A Photographer Spent 18 Months Documenting an LA Psychiatric Hospital in the 1970s

Nov 03, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A man in a hospital gown sits barefoot in a chair, with a bed sheet tied from his wrist to the chair’s arm, inside a hospital hallway. He looks sideways and appears to be smiling. — Photographer Merrick Morton made frequent visits to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles for 18 months.

In 1979, photographer Merrick Morton (@merrickmortonphoto) received a California state grant to document the Volunteer Program at a psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles, a project that led him to return again and again over the next year and a half.

Warning: Some of Morton’s photos are distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Morton’s brief was to capture a series of photos that could be used in a “slide presentation” — a PowerPoint in today’s parlance — that could be used to recruit members of the public willing to spend time with the patients for socialization purposes.

The facility Morton was assigned was the Metropolitan State Hospital in the city of Norwalk, Los Angeles County. It opened in 1916 and still operates today — although parts of it has fallen into disrepair.

A person walks down a hallway wearing a T-shirt with handwritten text that reads, "ARE YOU LONELY? I AM Y???" The image is black and white and taken from behind. — The man’s T-shirt reads: ‘Are you lonely I am Y???’ | Merrick Morton

Black-and-white close-up photo of a young man with tousled dark hair and stubble, standing in a hallway with blank walls and a door visible in the background. He has a serious, contemplative expression. — Merrick Morton

Black-and-white photo of a sparse room with several metal chairs. Three people are present: one sitting with head tilted back, one standing, and one seated near a window. A small TV is on in the background. — Merrick Morton

Morton tells PetaPixel that the project was supposed to be for a period of three to four weeks, in which time he would photograph patients, staff, and volunteers. But he wound up hanging around for a lot longer.

“I was issued a passkey to both chronic and acute locked wards,” Morton explains. “I mainly photographed on the weekends when the admin offices were closed.”

The photographer says he “became lost in the system” and extended his documentation of the hospital to a year and a half, without the main office finding out.

“They became aware of me on a Sunday when certain staff did not know me, and notified the administration,” Morton says. “Throughout my stay, I became friends with both the staff and certain patients.”

Black and white photo of a man with a mustache, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, appearing stressed or tired. He is wearing a T-shirt and has short hair. — Merrick Morton

A close-up black and white photo of a middle-aged woman with long wavy hair, wrinkled skin, and a gap in her teeth. She appears to be reacting with surprise or discomfort. — Merrick Morton

Three women in a bare hallway: one sits on the floor, another stands facing the camera, and the third lies on her back with her legs up against the wall. The scene appears somber and minimalistic. — Merrick Morton

Morton recently shared the photos on his Instagram page where they received high praise, mixed with sadness. “Life isn’t always a bowl of cherries,” writes one person.

Morton reflects that “in an odd way,” the ward’s inpatients and staff became family to him over the course of 18 months. “I was allowed to capture pain and joy, often with a sense of humor that flowed within these walls,” he adds.

A person lies on a bed in a sparse, bright room, restrained at the ankles and wrists with wide straps. The scene is viewed from above, giving a sense of isolation and vulnerability. — Merrick Morton

A man with short dark hair, wearing a white t-shirt, sits in a wheelchair and smiles. He appears to have a developmental disability. The image is in black and white. — Merrick Morton

A man in a white shirt stands near a brick wall inside a fenced area, while a woman in a dress and headscarf stands on the other side of the fence, gazing through the wire mesh. — Merrick Morton

Around the same time Morton visited, a groundbreaking documentary called Hurry Tomorrow (1975) filmed at Norwalk caused a stir after it depicted patients being overly-drugged. But conditions have vastly improved at the Metropolitan State Hospital since then.

Morton is one of LA’s finest photographers who, as well as taking stills for motion pictures, has documented the lives of Mexican-American mobsters. He also founded Fototeka, which gained access to the LAPD photo archives. His Instagram page is well worth a follow.

Image credits: Photographs by Merrick Morton