About Us

Formally created in September 2002, and officially opened in February 2004, the Centre's origins extend back to September 1956 when a short-lived 'Public Relations Subcommittee' agreed a proposal from John C. Kenna to appoint an Honorary Archivist. In November 1956 Kenna himself accepted the post, ethusiastically accumulating a considerable quantity of material and recording interviews with eminent British psychologists. When, in 1979, Dr A.D.Lovie succeeded him, the collection included, besides the Society's internal archives, such material as the Charles Spearman archive, Child Study Association minute books, and numerous photographs. Under Dr Lovie it expanded further, major additions being the J.C. Raven, Charlotte Wolff, Leslie Hearnshaw and Henri Tajfel archives (the last being the largest). By the late 1990s, however, it was becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate the collection accessibly at Liverpool University, and when, in 1998, the Centre for History of Psychology was established at Staffordshire University the collection was relocated there and Graham Richards succeeded Dr Lovie. Access was easier but the geographical location proved inconvenient, while proper cataloguing and shelving facilities failed to materialise.

The 2001 centenary of the British Psychological Society proved a major factor in resolving this unsatisfactory situation, focusing the Society's concerns on its history and drawing attention to the poor situation in Britain compared with several other countries, where catalogued archives were long-established. Ingrid Lunt, the Honorary General Secretary, keenly supported by the President, Vicki Bruce. took the initiative in proposing moving the archives to London. Following a working party recommendation the Society agreed to create the present Centre. Graham Richards was appointed as Director and took up the post in September 2002. He retired in June 2006, and the post fell vacant, pending the outcome of negotiations with other institutions to secure the future of the Centre based on a collaborative model.

During 2007 the Centre underwent a significant shift away from being a physical repository of archive material towards becoming more focused on research promotion and public outreach. To this end, various partnership arrangements were put in place and some of the Centre's more peripheral holdings were given to institutions that could make better use of them. Formal partnerships were set up with (a) the Wellcome Library to house and curate the Centre's principal holdings, (b) the Science Museum to create a BPS Curator of Psychology post and ensure high-profile public engagement events, (c) the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL to enable an annual programme of seminars. Also the Centre's library holdings were merged with the Society's official library at Senate House Library to create a single Society psychology collection, thus removing some duplication of function. At the same time responsibility for the partnership with Senate House was brought under the aegis of the Centre.