Jon Crispin's Notebook

In the late 1980’s Brad Edmondson and I went down to the Binghamton asylum buildings that I was photographing for my original New York State asylum project.  While were in the “Castle” building we came across a room that was filled with boxes of glass plate negatives of patients from the early days of the asylum.  It was an amazing trove of images and we immediately hoped to be able to do something with them.  We had no luck getting access, but I have thought about them over the years.  Craig Williams from the New York State Museum arrived at the facility on the morning of 11 September, 2001 to have a look, but events of that day put the kibosh on his access.  About a month ago I heard that the Broome County Historical Society had finally made arrangements to check out the plates.  On Friday I went to Binghamton to have a look at their efforts to organize, clean, and catalogue every plate.  It is such a relief to know that they are finally in safe hands and will be preserved.

The negative’s eventual home  is still up in the air, but the Greater Binghamton Heath Center which runs the facility is eager to get them into safe hands.  Here you see one of the volunteers cleaning the non emulsion side of a plate.  They are all a bit dusty, but otherwise in amazing condition.

Here’s another box of unexposed plates.  Love the graphic design.

I am always on the lookout for bits of ephemera from the buildings.  Another object from the collection is this very cool typewriter.

I’ve never seen one like this and haven’t had the time to research the brand.  Anyone out there ever heard of the Printype Oliver Typewriter?

It is a beautiful machine and I like the little character in the photo below.

Old keyboards are also interesting.

Thanks to the Broome County Historical Society and the Greater Binghamton Health Center for allowing me to see the plates.  And to Roger Luther who like me has a great interest in New York State asylums.