America's Care of the Mentally Ill: A Photographic History tells the story of our nation's care of the mentally ill, starting from the 18th century, through the birth of the American Psychiatric Association and hospital-based care in 1844, up to the present. This engrossing book is the first ever photographic volume depicting the history of the care of the mentally ill in the United States and the development of state mental hospitals.

Assembled by William E. Baxter, M.A., M.S., Director of the APA Library and Archives, and David W. Hathcox III, M.A., a freelance photographer, this extensive volume is culled from a variety of sources, including the APA's collection of rare photographs.

America's Care of the Mentally Ill: A Photographic History begins with the plight of the mentally ill in the 18th century. It continues through the many reform movements of the 19th century and the evolution of the state mental hospital system. The book ends with a description of the 20th century's rapid advances in treatments, and the demise of the state mental hospital.