About the archives

The RCPsych archives consists of documents mainly relating to the College’s history, including its predecessor organisations, going back to 1841. It also includes papers from, and about, individual members.

An archive collection comprises documents selected for long-term preservation as evidence of past activities. Most archived documents are unique and unpublished and cannot be accessed at any another location (unless digitised). Collectively, they are referred to as 'primary sources', in contrast to any historical analyses derived from them, which are known as 'secondary sources'.

The collection includes:

• administrative records, including Faculties, Committees etc. and membership records
• donated papers
• manuscripts
• mental nurse training
• a small collection of records from asylums and mental hospitals and some clinical documentation
• photographs of events and meetings
• portraits of past presidents
• pictures of people from the history of mental health
• oral history recordings and transcripts
• new acquisitions: donations and digitised institutional records.

Related information

You can also explore the History, art and exhibitions page and our History of psychiatry resources page, where you'll find a variety of primary and secondary sources, many of which are available online.

Also, the Our history page outlines the history of the College and its predecessor bodies from 1841 and has timelines of key events.

Donations

We are delighted to accept donations in line with our Archives collection development policy.

The College is particularly interested in acquiring personal papers of members, patients, carers and members of the public which may enhance understanding of the history and development of the College, psychiatry and mental health issues more broadly.

The following items are likely to be of archival value:

• biographical information e.g. curriculum vitae, memoirs, genealogies, biographical sketches
• items relating to RCPsych business e.g. committee, faculty and division minutes, reports, files and correspondence
• professional correspondence e.g. with colleagues, professional organisations, and government bodies
• audio-visual material e.g. photographs, films, sound and video recordings
• personal and family e.g. correspondence, diaries, photographs.

You can arrange a donation by contacting either the Archivist or Honorary Archivist: