Photograph Study Collection

The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers unparalleled resources for the study of American art. Its extensive Photograph Study Collection contains nearly a quarter million negatives and study prints. The images document American art works from the late 1800s to the mid-20th century.

The Peter A. Juley & Son Collection contains nearly 127,000 negatives documenting art works by 11,000 American artists. Peter A. Juley & Son, one of the largest and most respected fine arts photography firms in New York, served artists, galleries, museums, schools, and private collectors from 1896 to 1975. The collection, acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1975, constitutes a unique photographic record of thousands of works of American art, sometimes providing the only visual documentation of a changed, damaged, or lost original. The Juley Collection also contains 3,500 portraits of artists, including formal poses as well as candid shots that depict artists working in their studios, teaching classes, and serving as jurors for exhibitions.

You can search the entire Juley Collection Catalog online via SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The collection is being digitized with over 37,000 images already online.

The American Sculpture Photograph Study Collection contains 2,790 photographs of American sculpture dating from the late 1890s to 1940. The collection was assembled by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for study purposes and includes photos from staff photographers, commercial photographers, publishers, and photographs "desirable in the study of art" assembled by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and presented to the Museum in 1930.

You can search the entire American Sculpture Photograph Study Collection online via SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The collection is completely digitized.

The Walter A. Rosenblum Collection contains 7,396 negatives taken by noted New York photographer Walter Rosenblum (1919–2006). Between 1945 and 1970 Rosenblum did freelance work photographing art works for major galleries, collectors and artists in the New York City area. The Rosenblum Collection reflects the art of his time and is particularly strong in American and European avant-garde, surreal and abstract works.

You can search the entire Walter Rosenblum Collection online via SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The collection is completely digitized.

The National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artists Fellowship Program Collection documents art works by approximately 4,600 artists who received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts national Visual Artists Fellowship Program and its companion regional programs from 1967 to 1995. When the program ended, approximately 54,000 slides and 400 video tapes came to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Digital images for artists who have given their permission are searchable onsite in the Research and Scholars Center. For more information, please contact staff at sapa@si.edu.

The Library of Congress Copyright Deposit Collection contains 2,461 photomechanical reproductions documenting art works by approximately 500 American artists from the 1890s to 1940s. The images were originally deposited with the Library of Congress as part of the copyright registration process for art works. The images, in color and black and white, are mounted on oversize boards. The collection documents drawings, graphic prints, paintings, and other works of art by late 19th century and early 20th century American artists.

You can search the entire Library of Congress Copyright Deposit Collection online via SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information System). The collection is completely digitized.

Images from the Photograph Study Collection may not be reproduced without written permission from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is important that you contact the Research and Scholars Center for specific details regarding the images you are interested in.

Requests for permission may be submitted by email to sapa@si.edu or by mail:

Photograph Study Collection
Research and Scholars Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum
MRC 970, PO Box 37012
Washington DC 20013-7012

If you have questions or need assistance with database searches, let us know. Contact us by email at sapa@si.edu or by phone at (202) 633-8390.