“Mental Chess” | Miguel Bombarda Psychiatric Hospital, Lisbon (Portugal)
“Challenging the games of the mind, sensing the screams of the soul.”
José Ramos ©
The history behind this photo:
This photo was probably one of the last photos taken in the Miguel Bombarda Hospital, a Psychiatric Hospital in Lisbon-Portugal, now closed.
As a psychiatrist, I had the opportunity to spend 3 months at the Forensics Department of this hospital in 2011. Fortunately, I managed to get a special permission to photograph the whole hospital, and I´m planning on doing an exhibition with a selection of the photos I took.
This Hospital was built in 1848, and it was the first large Mental Institution in Portugal. It is composed of several buildings, each with its own unique features and architectural details.
Since Portugal is currently undergoing a mental health reform, this hospital has been recently closed, and its future is a bit uncertain. I hope its historical building will be kept intact, and
hope it will be converted into a long lasting museum.
Here in this picture, you can see the hall of the main building. The stairs lead to the administration rooms, the noble room, one of the psychiatric wards, etc. Walking to the left you would face the main entrance. The corridor leads to the consultation rooms and to the backyard.
Technical data:
Ultra wide-angle lens
Aperture – f5.6
Exposure – 1/30 seconds
ISO-800