Abstract
Natural light and its provision within asylum and other buildings is a neglected aspect of the historical archaeology of institutions. An Edwardian asylum in the north of Ireland is analysed for the management of natural light through the siting of buildings, window design and placement of interior glazing. A close reading of selected contemporary literature relating to natural light is employed to assess the significance of light provision within institutions of this period and contemporary discourses are in turn illuminated by the material practices recorded in the case study.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Libby Mulqueeny of QUB for her careful and detailed interpretations of my villa sketches. Thanks are due also to Raymond Hamilton and Stephen Larmour of Knockbracken Healthcare Park for facilitating access to the Purdysburn site and archives. I am grateful to Dr Mark Gardiner of QUB and an anonymous reviewer for their useful comments on an earlier draft. This project has been funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland).
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Allmond, G. Light and Darkness in an Edwardian Institution for the Insane Poor—Illuminating the Material Practices of the Asylum age. Int J Histor Archaeol 20, 1–22 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-015-0316-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-015-0316-3