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32-433: The primary buildings were constructed between 1907 and the mid-1920s. Newer buildings were constructed between 1940 and 1953. The facility included over fifty buildings such as male and female dormitories, an infirmary, kitchens, laundry, administration, a chapel, and a morgue. The hospital's population grew rapidly, quickly exceeding its capacity. The peak patient population was over 7,000 in 1960. Several investigations into

64-433: A digital collage using her own photographs on her computer, then "works on the pop-up mechanisms that cause her composition to explode from the page." Fu does all the work herself, including printing and binding, and each pop-up element is cut by hand. Some books include up to 40 photographs and measure 3 x 4.5 feet. An average pop-up can take up to four weeks to design and build. Colette Fu's projects have taken her across

96-653: A large scale, from her photographs. Fu, born in Princeton, New Jersey , is the daughter of mainland Chinese immigrants. After graduating from the University of Virginia , Fu traveled to China with a student tour and shortly returned for three years to teach English and, later, to study Mandarin and art in Yunnan Province. Fu traveled throughout Yunnan , where her mother, member of the Nuosu Yi community,

128-463: A number of people, including then- First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt , who subsequently pledged her support in pursuing national mental health reforms. In May 1946, Lord's photos were published in an issue of Life , creating a national "mass uproar". In his 1948 book, The Shame of the States , Albert Deutsch described the horrid conditions he observed: "As I passed through some of Byberry's wards, I

160-520: Is a featured location in the Haunted Philadelphia pop-up books series by photographer Colette Fu . 40°07′09″N 74°59′13″W  /  40.1193°N 74.9870°W  / 40.1193; -74.9870 Italics indicates facilities no longer in operation as state psychiatric hospitals. Paranormal television Paranormal television is a genre of reality television that purports to document factual investigations of

192-531: The paranormal rather than fictional representations seen in traditional narrative films and TV. Over the years, the genre has grown to be a staple of television and even changed the programming focus of networks like the History Channel and the Travel Channel . By highlighting beliefs in topics ranging from Bigfoot to aliens , paranormal television continues to elevate popular interest in

224-535: The Arts . On a visit to her local Borders Book Store , Fu stumbled onto Robert Sabuda 's Wizard of Oz pop-up book and was instantly enamored. Fu then learned paper engineering mechanics by reverse engineering pop-up books purchased on eBay while attending numerous artist residencies. Each of Fu's pop-up books are a single, large format spread. A good variety of her pop-up books are based on her experiences traveling to China and learning about her culture. Fu creates

256-494: The abandoned buildings while avoiding police and security. Satanists held ceremonies on the grounds, and amid reports of dead animals being found, the police were frequent visitors. By 2003, the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry site was a complete and utter ruin. Graffiti covered every buildings exterior and interior, every window was smashed, and anything flammable remaining when the hospital closed

288-819: The artist's mother's family descends. 25 of 55 minority tribes of China reside in Yunnan and comprise less than 9% of the nation's population, with the Han representing the majority. She uses her artistic skills to spread knowledge and provide a brief portrait of their existence. Fu's well-received pop-up book series include: Fu's commercial clients for paper engineering have included LVMH , Vogue China , Canon Asia, Greenpeace and Children's Medical Center in Texas. Fu's books are in collections including Library of Congress , Getty Research Institute , Yale University , Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Museum of Women in

320-519: The closing and began to steal everything of value, especially copper piping and wiring. After the looters had removed everything of value, vandals trespassed on the grounds, smashed windows, and started fires. Urban explorers wandered the halls and the extensive underground network that connected each building though tunnel corridors. By 2000, Byberry saw an explosion of people visiting the abandoned hospital. The internet offered extremely exaggerated stories and legends, as well as tips on gaining access to

352-643: The conditions as "atrocious" and "irreversible." Though originally supposed to close in 1988, patient issues delayed the process. Most importantly, two released patients were found dead in the Delaware River in two successive days after their release. The hospital officially closed in June 1990, with the remaining patients and staff transferred to Norristown State Hospital or local community centers. The buildings were not demolished at first because of asbestos poisoning concerns. Looters broke in several weeks after

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384-411: The conditions at the hospital at various points revealed that raw sewage lined the hallways, patients slept in the halls, and the staff mistreated and exploited patients. The hospital has been featured in the paranormal television series Scared! . The institution began as a small work farm for the mentally ill. Soon, plans were made to turn the farm into a cottage plan asylum. Construction began on

416-544: The documentary aspect of paranormal television. Ghostwatch , a fictional news broadcast about a haunted house in the UK that aired in 1992, created controversy when a majority of viewers believed the televised show was real. Discovery Channel started to explore the genre with some success from 1996. The Fox Broadcasting Company aired a news-style oriented show Sightings which lasted for six years. In 2000, MTV's Fear premiered, merging nascent reality television with

448-496: The genre has grown into a staple of television. Ghost Hunters premiered in 2004 on Sci Fi (later Syfy) Sci Fi broadened into other paranormal shows, including Destination Truth . Ghost Adventures , another ghost-hunting program, which premiered on the Discovery Networks -owned Travel Channel in 2008, was the successor to a documentary film of the same name that aired on Sci Fi in 2007. A&E aired

480-412: The hospital came under scrutiny when it was learned that violent criminals were being kept on the hospital's Forensic Ward (N8-2A). In 1985, the hospital failed a state inspection, and was accused of misleading the inspection team. Reports of patient abuse were still rampant through the 1980s. One patient had reported that one of his teeth was pulled without " Novocaine ". Another state inspection team

512-670: The institution in 1906. It was established in 1907 as the Byberry Mental Hospital . It originally followed the theory of physician Benjamin Rush that mental illness was a disease and could be cured with proper treatment, but that the mentally diseased should be kept away from normal people until they were actually cured. Many of the original patients were transferred from Philadelphia General Hospital , which closed in 1977. All personnel were sent to other hospitals, and patients sent to Norristown State Hospital. The hospital

544-463: The last few years, which includes Ghost Hunters , Destination Truth , Ghost Adventures , Ghost Hunters International and a few others" promises to "take a skeptical approach in its investigations and to rely on science to confirm or disprove paranormal claims. So far not one has been able to consistently keep that promise." Writer Diane Dorby proposes that paranormal reality TV shows provide "plausibility structures" that people use for "interpreting

576-430: The meaning and experience of death". According to science writer Sharon A. Hill , "Paranormal reality TV shows are designed as entertainment for the curious, not science documentaries to discover truths. If the tempo is too slow it will be sped up by giving "reality" a boost". Colette Fu Colette Fu is an American photographer, book artist and paper engineer known for creating pop-up books , especially on

608-757: The network in 2016 after 11 seasons. Around that time, Travel Channel moved completely into airing exclusively paranormal television series (the network initially centering programming around Ghost Adventures ) frequently featuring ghost hunting, including series related to Ghost Adventures , as well as later productions featuring former Ghost Hunters members such as Kindred Spirits (2014–present) and Ghost Nation (2019–present). Destination America planned to compete with Travel Channel's paranormal programming (seasons 1-2 of Kindred Spirits aired on DA and TLC ), but reversed course after it and TLC were reacquired by Discovery Networks during their acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018. In 2019, Ghost Hunters

640-527: The paranormal was One Step Beyond which broadcast 96 episodes on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The stories were promoted as being based on actual real-life experiences, including historically well-known events such as sinking of RMS Titanic , the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln . It was followed 15 years later by In Search of... , hosted by Leonard Nimoy which ran for six years from 1977 to 1982. Rod Serling

672-461: The paranormal. Accounts of supernatural occurrences have always been common in the print media. The 1705 pamphlet "A True Relation of the Apparition of One Mrs Veal" by Daniel Defoe is a well-known example. Paranormal television proper can trace its genesis to local TV news programs in the UK and US, which have featured ghost stories since the 1960s. The earliest TV show devoted exclusively to

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704-434: The prominent ghost-hunting series Paranormal State from 2007 to 2011, and History Channel began to compete in the general paranormal genre around this time with series such as UFO Files , MonsterQuest , UFO Hunters and the documentary special Ancient Aliens , which led to a successor series that began airing in 2010. Syfy abandoned their focus on paranormal programming by 2015, and Ghost Hunters itself left

736-616: The storytelling of traditional horror films. The innovative show established the visual look, music and editing style of the paranormal reality television genre; most iconically, the format of investigators filming themselves with portable cameras as they become frightened exploring dark, unnerving environments. By the end of 2000, shows inspired by MTV's Fear began production for a growing range of networks, starting with Fox Family 's Scariest Places on Earth , followed by Murder in Small Town X in 2001, Scare Tactics in 2003. To-date,

768-487: The viewer for many layers. During an artist residency in Shanghai , Fu designed China's largest pop-up book . Pop-up and flap books originally illustrated sociological ideas and scientific principles; she constructs her own books on how our selves relate to society today. In 2008, Fu was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to create a pop-up book of the 25 ethnic minority groups residing in Yunnan Province, China, from where

800-558: Was revived by A&E and aired a 12th season on the channel with a 13th season coming in 2020. Noting the recent trend in reality shows that take the paranormal at face value, The New York Times Culture editor Mike Hale characterized ghost hunting shows as "pure theater" and compared the genre to professional wrestling or soft core pornography for its formulaic, teasing approach. Los Angeles Times staff writer Ed Stockly wrote that "the paranormal/supernatural-investigation subgenre that has cropped up on cable television over

832-550: Was born, photographing various people in ethnic dress. After returning to the United States, Fu studied photography at Virginia Commonwealth University and Rochester Institute of Technology , where she began collaging images into detailed hyperreal fantasy scenarios. She teaches pop-up courses and community workshops at art centers, universities and institutions internationally. Her large-scale, three-dimensional pop-up books feature photographic images which extend towards

864-510: Was hired to remove hazardous materials such as lead paint, and asbestos. Abatement and demolition started with the "C" buildings, followed by the "W" buildings, and ended with the "N" buildings. On June 14, 2006, a ceremony was held to celebrate the complete demolition of the former Byberry hospital, and the future construction by Westrum Development of "The Arbours at Eagle Pointe" a 332-unit active adult club house community, featuring single homes, town, and carriage homes. The Byberry facility

896-472: Was in ashes. The residents of Somerton were now pressuring the City of Philadelphia to end the "Byberry Problem" once and for all. The city responded by sealing the buildings up with plywood and changing security contractors. The boarded windows made it easier for trespassers to conceal themselves. Westrum Development purchased the property and hired Geppert Bros. Inc. to demolish the buildings. Delta B.J.D.S. Inc.

928-476: Was originally slated to host the series, but he died in 1975. In Search of... explored many paranormal topics, including UFOs , cryptozoological creatures (cryptids), lost civilizations, and other mysteries. Though the subject matter gradually lost popularity, the show gave way to future TV series following the same genre. Unsolved Mysteries , which began airing in 1987 and ended in 2002, would feature paranormal cases from time to time, and further popularised

960-452: Was reminded of the pictures of the Nazi concentration camps. I entered a building swarming with naked humans herded like cattle and treated with less concern, pervaded by a fetid odor so heavy, so nauseating, that the stench seemed to have almost a physical existence of its own." During the 1960s, the hospital began a continuous downsizing that would end with its closure. During the mid-1980s,

992-454: Was sent to evaluate the hospital in early 1987. By the summer of 1987, five of the Philadelphia State Hospital's top officials were promptly fired after the Byberry facility once again failed the state inspection. On December 7, 1987, a press conference was held to announce the closure of the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry. The teams most recently performing investigations described

Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-684: Was turned over to the state in 1936 and was renamed the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry . Conditions in the hospital during this time were poor, with allegations of patient abuse and inhumane treatment frequently made. The situation came to national attention between 1945 and 1946, when conscientious objector Charlie Lord took covert photos of the institution and the conditions inside, while serving there as an orderly. The 36 black-and-white photos documented issues including dozens of naked men huddling together and human excrement lining facility hallways. The photos were shown to

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