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The Philadelphia Association leased Kingsley Hall, in Bromley-by-Bow, East London, from 1965–1970 to house a large, live-in community of trained psychiatrists, helpers and characters with varying psychoses. It was neither a hospital nor an asylum, and if invited to stay, everyone became a resident and in theory equal.


The person at the centre of this radical experiment was the charismatic psychiatrist RD Laing who had written the influential book The Divided Self in 1960 which aimed "…to make madness, and the process of going mad, comprehensible".


This is a portrait of a community and their memory of people, time and place.

The Residents is available in two formats: 

 

1. Digital PDF version for PC/Mac – only £5

This will be emailed to you within 24hrs of purchase. 

2. Hardback book 

 

Edition of 100
88 pages, size: 30cm x 30cm
148gsm acid free uncoated paper

 

£149 (+ p&p)

Delivery is approximately 3 weeks from order.

Reviews:

 

"Congratulations on an excellent work excellently executed, Dominic. You wanna know what I think? I think you might just have secured me a dignified old age!" Francis Gillett

 

"In the first reprint of our Laing book, http://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/rdlaing/ I have put in a reference to your lovely book on The Residents of KH."
Theodor Itten Psychotherapeut ASP/UKCP, Clincal Psychologist MBPsS

 

"I am very pleased that surviving residents have had this opportunity to tell their stories." Andrew Roberts, Secretary Survivors History Group "Many thanks for your beautiful book. I'm already entranced by it. I'm doing a study on the influence of R.D. Laing on fiction, and just happened on your book on the net." 
Dr Maggie Tonkin, Discipline of English and Creative Writing The University of Adelaide

 

"I've read and researched a lot about Laing's life and his work for personal interest since my own more recent experiences of a close family member within the 'conventional' system of mental health treatment, and felt that one thing missing amidst all the speculation about what took place at Kingsley Hall was a collection of eyewitness accounts; your work is brilliant because it brings the story up to date and gives the residents a voice they've previously lacked the opportunity to have. For all these reasons, you've produced a vital document with something new to add to the story, and I'm sure many people will be grateful for it." Jon

 

"I think it is a beautiful book and a great piece of sociological research.  Your photos are wonderful. It is painful however to see how everyone has aged. I would not recognize Noel Cobb, for example. You photo of Leon in terrific. He came out very well. Interesting review in the Observer.  They just can't get it that these were photos of people, not patients." Joe Berke

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