Group Analytic Society

The collection is divided into sections as follows:

A. Background Information

B. Papers of SHF and ETF

B.1 Formation of Society and Minutes 1950-1970

B.2 Establishment of Trust and Institute 1967-1972

B.3 General Administration and Finance 1952-1968

B.4 Correspondence 1956-1976

B.5 GAS and IGA Activities 1951-1976

B.6 Publications

C. Papers of Vivienne Cohen

C.1 Constitution, Rules and Membership 1965-1990

C.2 Minutes

C.3 General Correspondence and Memoranda 1972-1987

C.4 General Administration, Finance and Property

C.5 External Issues 1973-1981

C.6 GAS and IGA Activities

D. Papers of Elizabeth Foulkes

D.1 Trust for Group Analysis 1970-1979

D.2 Group Analytic Society 1970-1992

D.3 Institute for Group Analysis 1975-1988

D.4 GAS/IGA Events and Activities 1974-1986

D.5 Publications

D.6 Miscellaneous

E. Papers of Sabina Strich

F. Taped Interviews

F.1 Elizabeth Foulkes interviewed by Sabina Strich 1988-1990

F.2 Other interviews conducted by Sabina Strich 1989-1990

F.3 History of Group Analytic Practice 1989-1990

F.4 Other tapes 1983

The Group-Analytic Society (London) (GAS) was established in 1952 by S.H. Foulkes (SHF), Elizabeth Marx (ETF), Dr. James Anthony, Dr Patrick De Mare, W. H. R. Iliffe, Mrs M. L. J. Abercrombie and Dr Norbert Elias. Its objectives were to formalise the arrangements for co-operation and discussion which already existed between them; to provide a focus for the teaching and training in group analysis which they were undertaking separately in various teaching hospitals; to stimulate research and publication; and to create a centre for scientific meetings and workshops. In 1971 the Society delegated responsibility for training and qualifications in group analysis to the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA) while the Trust for Group Analysis (TGA), a charitable body, was formed to handle the finances of GAS, IGA and the Society's journal. This was dissolved in 1981 and GAS and IGA became registered charities in their own right.

SHF was President of GAS until 1970. ETF, his wife, was Honorary Administrative Secretary of GAS from its early days, and was later Membership Secretary and Vice-President and a Trustee of the TGA.

More detailed background material may be found in items in section A of the list and in:

Jeff Roberts and Malcolm Pines (eds), The Practice of Group Analysis, 1991; and Malcolm Pines (ed), The Evolution of Group Analysis, 1983.

1933 SHF comes to England.

1940 SHF conducts groups in Exeter.

1942 SHF joins RAMC and introduces group methods at Northfield Military Hospital; meets James Anthony, Patrick de Maré and Martin James.

1946-1950 While in private practice in London SHF meets regularly with a group of colleagues interested in group psychotherapy.

1948 International Congress of Mental Health, London.

1948-9 Unsuccessful attempts to establish a centre for group psychotherapy under the NHS.

SHF makes an application to the Maudsley Hospital to run a group psychotherapy unit there but is turned down.

1950 The group adopts a more planned approach for its activities of teaching, study, publication and treatment and takes the name of Group-Analytic (Research) Centre.

1951 SHF takes consulting rooms at 22 Upper Wimpole Street which also accommodate a centre for group analysis.

1951-1952 SHF conducts weekly training seminars in group-analysis and regular Monday meetings.

1952 Inaugural meeting of the Group-Analytic Society.

Continuation of regular series of Monday meetings as scientific meetings of the Society.

Society begins to hold study courses for those wishing to join and advanced seminars and workshops for full members.

1952-1970 SHF President of GAS.

1955 Membership extended and invitations to apply sent to qualified people.

1960 SHF and ETM marry.

Group Analytic Practice moves to 66 Montagu Mansions with the exception of SHF.

1964 General Course in Group Work established.

1965 Course in group work organised for the Association of Psychiatric Workers.

1966 Group Analytic Practice including SHF moves to 88 Montagu Mansions.

1967 Group Analysis (International Panel and Correspondence) (GAIPAC) founded; SHF is editor (1967-1975) and financial sponsor (1967-1970).

Embryo Institute of Group Analysis formed with a Training Committee to organise introductory courses in group work.

1969 International Council of Group Psychotherapy established.

Society's introductory courses recognised by the Ministry of Health.

1970 First European Symposium, Estoril.

1970-1 Society delegates responsibility for training and qualifications in group analysis to the IGA and a charitable body, the Trust for Group Analysis (TGA), is established to handle the finances of GAS and IGA.

GAIPAC is produced and published by the TGA on behalf of GAS and IGA.

1971-2 IGA establishes qualifying course in group analysis leading to a recognised professional qualification.

European Symposium, London.

European Co-ordination Committee formed.

1973 First January Workshop.

International Committee of Group Psychotherapy formed.

1973-83 Practice shares premises with IGA at 1 Bickenhall Mansions.

1974 European Symposium, Amsterdam.

1975 International Colloquium, London.

Major fund-raising effort.

GAS Jubilee celebrations

1976 Death of SHF.

ETF appointed Trustee of TGA.

Institute of Family Therapy established by those who had run IGA family and marital therapy courses.

1977 First Annual Foulkes Lecture.

1978 European Symposium, Stockholm.

GAS sponsors first of a series of workshops in Israel.

1978 Joint Research Committee of the Society and Institute established to co-ordinate research projects.

1981 TGA is dissolved by order of the Charity Commissioners; GAS and IGA become charities in their own right.

European Symposium, Rome.

Self psychology and Group Analysis Workshop

1982 Journal changes its format and becomes known as Group Analysis: the Journal of Group-Analytic Psychotherapy.

1982-3 Major fund-raising effort for new premises.

1983 Ceases to be obligatory for IGA members to also be members of GAS; category of overseas member abolished; beginning of composite May week-end comprising AGM, Foulkes lecture, scientific meeting and large group event.

A less formal bulletin of international correspondence is instituted with ETF as editor.

European Working party formed.

IGA and GAS move to 1 Daleham Gardens.

1984 European Symposium, Zagreb.

First Manchester workshop.

1987 Committee of GAS decides to establish an archive.

European Symposium, Oxford.

1989 2nd European Meeting on Group Analysis, Athens

1992 IGA 25th Anniversary Symposium

At Wellcome Collection:

S.H. Foulkes' personal papers are held as PP/SHF and contain material relating to GAS and IGA; readers are strongly advised to consult the catalogues of both collections.

It has been difficult to establish the original order of the papers. Coherent files have been treated as such but loose papers and those contained in files labelled "miscellaneous," "unsorted" etc have been arranged into files, mainly on the basis of subject. Original file titles, where given, have been indicated in inverted commas; it is difficult to tell whether these represent working titles or titles assigned by those sorting the material at a later date.

SH and Elizabeth Foulkes' papers have been catalogued separately as PP/SHF. For the sake of consistency, documents concerning GAS and IGA in PP/SHF have been added to SA/GAS and documents concerning other areas of their lives have been taken from SA/GAS and added to PP/SHF. There is much overlap between the two collections and readers are advised to consult both.

The following is an interim description of material that has been acquired since this collection was catalogued. This description may change when cataloguing takes place in future:

AGM Minutes, 1987-1990, Committee Minutes, 1979-1989; membership materials; financial materials, including records on donations and appeals; Group Analysis, 1969-1985; and additional material on the Society and its activities

The catalogue is available on microfiche via the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS).

Abbreviations used in the catalogue

AGM Annual General Meeting

BMJ British Medical Journal

EGATIN European Group Analytic Training Institutions Network

ETM/ETF Elizabeth Marx (m. SHF, 1960)

GA Group Analysis: the Journal of Group-Analytic Psychotherapy

GAIPAC Group Analysis (International Panel and Correspondence)

GAR Group Analytic Research

GAS Group Analytic Society

IGA Institute of Group Analysis

RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps

SHF S.H. Foulkes

TGA Trust for Group Analysis

VC Vivienne Cohen

Key to location of major series of minutes

GAS AGM Minutes

B.1: c.1952-1970

C.2/1: 1971-1990

D.2: 1976-2002

GAS Committee of Management Minutes

B.1: 1952-1970

C.2/2: 1970-1988

D.2: 1970-2000

Minutes of Meetings of Trustees (TGA)

D.1: 1970-1980

Minutes of [TGA] Finance Committee

D.1: 1977-1995

IGA AGM Minutes

C.2: 1975- 1988

D.3: Nov 1975-1998

IGA Council Minutes

B.2: 1967-1975

C.2: 1971-1990

D.3: 1976-1999

IGA Training Committee Minutes

B.1: 1975

C.2: 1973-1989 [Access Restricted]

D.3: 1977-1978

Until 1987, it would appear that the Society had no record-keeping policy and records were held by individual officers and members. In 1987 the Committee of GAS decided to establish an archive which it was hoped would chronicle the development of group analysis by SHF and the history of GAS and IGA. SHF's personal papers formed the core of the early material, the honorary archivist requested and advertised for donations of further material, and recorded interviews with those whose reminiscences might throw light on developments. Material about the construction of the archive can be found in Section E of the collection. It has not always been possible to determine the exact provenance for the material donated as a result of these efforts, however two main groups have been identified.

In 1989 ETF deposited SHF's papers with the archive. These relate to both SHF's and her own role in GAS, IGA and TGA. These were sorted by Sabina Strich, GAS honorary archivist, and ETF in 1989. Any material which did not relate to SHF's involvement with GAS was amalgamated with SHF's personal papers catalogued separately as PP/SHF Foulkes, Siegmund Heinrich (1898-1976) and Elizabeth Therese Fanny (nee Marx) (1918-2004). The material given to SA/GAS fell into two distinct categories, one representing those papers generated or collected by ETF and SHF during the latter's lifetime and one representing ETF's involvement with the Society after the death of her husband. The latter material included copies of minutes, committee papers, circulars, etc which duplicated those donated by Vivienne Cohen (see below). These have been weeded from the collection, leaving only those papers which appeared to add new material.

Vivienne Cohen (VC) donated much post-1970 material to the GAS archive. She was a trustee of TGA at its establishment in 1970 and represented the trustees on the Council of the IGA, taking a particular interest in the financial affairs of the IGA through membership of the Finance Committee and involvement in fund-raising, interests which continued after the discontinuation of the TGA. She was also active on the Training Committee and Admissions Sub-committee. She was also honorary secretary of GAS until about 1974, having previously been honorary scientific secretary. She was honorary treasurer from 1977 until about 1987. Her papers were kept at her home and were sorted by Terry Lear for his article, "Twenty-five years of the Group-Analytic Society network"Group Analysis (1992).

In addition to these two major record groups, the collection includes a few files from Sabina Strich relating to her involvement with the Regional Training Courses Sub-committee, European Sub-committee and with the GAS, recorded interviews and some meetings registers and other papers from various sources.

In 2004, following the death of ETF additional papers relating to GAS and IGA found in SHF and ETF's papers were added to the collection.