The Leica Woman’s

Foto Project

Letchworth Village

The first time I went to Letchworth Village, an abandoned children’s mental institution, it was with two other fotographers who, like myself, were interested in abandoned properties. As we drove to the location, I couldn't help but notice that at every exit and turn to get there, the "memory" of Letchworth had been erased. It was as if the directions were sending a "clear" message about it's existence. ‘If you can figure it out, it was meant to be. If not, don't bother coming here.” I didn't get to shoot that day as I got locked out of the car with my gear inside; not even a phone. It didn't deter me, however, to learn more about the location and make additional trips for years to come.

When I returned to Letchworth months later to explore, I was moved by my surroundings and began to contemplate what life might have been like living and working here.

Why had it closed?

What happened to the people?

Did they get help?

Where did they go?

Why were they here in the first place?

Why is it okay to abandon people here?

And finally, why is this place known as the most haunted place in New York State and also makes a myriad of Top 10 Most Haunted lists? I learned after the fact that it was even on the Travel Channel's show, Ghost Adventurers?

I had a lot of questions.

Along the way, I was able to find answers to satisfy a portion of my curiosity. However, I felt like I had more to do or learn. I couldn't "shake" why I had connection to this place, which I clearly didn't. But then, on October 16, 2k16, it happened. I was suddenly connected to Letchworth. 

I was with a model who had an interest in doing a foto session there. She describes herself as a "high-functioning depressed person" and had expressed interest in fotographing "depression" in a creative way. After many conversations, I resourced a few props we created portraits on how her depression looks like. Two of the fotos are featured here.

After departing Letchworth, we got into a car accident that left me with an injured right hand. My Occupational Therapist and I were discussing the day of the accident when I learned her father was the Director of Mental Health Services and her mother was an Executive Assistant at Letchworth. To date, her parents still live nearby. And so, my "connection" to Letchworth had begun. The Occupational Therapist and I remain close friends to this day.

I continued to fotograph my perspective on the lives left behind and the vandalized opinions upon the walls. For the completion of the project, I wanted to interview and fotograph persons who had worked there. Due to COVID-19, the interviews and portraits of those I’ve contacted thus far have been put on hold.

These fotos represent a series of visits to the property from 2015 - 2020. They were fotographed with a myriad of cameras that include: Canon Rebel 4TI, Canon 7D, Olympus Pen F (Digital), Olympus OM 10 (Film), Leica D-Lux 7 and a Leica CL.

The use of Photoshop was NOT employed for this project.

#photoshopnotincluded

What is Letchworth?

Letchworth Village was a residential institution located in Rockland County, New York, built for the physically and mentally disabled of all ages, from the newborn to the elderly. Opened in 1911, Letchworth Village at its peak consisted of over 130 buildings spread out over many acres of land. It was named after William Pryor Letchworth, who embraced reform in the treatment and care of the insane, epileptics, and poor children.

History of the Polio Vaccine -

On February 27, 1950, the first trial case of the polio vaccine in the United States was administered to an 8-year-old patient by Hilary Koprowski, after he tried it on himself. After the patient suffered no side effects, the vaccine was administered to 19 more of the institution's children. Out of a total of 20 children, 17 developed antibodies to the virus, and none developed any complications.

The Doors Close –

In 1996 the institution was permanently closed down, and many of its abandoned structures have since fallen into serious disrepair.

The Residents of Letchworth -

Letchworth was described as an ideal center for the mentally challenged and praised by New York State at first. Yet rumors such as the mistreatment of patients and horrific experimenting continued to circulate long after its closing. Former worker, Dr. Little, reported in 1921 there were three categories of "feeble-mindedness"; the "moron" group, the "imbecile" group, and the "idiot" group. The last of these categories is the one that could not be trained. It makes you think of how we use these words today in a different light and should disallow them from our personal vocabulary.

The negative energy surrounding Letchworth is heightened because so many of the patients were young children between the ages of 5 – 16 years old. Visitors observed the children were malnourished and looked sick. Children were often the subjects of testing and cruel neglect. Many of the children were able to comprehend learning but were not given the chance because they were thought of as "different."

Living Conditions at Letchworth -

Patients were forced to dwell in cramped dormitories and over-population was one of the harshest conditions at Letchworth. By the 1950s, the Village was overflowing with 4,000 inhabitants. It is noted and confirmed that families abandoned their relatives there. Families of patients seemed to be just as neglectful as caregivers of the facility.

Irving Haberman - A Bronx Photojournalist Arrives -

In the 1940s, Irving Haberman, a Bronx-born photojournalist did a set a photographs which revealed the true nature of the conditions of Letchworth. Until this point, the conditions of the facility weren't public knowledge. Haberman's photos exposed the terrible conditions of the facilities and the patients. These photos pushed the public to question the institution and demand answers.

Geraldo Rivera –

In 1972, ABC News’ investigative reporter, Geraldo Rivera, featured Letchworth Village in its piece, entitled "Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace" in which he earned his Peabody Award. The documentary focused on how the intellectually disabled, particularly children, were being treated in the State of New York. Although the documentary focused on the Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, Rivera conducted a series of investigations, which included Letchworth Village and facilities in California. He found a great deal of progress had been made in the caring for, and training of disabled people in California; however, New York's facilities were backward and cruel. Residents of Willowbrook and Letchworth Village lived in awful, dirty and overcrowded conditions, with a lack of clothing, bathing, and attention to their basic needs. 

In Remembrance -

Nearing the end of Call Hollow Road, Rockland County, a half a mile away from the institution there is a wide path dividing thick woodland. A large memorial stone shows the words "THOSE WHO SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN" and a list of hundreds of names. Behind this memorial are T-shaped markers bearing numbers which mark hundreds of nameless victims who perished at Letchworth. The old grave markers reveal only the numbers that the dead patients had been given, because families refused to allow their names to be known.