Please note the Museum is closed from 22 December 2024 to 1 January 2025 inclusive. Last day open 2024: Saturday 21 December. First day open 2025: Thursday 2 January.
Nearly 100 paintings from the Bethlem collection can be seen online thanks to a hugely ambitious project by the BBC and the Public Catalogue Foundation.
On 18 May 1815, a Parliamentary enquiry heard Bethlem's apothecary explain his preference for using manacles on patients, rather than strait-waistcoats
On 3 May 1815, a Parliamentary enquiry heard details of the lengthy legal struggle to obtain the release of James Tilly Matthews from Bethlem Hospital.
Listen to a debate exploring the shift from asylum to 'care in the community', with perspectives from researchers, service users and mental health professionals