Private Minds, Public Collections

As custodians of major archive collections relating to mental health, including patient records from several private hospitals, the Wellcome Library is particularly interested in the issues raised when encouraging public access to, and engagement with, such potentially sensitive material.

On Tuesday 7 February, as part of a seminar series on “Archives and Society”, Julian Pooley from Surrey History Centre will be giving a paper at the Institute of Historical Research, London, on “Private Minds, Public Collections: Exploring the Public Use of Mental Health Records”.

Surrey History Centre holds major collections of mental hospital records, one of which – the records of Holloway Sanatorium – is shared with the Wellcome Library, so it will be particularly interesting to learn from Julian’s experience. The seminar will be chaired by the Wellcome Library’s Archives & Manuscripts Manager, Jenny Haynes.

IHR seminars are free and open to all, so perhaps we’ll see some of you there? The session begins at 5.15pm in Room ST275, Stewart House, 2nd floor. More information is available from the IHR’s website.

Image: Medical Case history and photograph of Constance Butterworth, a patient of Holloway Sanatorium, from December 1900 to November 1901  (MS.5159)