The Bowlby Centre presents a unique exhibition on Attachment inspired by the life and work of John Bowlby, the founder of Attachment Theory.
This intimate exhibition presents seldom-seen letters and photographs from the John Bowlby Archive at the Wellcome Library. The material has been thoughtfully curated to trace our understanding of the universal need for others across the lifespan and how this develops in a cultural and social context.
“Intimate attachments to other human beings are the hub around which a person’s life revolves, not only when he is an infant or a toddler or a school-child but throughout his adolescence and his years of maturity as well, and on into old age.”
John Bowlby, 1980
Our attachment to others continues throughout our lives. Thus, we are born with the inherent capacity for making emotional bonds, for instance, becoming attached to those who care for us in our childhood.
Attachment illustrates the lifelong relevance of attachment for all our close relationships, including how children, parents and elders are cared and provided for. It explores how, with attachment principles at their core, organisations such as schools and hospitals can support their staff to provide caregiving relationships in creative ways.
This exhibition also reflects on how our lifelong need for others continually shapes our emotional life and well-being.