Bethlem Museum of the Mind

03/09/2026

'Some Questions About Us’
Mark Titchner’s placards were part of Bethlem Gallery's Mental Health & Justice project. The graffiti 'RIP Seni' ensures the death of Olaseni Lewis, the young black man who died under police restraint at Bethlem in 2010, will not be forgotten.

In this video with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Seni's mother Aji explains why it is so important that we remember Seni and continue to learn and improve.

https://youtu.be/V7ete08noKo?si=3aCvhZ6t333ZslHx

29/08/2026

✏️📝 Back to school next week?

Make the most of your last Saturday before the new term with a visit to Bethlem Museum of the Mind. Whether you're curious about history, art, psychology, language, medicine, photography, architecture or archives, there's something here to spark your imagination and get the brain warmed up!

✅ Free admission
🚍 Buses stop right outside (SL5 or 356)
🚆 Just 20 minutes by train from central London

28/08/2026

On this day in 1843, the promising young painter Richard Dadd, in the grip of overpowering delusions, murdered his father.

The Dadd paintings usually displayed at Bethlem Museum of the Mind are currently on loan to the Royal Academy of Arts' major retrospective. However, Dadd's original psychiatric case records remain here, and we are displaying them until the end of November. This is a rare opportunity to see another side of Dadd's history, preserved in our archive.

Here, Museum Archivist David and Director Colin preparing the records display.

24/08/2026

📝 New on the blog! 📝

Recently, a group of Ukrainian military psychiatrists visited Bethlem Museum of the Mind to learn more about the Canadian artist William Kurelek and his most famous painting ‘The Maze’, which is on display in the museum’s permanent collection. Work experience student Maeve reflects on the talk given by the Museum Director.

🔗 shorturl.at/FHbWE

We are always so proud to share the work produced by students who spend time with the small team here at Bethlem ☺️

Image: Colin Gale talking to Ukrainian visitors.

17/08/2026

Ever wondered what it takes to uncover the stories hidden inside historic artworks? 🔎

For our featured blog post this month, PhD placement student Rachel Ditchfield writes about her experience researching and curating the museum’s current exhibition. Manasa Chitra (which translates as ‘Mind Drawings’), required a little detective work - from identifying a forgotten Konkani inscription to finding connections between artworks made decades apart. Rachel uncovered stories of memory, migration and life in post-Independence India.

🔗 bit.ly/4fUtNaF

Image: The Desert Journey, Arindom Dey, 2022

16/08/2026

This is an interesting listen on BBC Radio 4 about the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition 'Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam'. Bethlem Museum of the Mind has lent a number of works to this incredible exhibition, which brings together more than 100 works to tell the story of Dadd's life and art.

Richard Dadd at the Royal Academy and AI companies shredding rare books.

15/08/2026

Is Bethlem Museum of the Mind worth visiting? Yes! Here's some reasons why:
🌳 Located in the beautiful the grounds of the historic Bethlem Royal Hospital
🧠 A thought-provoking, free look at the history of mental health care
🏛️ Stunning Art Deco architecture
🖼️ A permanent collection full of art and history spanning 780 years
🎨 Current exhibition is Manasa Chitra: the Art of Mental Health from Bengaluru to Bethlem
🎫 Free!

Images:
Bethlem Museum of the Mind
The Scenery with Vibrance, Riza Reji, 2022

14/08/2026

Meet Raving and Melancholy Madness - two imposing sculptures created by Caius Gabriel Cibber in 1676.
For nearly 150 years, they stood above the gates of Bethlem Hospital at Moorfields. When the Hospital moved to St George’s Fields, the figures moved too, this time into its entrance hall.
After a long loan to a London museum, they returned to Bethlem in Beckenham in 1970, squeezing into the Museum’s original portakabin before travelling to exhibitions across Europe.
Finally, on a rainy day in November 2014, the sculptures were carefully moved into the new Museum. It took the team an entire day to settle them safely in the foyer - where, after nearly 350 years of adventures, they can enjoy a well-earned rest.

13/08/2026

Beat the heat with a visit to Bethlem Museum of the Mind ❄️
If our history and art doesn't distract you from the soaring temperatures the air conditioning will!

We are listed on the Cool Off Culture map, which helps you find cultural venues offering a free space to rest and recharge during a heatwave. at Bethlem you will find not only 700 years of history, but a place to rest away from the heat in a welcoming space. You can even refill your water 🥤

tinyurl.com/mry2fxxm