California in the mid-1960's.
This book takes a new look at Wilma Wilson's classic book, "They Call Them Camisoles," which was published in 1940. Wilma was committed to Camarillo State Mental Hospital for 4 months for alcoholism in 1939 and wrote a book about her time there. This book includes the entire text and all sketches from the book "They Call Them Camisoles" with a new addition of over 150 photographs of the places Wilma speaks of in the hospital, taken by K.Anderberg. This book also includes references to L.A.Times articles that illustrate what Wilma has written, as well as providing a history of the hospital. "Keeper of the Keys," a book published in 1976 by a Camarillo nurse, about abuses at the hospital, is also compared and contrasted to Wilma's words throughout this book. A look into Wilma's life before going to Camarillo is explored through CA birth and census records, in addition to newspaper reports, and her sensational death is also followed through news reports in the end of this book.This book is of interest to anyone who cares about human rights. It also is a good expose on the history of mental hospitals, especially Camarillo State Mental Hospital, in CA. This book includes information about the grand jury investigations which ended up indicting doctors and technicians at Camarillo Hospital in 1976, as well. Author Kirsten Anderberg earned her MA Degree from CA State University at Northridge, with a major in History and Archiving. Her work addressing the history of CA institutions is unprecedented. She wrote and published the first book ever written about the history of MacLaren Hall, a child protection institution in Los Angeles County and her books about Camarillo State Mental Hospital have brought the discussion of these hidden isolating institutions, still in existence today, back into the spotlight.
This book takes a new look at Wilma Wilson's classic book, "They Call Them Camisoles," which was published in 1940. Wilma was committed to Camarillo State Mental Hospital for 4 months for alcoholism in 1939 and wrote a book about her time there. This book includes the entire text and all sketches from the book "They Call Them Camisoles" with a new addition of over 170 original color photographs of the places Wilma speaks of in the hospital, taken by K.Anderberg. This book also includes references to L.A.Times articles that illustrate what Wilma has written, as well as providing a history of the hospital. "Keeper of the Keys," a book published in 1976 by a Camarillo nurse, about abuses at the hospital, is also compared and contrasted to Wilma's words throughout this book. A look into Wilma's life before going to Camarillo is explored through CA birth and census records, in addition to newspaper reports, and her sensational death is also followed through news reports in the end of this book. This book is of interest to anyone who cares about human rights. It also is a good expose on the history of mental hospitals, especially Camarillo State Mental Hospital, in CA. This book includes information about the grand jury investigations which ended up indicting doctors and technicians at Camarillo Hospital in 1976, as well. Author Kirsten Anderberg earned her MA Degree from CA State University at Northridge, with a major in History and Archiving. Her work addressing the history of CA institutions is unprecedented. She wrote and published the first book ever written about the history of MacLaren Hall, a child protection institution in Los Angeles County and her books about Camarillo State Mental Hospital have brought the discussion of these hidden isolating institutions, still in existence today, back into the spotlight.This is a special COLOR EDITION of this book, meaning the photographs in this book are in color, as opposed to black and white photographs in the original edition of the book.
Follow 23 women's paths into Camarillo State Mental Hospital in California. (Camarillo Hospital was open from 1936-1997 and in its heyday, housed 7,000 patients at a time.) Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Camarillo Hospital had an abnormal amount of Hollywood connections. Life stories in this book range from the criminally insane to women who were committed due to controlling husbands. In this first volume, 23 women's stories are told, including those of Marilyn Monroe's mother, Comedian Bob "Bazooka" Burns' daughter, Actress Gia Scala (who starred in movies with Glenn Ford, Gregory Peck and more), Edward G. Robinson's daughter-in-law, Silent film actress Catherine Smith, Actress and race horse stable owner Paula Stanway Thorpe, One of the first women run for CA governor Hazel Younger, Ex-wife of Diamond Walnut Growers Inc.'s founder, and the 4th woman gassed to death in CA's then 111 year history of the death sentence by gas chamber. These stories range from 1942-1986. Includes 22 photographs of the abandoned hospital taken by the author. These photographs have never been published in a book before.
Eerie haunts and stories of apparitions stretch along the California coast from Monterey Bay to the Channel Islands. James Dean's presence lingers at the site of his deadly car crash on Highway 46, and a ghost-in-residence presides over the Robert Louis Stevenson house in Monterey. Learn of the ghoulish murders of the Reed family at the San Miguel Mission, the mysterious spirits that haunt the Hearst Castle and the twisted tales of strange occurrences in what was once the Camarillo State Hospital. Join author Evie Ybarra as she explores the unexplained along this infamous coast.
