'Occupational Therapy. Drawing and Painting'

A black and white photograph taken in about 1943 for Camera Talk during a visit to Northfield Military Psychiatric Hospital near Birmingham. The caption on the reverse reads 'Before going back into civilian life with all its hardships and readjustments, a good many soldiers visit for weeks, sometimes for months, Northfield, Britain's largest Military (Pyschiatric) Hospital. Once upon a time Northfield was a mental hospital for serious nervous diseases, where patients had to be cut off from the outside world. The military staff has made a great modern job of this place, situated a few miles outside Birmingham. Many thousands of soldiers from prison camps and army service have found here an easy a comfortable adjustment to civilian life with occupational therapy and medical treatment under the supervision of experts. A parachutist, gunner and a pioneer, sitting next to each other, spending a few hours in teh drawing class. On the wall are some of the paintings and drawings form previous patient.'

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