David Birnbach New York State Department of Mental Hygiene Oral History records, 1983-2002.
Collection Number: 6821

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
David Birnbach New York State Department of Mental Hygiene Oral History records, 1983-2002.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
6821
Abstract:
Audio recordings and transcriptions of interviews David Birnbach conducted with former staff of New York State mental hospitals.
Creator:
Birnbach, David.
Quanitities:
3.2 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

David Birnbach worked at New York State's Suffolk Developmental Center from 1977-1979 and at Willard Psychiatric Center from 1979-1983.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Audio recordings and transcriptions of interviews David Birnbach conducted with former staff of New York State mental hospitals including Willard, Gowanda, St. Lawrence, Rochester, Sunmount, Pilgrim, and Rockland in 1983 and 1984. The interviews from Gowanda were the most comprehensive. Also particularly important are interviews from St. Lawrence, the first state hospital in the nation to open all its locked wards, and Rochester with its focus on leadership and integration in an urban setting. Also included are research materials on the subject and a draft of Birnbach's research results finished in 2002 and titled "Before, during, and shortly after the custody, care and treatment revolution: An oral history of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, 1928-1983."

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

David Birnbach New York State Department of Mental Hygiene Oral History records, #6821. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
Access Restrictions:

Access to the complete list of names restricted to the permission of the archivist.
Restrictions on Use:

This collection may only be used for consultation.|No reproductions can be made without permission of the archivist.|No publication of information within this collection can be made without permission of the archivist.|Use of names from this collection anywhere may only be done with permission of the archivist. A name index of the interviewees is available offline. Researchers may request confirmation of inclusion of individuals in the collection by name.

SUBJECTS

Names:
New York (State). Department of Mental Hygiene
Willard State Hospital (N.Y.)
Willard Psychiatric Center (N.Y.)
Gowanda Psychiatric Center (N.Y.)
Rochester Psychiatric Center (N.Y.)
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center (Ogdensburg, N.Y.)
Subjects:
Psychiatric hospitals -- New York (State) -- History.
Intellectual disability facilities -- New York (State).
Form and Genre Terms:
Audiocassettes.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1
Binghamton Psychiatric Center
1973, 1981-1983
Scope and Contents
Salary list from 1887, History Pamphlets, Journal Article, Transcript of tapes 2-6 (Box 6)
Box 1 Folder 2
Binghamton Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 9-10 (Box 4)
Box 1 Folder 3
Gowanda State Hospital
1983
Scope and Contents
Synopses, Transcript
Box 1 Folder 4
Gowanda State Hospital
1983
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Correspondence, Transcript of Tape 6 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 5
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Two checks, Synopsis, Consent and Release form, Transcript of Tape 5 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 6
Gowanda State Hospital
1984
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 11-12 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 7
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Correspondence, Consent and Release Form, Transcript of Tape 1 (Box 4)
Box 1 Folder 8
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Consent and Release form and check, Transcript of Tape tape 4 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 9
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Synopses, Transcripts of Tapes 5-6 (Box 4), Consent and Release Forms, Correspondence
Box 1 Folder 10
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Synopsis, Transcript of Tapes 2-4 (Box 4)
Box 1 Folder 11
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Consent and Release Forms and checks, Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 9-10 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 12
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1985
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Consent and Release Forms and Checks, Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 7-8 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 13
Gowanda State Hospital
1983-1985
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Consent and Release Forms and Checks, Correspondence, Previous Work Experience, Transcript of Tape 13 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 14
Gowanda State Hospital
1983, 2006
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Consent and Release Forms and Checks, Correspondence, Transcript of Tape 1 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 15
Gowanda State Hospital
1983
Scope and Contents
Consent and Release Forms and Checks, Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 2-3 (Box 3)
Box 1 Folder 16
Gowanda State Hospital
1983
Scope and Contents
Synopsis, Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 7-8 (Box 4)
Box 1 Folder 17
Pilgrim State Hospital
1983
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Work History, Articles, Bibliography Transcript of Tapes 11-13 (Box 4)
Box 1 Folder 18
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1984
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 3-5 (Box 9)
Box 1 Folder 19
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1984
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 5-6 (Box 9)
Box 1 Folder 20
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 6-7 (Box 9)
Box 1 Folder 21
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 12-14 (Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 22
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1984
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 8-9 (Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 23, 25
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1983, 1987
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Transcript of Tapes 7-8 (Box 10), Articles
Box 1 Folder 24
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1984
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 10-12 (Box 9)
Box 1 Folder 26
Rochester Psychiatric Center
1984
Scope and Contents
Transcript of tapes 7-9 (Box 9)
Box 1 Folder 27
Rockland Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Newspaper Article, Transcript of Tapes 6-7 (Box 8)
Box 1 Folder 28
St. Lawrence
1983
Scope and Contents
Floppy Disk, Transcript of tapes 4-5(Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 29
St. Lawrence
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 9-11 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 30
St. Lawrence
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of tapes 14-15 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 31
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 15 (Box 7) and 1 (Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 32
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center
1981
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 11-12 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 33
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 13 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 34
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 7-8 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 35
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 2-3 (Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 36
Sunmount Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 12-14 (Box 8)
Box 1 Folder 37
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 10-11 (Box 10)
Box 1 Folder 38
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 13-14 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 39
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 5-7 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 40
Willard Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 3-4 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 41
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tape 10 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 42
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 15-16 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 43
Willard Psychiatric Center
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 11-12 (Box 5)
Box 1 Folder 44
Department of Mental Hygiene
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tape 1 (Box 8)
Box 1 Folder 45
Department of Mental Hygiene
1983
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Articles, Transcript of Tapes 11-12 (Box 7)
Box 1 Folder 46
New York State Psychiatric Institute
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tape 3 (Box 8)
Box 1 Folder 47
Transcript
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tape 1 (Box 6)
Box 1 Folder 48
Transcript
1983
Scope and Contents
Transcript of Tapes 1-2 (Box 8)
Box 1 Folder 49
Book Correspondence
2001-2002
Scope and Contents
Articles, Correspondence
Box 1 Folder 50
History of Willard Asylum for the Insane and the Willard State Hospital
1978
Box 1 Folder 51
Bibliography
1981, 1995-1996
Scope and Contents
Articles
Box 1 Folder 52
Bibliography
1954-1955, 1975
Scope and Contents
Articles: History of the Department of Mental Hygiene, State Hospitals for the Mentally Ill
Box 1 Folder 53
Bibliography
1981, 1991, 1999
Scope and Contents
Articles on Mental Health, Questionnaire, Notes
Box 1 Folder 54
Bibliography
1982-1983
Scope and Contents
Newspaper Articles pertaining to mental health
Box 1 Folder 55
Bibliography-Willard Asylum for the Insane
1982, 2007
Scope and Contents
Newspaper Articles
Box 1 Folder 56
Bibliography
1981, 2000
Scope and Contents
Book Search Records, Articles
Box 1 Folder 57
Bibliography
1980-1985
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous articles
Box 1 Folder 58
Statistics
1978-1982
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, Various Hospital Patient and Staff Statistics
Box 2 Folder 1
Albert Deutsch "The Mentally Ill in america"
1952
Box 2 Folder 2
Interview Question Cards
Box 2 Folder 3-4
Notebooks
1982-1986
Scope and Contents
Annual Reports and Outline,Various Hospitals
Box 2 Folder 5
Willard State Hospital Annual Reports
1966-1970
Box 2 Folder 6
Working Book Draft
2002
Scope and Contents
CD copies, Printed Draft
Box 2 Folder 7
Handbook of the Department and State Hospitals
1906
Box 2 Folder 8
Willard State Hospital Annual Records (Book)
1916-1931
Box 2 Folder 9
Pictorial Album of the Willard Asylum, 1869-1886
1990
Box 2 Folder 10
Laws Relating to Willard Asylum for the Insane and Rules and Regulations of Said Asylum
1870-1881
Box 2 Folder 11-12
Hospital and Community Psychiatry
1976, 1981
Box 2 Folder 13
Charles Mercer "Lunatic Asylums: Their Organisation and Management"
1894
Box 2 Folder 14
Twenty-Seventh Annual Report of the Trustees of Willard State Hospital (Book)
1895
Interview Tapes
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Alphabetic listing of names of interviewees is available offline. Patrons may request confirmation of inclusion of individuals from staff.
Gowanda
September 1983
Gowanda
October 1983
Willowbrook
April, June 1984
Binghamptom, Pilgrim
October - November 1983
Pilgrim, St. Lawrence
November - December 1983
Albany, Rockland, Sunmount
September 1983, April 1984
Rochester, Willowbrook
April, June 1984
Rochester, St. Lawrence
December 1983, January 1984
Box 3
Interview Tapes
Box 4
Interview Tapes
Box 5
Interview Tapes
Box 6
Interview Tapes
Box 7
Interview Tapes
Box 8
Interview Tapes
Box 9
Interview Tapes
Box 10
Interview Tapes
Interview Tape Copies
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Alphabetic listing of names of interviewees is available offline. Patrons may request confirmation of inclusion of individuals from staff.
Box 11
Interview Tape Copies
Box 12
Interview Tape Copies
Box 13
Interview Tape Copies
Box 14
Interview Tape Copies
Box 15
Interview Tape Copies