There is a small town near Ithaca that is home to an insane asylum. Many people have been through the doors of that building, and there is a large amount of history associated with those who have been patients. Some of the people who have been there left belongings behind. One mane found about 400 suitcases from this asylum. The items inside are enough to grab at the heart of almost anyone.
This location was closed in 1995 because there was a lack of funding to keep it open. Someone had the task of cleaning the rooms in the building. A photographer had captured images of some of the workers as well as some of the patients of the asylum.
The staff truly cared for the patients, and there was more of a relationship than there was a hospital environment. Some of the patients lived in the homes on the outside walls of the asylum before going home. The suitcases this man, who was the photographer, found were kept in an attic.
When he found them, he called the museum in New York to see if they were wanted. About half of the cases were empty. However, many of the cases were filled with letters, clothes and other items of patients who simply left everything behind. Pictures were taken of the cases to treasure for years.