Bethlem Museum of the Mind

Our archive may be small, but it’s mighty - housing over 6,000 items that trace the evolution of psychiatric care through Bethlem Royal Hospital, the Maudsley & Warlingham Park. Whether you're a researcher, student, or curious visitor, there's a story here waiting to be uncovered.
#EYAYourArchives

2026 marks 350 years since Bethlem moved from its medieval Bishopsgate home to a purpose-built site at Moorfields, with the iconic Raving & Melancholy statues installed over the gates. Today’s site still sits on a 999-year lease from the City of London, so only 649 years left...
#EYAAnniversaries

Our Archives are open to all, we strive to make them accessible. We recently hosted sessions at River House, Bethlem’s forensic unit, to explore our collections for Black History Month. We were blown away by the enthusiasm from participants! More on Black lives & Bethlem-bit.ly/44hFnGL #EYAInclusion

You can explore our Lantern Slide Collection on our website for free! bit.ly/MOTMLantern Including early 20th-century gems like Sister Simpson dressed as Southwark Hospital for a fancy dress ball!
We’re working on digitising more records in 2026, watch this space!
#EYADigital #ExploreYourArchives

There’s a long history of pets in the hospital - how many animals you can spot in this photo of an 1850s ward? The Victorians believed a homely environment, with pets, was beneficial for patients. Today, we have our own Hospital cat, who has to be gently kept away from our artworks…
#EYAPets #Arlo

Hidden in our archives are what remains of the stories of people who were not heard in their lifetime. Our Change Minds projects explored the lives of real people in our casebooks, but there are hundreds more waiting to be re-discovered.
Uncover their stories here bit.ly/MOTM_people
#EYASilence

Bethlem was founded as The Priory of the Order of St Mary of Bethlehem in 1247. The Order disappeared from history in the 1300s, but they gave us our name and our first symbol ⭐ Our star pin is inspired by a medieval manuscript recording activities of the Order bit.ly/bethlemstarpin
#EYAMedieval

🎄 Christmas & New Year Opening Hours 🎄

Here’s when we’ll be open over the festive season:

✅ Wednesday 24 December – OPEN 09:30–17:00
❌ Thursday 25 Dec - Thursday 01 Jan (inclusive) – CLOSED
✅ Friday 2 January – OPEN 09:30–17:00

✨ Wishing you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! ✨

Stanley R. Lench The Bethlem Museum of the Mind artwork collection by Stanley R. Lench. Containing 80 pieces.

The work of Stanley Lench is both beautiful and simultaneously a critique of the construction of beauty, and of art itself. You can view more of his extraordinary and vivid art here 🔗 bit.ly/MOTM_Lench
#EYABeauty
Image: Marlene Dietrich (c.1975)

Our latest conservation project is also the most visible! Bethlem's turret clock, on top of the Museum building, is being restored and will tell the time for our visitors early in the New Year 🕰️
Scaffolding is in place, but we’re open as usual!
#EYAConservation @maudsleynhs.bsky.social

🎄✨ The Bethlem Art Fair is back, now in the Museum of the Mind's exhibition space! 🎨🖼️
Discover a stunning variety of paintings, prints, ceramics, and more, all at affordable prices. Opens tomorrow!
#BethlemArtFair #BethlemMuseumOfTheMind #ChristmasShopping #ShopSmall #SupportArtists @bethlemgallery

Celebrating Museum Shop Sunday all week in our online shop! Find unique, meaningful gifts and support Bethlem Museum of the Mind! Link in bio 🎄🛍️🎁🎀

#BethlemMuseumOfTheMind #MuseumShopSunday @museumshops.bsky.social #museumshops #ShopWithPurpose #shoplocal #beckenham #westwickham #croydon #bromley

We are pleased to announce the daily themes for the 2025 #ArchiveAdventCalendar. A reminder that anyone can take part in December. Just post something with the daily hashtag and #ArchiveAdventCalendar. We can't wait to see what you will all share this year! 😁🎄🎅

#armisticeday
During WWII, the Maudsley Hospital split locations to Sutton & Mill Hill to avoid London air raids. Dr Eric Guttmann, a German-Jewish psychiatrist, faced internment as an "enemy national" despite 6 years at the Maudsley 🔗 bit.ly/482mPME
Images:
Workshop at Mill Hill
Dr Eric Guttmann

📜 “They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me.”

#OnThisDay in 1684, the playwright Nathaniel Lee was confined to Bethlem Hospital. Lee’s mental health struggles made him both a patient and a public spectacle, and his story ended tragically in 1692 🔗 bit.ly/491G5uN

A summer garden party for wounded soldiers filmed for Bethlem Hospital by Mr Pearce of the Essenay Company (ref. WSD-01). Read more about the first World War and the Maudsley on our blog here:… Wounded Soldiers' Day, 1916

#RemembranceSunday
In the summer of 1916, Bethlem Royal Hospital hosted a garden party for wounded WWI soldiers. Guests were treated to "good tea, a famous band, and a variety concert of the richest and best". Watch the full 12 minute silent film of the day here 📽️ youtu.be/1OneTOeunhY

Only 2 weeks left of our Between Sleeping and Waking exhibition 😱!
The exhibition space is dominated by Kate McDonnell’s immense installation Night Tides, which evokes the restlessness of insomnia.
It's totally FREE and utterly mesmerising ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡🪐⋆
bit.ly/visitmotm
#nighttides #insomnia #dreams

🎇 Louis Wain's Kaleidoscope Cats are like bursts of feline fireworks: vivid, surreal, and hypnotic. It's often claimed these works reflect his mental decline, but there's no evidence that the paintings are related to each other and all are undated.

😺 bit.ly/WainMyth

#louiswain #kaleidoscopecats

Bringing the kids? Be sure to cosy up in our story time pod! Part of the Between Sleeping and Waking exhibition until 22 November 📚‧₊˚☁️ ♡🪐⋆

#betweensleepingandwaking #FreeExhibition #freelondonmuseum #mentalhealth #dreams #sleep

#OnThisDay in 1977 the artist William Kurelek died. His 1953 autobiographical painting, The Maze, painted during his time as a patient at the Maudsley Hospital, continues to captivate visitors to Bethlem Museum of the Mind. Discover this intriguing artwork here: bit.ly/MOTMMaze

We look pretty good when the nights start drawing in ☺️🌙✨🍂

🔗 bit.ly/visitmotm

#autumn #bethlemmuseumofthemind

There's only one month left of Between Sleeping and Waking at Bethlem Museum of the Mind! This hauntingly beautiful exhibition features art by Bethlem Hospital patients and others spanning over 200 years.

Image: Dream Flight by Allan Beveridge

#bethlemmuseumofthemind #dreamart #dreamdiaries

Charlotte Johnson Wahl What It Felt Like Charlotte Johnson Wahl at the Maudsley Hospital Exhibition booklet. All pictures © the estate of Charlotte Johnson Wahl All text © named authors, 2024 64 pages 200x200mm

Museum exclusive! This book presents 20 artworks by Charlotte Johnson-Wahl from her year at the Maudsley Hospital in the 1970s. Insights from Colin Gale, Director of the Museum of the Mind, and Charlotte’s daughter, Rachel Johnson, highlight the artist's life & legacy. Buy here: bit.ly/4o3RnU6.

🕰️ Don't forget the clocks go back tonight! You get an extra hour tomorrow to plan your next visit to Bethlem Museum of the Mind 😊 We're open every Wednesday-Saturday 9:30-5pm, so there's plenty of 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 to visit us bit.ly/visitmotm
#clocksgoback #autumn #greenwichmeantime

💡 Looking for something inspirational, unusual, and free to do in London today? Visit Bethlem Museum of the Mind! You'll discover over 750 years of mental health history, fascinating art, the mystery of dreams, and beautiful nature in the grounds (lots of mushrooms to spot! 🍄)
bit.ly/visitmotm

If you're near Liverpool Street Station you're walking on the very foundations of London's mental health history - look for the blue plaque at 90 Liverpool Street. 3/3

#bethlemroyalhospital #HiddenLondon #LondonHistory #BethlemStar #bethlemmuseumofthemind #mentalhealth #liverpoolstreetstation

The Bethlem Star is at least as old as the Hospital, it was worn by the monks as ‘the sign of the star’ of Bethlehem. Later, it was worn by discharged patients as a badge of their connection to the Hospital. (You buy your own here bit.ly/bethlemstarpin) 2/3

📆 This week marks 778 years since Simon FitzMary gave land at Bishopsgate to the Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, founding what became Bethlem Hospital, the world’s first institution dedicated to mental health care. 1/3

Bethlem History Walk Historical walk around Bethlem Royal Hospital site

🚶➡️ There's still a couple of tickets left for the History Walk with Bethlem Gallery this Saturday! But be quick they go fast .... bit.ly/4qoSQ95

Keep up with all our events on our website 🔗 bit.ly/42N9kh7