About
The Glenside Hospital Museum houses three collections, one relating to the history of mental health care, set within the grounds of the building which opened in 1861 as the Bristol Lunatic Asylum. Situated in a suburb of Bristol, the Glenside Hospital Museum is housed on the Glenside Hospital site
What we though about the Glenside Hospital Museum
The museum resides inside a beautiful old church, fittingly the stained glass windows all tell stories of healing, helping the blind to see and what not.
We were greeted by a lovely and knowledgable volunteer who gave us the lay of the land and brief history, explaining that the museum houses exhibits for the Stoke Park Colony, Beaufort Army Hospital, Bristol Lunatic Asylum and of course Glenside Hospital, before we were free to roam the exhibits. We started in the First World War section, there were many authentic relics of the time behind glass, including unused medical supplies and gas masks, surprisingly there was also equipment just out, although signs request you don’t touch, I don’t know I would be so trusting.
The place is full of scary mannequins, doctors, nurses, amputees, children, they are behind glass, in plain sight, stashed behind corners, nowhere is safe!
Conclusion
There are some interactive parts to the museum, some sound effects and the occasional audio narration, I think they could do with some more, some ambient hospital noises to go along with the wards would be good.
At the time we visited there was an art exhibition, they had placed the art installations throughout the museum and in some cases had incorporated them in to the exhibits. The padded cell exhibit for example was a big disappointment as it was covered in swathes of graphic printed fabric, however lovely, it was not what I had come to see.
