fletcher

The Government Architect, James Barnet, pauses his grand schemes, work on the Sydney GPO, court houses, post offices etc. to concentrate on a hot water system for the imbecile asylum in Newcastle !! I think the building is still there as part of the James Fletcher Hospital, much altered - journals.sfu.ca/hneh/index.php/hneh/article/viewFile/55/46 & www.theherald.com.au/story/456679/james-fletcher-hospital... Possibly the extension was to one of these distant buildings on Watt Street seen in this c.1882 photo -

Good newspaper article describing the place in vivid detail, and an insight into victorian attitudes to such places - SMH 27/8/1887 p.8 - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13661080

A Ralph Snowball photo of the asylum, also dated 1888 (22/11/1888) And research on the place - governmenthousebarracks1804.wordpress.com/

"There were all types of faces and all types of children, but planted on the face of each was the hopeless seal of insanity -insanity of a quiet and idiotic character, though there were some few exceptions. In one or two cases the girls looked intelligent for a few moments, and then their faces again settled to a dull, stolid level of expressionless imbecility." They didn't pull any punches in them days. Newcastle. Asylum for Imbeciles and Idiots. trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13661080

Taken in front of New York City Hall.
On the left is Frank Friday Fletcher, who had been promoted to Admiral in March, 1915 and was commander of the Atlantic Fleet, 1914-1916.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Friday_Fletcher
On the right is Robert A.C. Smith, then New York's Commissioner of Docks and Ferries.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.A.C._Smith
See also:

good portrait!

artolog: thanks for the additional information. We will update the record.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Lost Ballparks, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.