Staff Picks: Our Favorite Things from the Collection

Founded in 1954, the Archives of American Art is the most widely used research center in the world that tells the story of visual art in the United States through primary sources. A letter, a scrapbook, a photograph, a press clipping, even a braid of hair—these are all considered primary sources in our collection. Each can provide insight for a researcher seeking a deeper understanding of art made, exhibited, and viewed in the United States. Like the United States, our collection is vast and varied. 

So where does one start with millions of documents, terrabytes of data, and nearly three thousand oral history interviews that comprise our collection? This exhibition provides some fascinating and helpful starting points by introducing staff members and items they find special, sometimes for very personal reasons. Welcome to the Archives of American Art!