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Lost in Laconia

During a time when people who were branded and stigmatized as "feebleminded" and a danger to society were banished to a life of isolation and total segregation, thousands of children and adults were institutionalized in large state operated institutions throughout the country. In the case of New Hampshire, that place was the Laconia State School. This documentary traces the history of the institution from its initial beginnings as the New Hampshire School for the Feebleminded in the early 1900’s until its closure in 1991. The purpose of this film is to provide a thought-provoking and inspirational documentary that examines the social values and cultural ideals of the twentieth century relative to individuals who were labeled feebleminded, deficient, and idiots and to their families who sought to care for them in the way society dictated. 67 minutes. DVD

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Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Keene State College

229 Main Street

Keene, NH 03435-3201
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