People gathered around looking at the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci

National Gallery of Art Archives

Research the history of the museum through archival photographs, documents, oral histories and related materials.

Overview

The archives serves as the institutional memory of the National Gallery of Art by preserving documentation of the museum's history through the present day, including its activities, people, and buildings, and welcoming all to discover, explore, and engage with these resources. 

Interested in our archival material?

Researchers can search or browse our institutional records online documenting people and topics related to the museum.

Search the archival collection

  • Hours

    Open by appointment, Monday–Friday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
    Closed on federal holidays

  • Location

    National Gallery of Art West Building 
    6th Street and Constitution Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 

  • Records

    Institutional records consist of correspondence, photographs, printed material, architectural records, audio and visual recordings, oral histories, digital assets, and other documentary items about the museum’s past and development, including its exhibitions, acquisitions, programs, activities, and buildings.

  • Special collections

    Special collections include the papers of National Gallery donors, collectors, staff, and related individuals; the World War II files of the Monuments Officers; and the Index of American Design Records.

Access the Archives

Contact us with research inquiries or to schedule an appointment.

Archival resources

Finding Aids

Consult detailed descriptions of collections

Highlights of the National Gallery of Art's History

View a timeline of key events in the history of the National Gallery

A young woman plays a small pipe organ while a winged angel holds up a piece of sheet music in this horizontal painting. A strong light source illuminates the scene from our right, creating deep shadows in the dark background. Both the woman and angel have pale skin, flushed cheeks, and light brown hair. Shown from the knees up and taking up the left half of the painting, the woman’s body is angled to our right as she sits at the organ, which is near the right edge of the composition. Her hair is pulled back into a braid, and wisps fall on her forehead. Her skin is smooth, and her head tilts down toward the organ. Her cherry-red dress has a squared neckline and olive-green sleeves over a white shirt. The voluminous sleeves are pushed back over her forearms as she rests her fingertips on the keys of the organ. Gazing toward the woman, the angel has short, curly hair, silvery gray wings, and wears a topaz-blue garment. Two lines of music on the paper the angel holds have notes written in and one staff is empty. The small organ is angled away from us so we see one narrow end and the row of low pipes along its back. The dark brown background lightens behind the young woman’s head.

Kress Collection Digital Archive

Research data and digitized archival materials documenting the development of the Kress Collection

Past Exhibitions

Explore data about past National Gallery exhibitions and related digital resources

  • Contact the Archives

    Research request form

    Telephone: (202) 842-6615

  • Mailing Address

    National Gallery of Art Archives
    2000 South Club Drive
    Landover, MD 20785