Archives
Photograph by Filip Wolak
The Whitney Museum of American Art Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to primary source materials that further the study of twentieth-century and contemporary American art. The Institutional Archives document the origins, development, and activities of the Museum, with records dating back to the establishment of the Whitney Studio in 1914. The Archives also holds distinct manuscript collections that complement the Museum’s extensive exhibition history and permanent collection of over 25,000 artworks by more than 3,600 artists.
The Archives supports research by a wide range of constituencies whose work relies on access to primary documents. Use of these singular collections informs articles, dissertations, exhibitions, books, programs, and numerous other projects each year.
Finding Aids
Researchers can search and browse finding aids for collections held by the Whitney Archives through ArchivesSpace.
Finding aids provide information about the contents and structure of archival collections to help researchers identify and request materials relevant to their work.
Photograph of a researcher reviewing files at the Frances Mulhall Achilles Library and Archives
Collection Summaries
Institutional Archives
The Institutional Archives document the origins, development, and activities of the Whitney Museum, with records dating back to the establishment of the Whitney Studio in 1914. The collections include exhibition records, the professional papers of directors and staff, departmental records, recordings of events, and other materials.
Manuscript Collections
The Manuscript Collections include select primary materials from external organizations or individuals that support research relating to the Whitney Museum’s mission, collections, and programming.
Digital Resources
Charles Sheeler (1883–1965), Office Interior, Whitney Studio Club, 10 West 8 Street, c. 1928. Gelatin silver print, 7 1/2 x 9 1/4in. (19.1 x 23.5 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney 93.24.2
Whitney Studio Club and Galleries: Administrative and Exhibition Records, 1907–1930
This digitized collection traces the development and activities of the Whitney Studio Club and Whitney Studio Galleries leading up to the founding of the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1931. The materials include handwritten correspondence, photographs, checklists, receipts, and exhibition catalogues. The materials provide valuable documentation of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s early support of American art and artists.
Bertram Hartman, letter to Lloyd Goodrich, April 1947. Whitney Artists’ Correspondence and Ephemera Collection, Frances Mulhall Achilles Library and Archives, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Whitney Artists’ Correspondence and Ephemera Collection, 1934–2012
Gathered from Whitney Museum artist files, this collection includes original correspondence, notes, announcements, invitations, and other unique materials that document the activities and artistic work of numerous American artists. The correspondence is diverse and ranges from formal requests to writing that is more personal in nature. Select folders contain hand-drawn artist illustrations and postcards. Made possible with generous support from the Leon Levy Foundation, much of the collection is digitized and available online at the Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York (DCMNY) digital repository.
Access
Researchers may request an appointment to consult archival collections onsite at the Frances Mulhall Achilles Library & Archives in West Chelsea. Appointments are limited and researchers must submit their request a minimum of two weeks prior to when they would like to visit. Archival collections are open to researchers whose work relies on access to primary sources.