The main setting for LIGHT AND AIR is the J. N. Adam Memorial Hospital. Located high in the hills of Perrysburg, New York, the hospital, which opened in 1912, was built and maintained by the City of Buffalo for sufferers of tuberculosis. The 300-acre plot of land was purchased and donated by James Noble Adam, former mayor of Buffalo, New York.
Before the discovery of antibiotics, sanatoriums, like the one in Perrysburg, treated sufferers of tuberculosis with “heliotherapy,” a bath of sunlight and fresh air.
The discovery of streptomycin and other drugs brought an end to the sanatorium movement. The J. N. Adam Memorial Hospital closed its doors as a tuberculosis hospital in 1960. It reopened and operated as a state “mental hygiene” facility until closing for good in 1993. A dispute over ownership thwarted all attempts to sell the property, and the once-majestic buildings have succumbed to the effects of light and air—the very elements that led to their existence.
The images in the slideshow below are the work of talented photographer Char Szabo-Perricelli, who gained access to the grounds several years ago and took an incredible series of photos. She has graciously given me permission to share a few of them here.
