Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1915-2003 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
10 boxes plus 1 file of photographs
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Rickman was born into a Quaker family in Dorking, Surrey, on 10 Apr 1891. He studied at at the University of Cambridge and then moved to St Thomas' Hospital, where he graduated as a doctor of medicine in 1916.
His pacifism preventing him from enrolling in the army during the First World War, so he instead joined the Friends’ War Victims Relief Unit in Russia where he worked in the villages of Southern Russia. In Russia, Rickman met an American social worker, Lydia Cooper Lewis, whom he in married in 1918. They left Russia as the war ended and return to England via America.
After the war Rickman worked in at Fulbourn Mental Hospital near Cambridge. In Cambridge, he struck up a friendship with the psychologist W H Rivers, upon whose recommendation he decided to travel to Vienna where he began analysis with Freud in 1920. In the same year, following a recommendation by Freud, Rickman was elected Associate Member of the newly formed British Psychoanalytical Society in London. On his return he played a vital role in founding the Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1924 and the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis two years later. He remained very involved with the clinic and began to publish. In 1926, he produced the 'Index Psychoanalyticus', a bibliography of psychoanalytic papers published between 1893 and 1926. He also did editorial work for publications such as the 'British Journal of Medical Psychology' and the 'International Journal of Psychoanalysis'. In 1928, Rickman travelled to Budapest to undergo analysis with Sándor Ferenczi, returning in 1930.
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Rickman joined Haymeads Hospital near Bishops Stortford as a psychiatrist and later transferred to Wharncliffe Emergency Medical Services where he began to collaborate with W R Bion. In 1942, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in order to transfer to work at a special military hospital for psycho-neurotics at Northfield near Birmingham. He also worked for the RAMC's War Office Selection Board.
At the end of the war he renewed his involvement in the Psychoanalytical Society and was elected President from 1947-1950. He died on 1 Jul 1951.
Repository
Content and structure area
Scope and content
John Rickman's writings and lectures on psychoanalysis and other subjects, plus papers and correspondence related to his professional activities, including military service during the Second World War.
A large proportion of the collection relates to Rickman's publications, including his papers, reviews and lectures, as well as the papers of the editors who published his papers posthumously. In addition there is material related to his work with the British Psychoanalytical Society and British Psychological Society, as well as his psychiatric work during military service during the Second World War, his post-war activities and his work with the Peckham Pioneer Health Centre. The collection also contains professional correspondence with colleagues including Wilfred Bion, Sándor Ferenczi and Géza Róheim and correspondence regarding the emigration of European analysts prior to and during the Second World War. Also included are cuttings albums, notebooks and photographs of Rickman and colleagues.
Accruals
It is understood that additional papers remain in the possession of Lucy & Bernard Baruch and Pearl King and may be transferred to the archives in the future.
System of arrangement
The material is arranged into five series:
P03-A - Writings, lectures and broadcasts
P03-B - Professional activities
P03-C - Correspondence files
P03-D - Cuttings album and notebooks
P03-E - Photographs
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access to our archive collections in our reading room is by appointment only; please email the archivist to arrange your visit. Please note that access to material that is in poor physical condition may be restricted.
Access to the information in our archive is governed by our access policy and guided by sector ethical codes and relevant legislation.
We charge fees for access, reprographics and guided research; please see our current price list.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies of material from our archive collections may be supplied for research and private study in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Written permission must be obtained from the chair of the archive committee and the archivist to reproduce or publish any material held in our archive.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearance from the copyright holder.
We reserve the right to make a charge for the publication of material obtained from our archive.
Language of material
- English
- German
- Hungarian
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
The collection catalogue is published online. A database containing abstracts of some of the correspondence also exists but is not available online.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Material related to John Rickman's work within the British Psychoanalytical Society can be found amongst the records of the Society (ref. S). Also, material related to the emigration of European analysts before and during the Second World War can be found in the Society's records, in the Ernest Jones collection (ref. P04) and in the records of the Ernest Jones Rehabilitation Fund (ref. P33).
The following papers are held elsewhere: The Library of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) holds papers related to John and Lydia Rickman's work in Russia, c1917-1918 (ref. Temp MS 99/5). The British Library Manuscript Collections include correspondence between John Rickman and the Society of Authors, 1935-1946 (ref. Add MSS 63321). The Wellcome Library holds the Melanie Klein collection (ref. PP/ KLE) which includes correspondence related to John Rickman. The Wellcome also holds the Royal Army Medical Corps Muniments Collection (ref. RAMC). The Mandeville Special Collections Library at the Geisel Library, University of California, San Diego, holds the papers of Geza Roheim (ref. MSS 0046).</ul>
Publication note
The following edited volumes of papers have been produced from this collection:
Rickman, John. 'Selected Contributions to Psycho-Analysis', Scott W Clifford M, editor. London: Hogarth Press; 1957 and London: Karnac; 2003.
Rickman, John. 'No Ordinary Psychoanalyst: The Exceptional Contributions of John Rickman'. King, Pearl, editor. London: Karnac; 2003.</ul>
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
- Latin