Our Archives

The College of Psychic Studies Archivist, Jacqui McIntosh, preserves, manages and safekeeps our collection. Here, we share why it is perhaps the most covetable job in the world...

A day in the life of the Archivist of The College of Psychic Studies in London involves documenting and researching their large collection of art, photographs and artefacts. Finding out more about the history of these curious objects often needs the skills of a detective and with over 11,000 books in the library along with reams of letters, pamphlets and periodicals, there's no shortage of reference material. Scholars and researchers like to talk about 'library angels' when they happen upon a book or article that can solve a mystery in an instant. More often though, exploring the history of a person, artwork or artefact can lead to hours down a rabbit hole trying not to get entangled in a web of numerous fascinating tangential forays. 

​The reward for such time-consuming effort is large. It can result in the identification of artists who have spent decades languishing in obscurity. Ethel Annie Weir was one such artist. Her drawings in the College collection went on to feature in the Tate's Virigina Woolf exhibition in 2017. Another was the artist Alice Pery who turned out to be a direct descendant of Edward III. The latest was a College member from the 1890s called Alice Essington Nelson. She is one of a few remarkable female spiritualists whose abstract drawings anticipated Modern Art. Her work is to feature in an exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Paris in 2021 followed by the Guggenheim in Bilbao. 

Alongside Alice's artwork is the undoubted jewel in College's crown; an album of spirit drawings by Georgiana Houghton who was a founding member of the College in 1884 when it was known as the London Spiritualist Alliance. Georgiana's beautiful abstract watercolours have recently gained attention from the art world and even featured in the Venice Biennale in 2022. Georgiana was not only known as an artist. She was also a pioneer in spirit photography which was prominent from 1860s to 1930s. The College is proud of its extensive collection from all the major practitioners of that period as well as the published research from psychic investigators who were captivated by the phenomenon.

Another founding member of our College was Anna Howitt Watts, feminist, pre-Raphaelite and Britain's first mediumistic artist. We have a room devoted to her works.

Private Tours of the College Collection

For the attention of schools, colleges and universities, historical societies, art groups and all of those with a curious mind.
Inspire your students and members with a two-hour private tour of the College's wonderful collection, led by our curator. The tours accommodate up to 15 people and cost £160. Email us to arrange a date.