About the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs

Established in 1987 thanks to a gift from the Wallach family, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs unites what had formerly been three separate departments under a single banner. Divisional holdings comprise works of art as well as reference materials on painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography and the history of architecture from prehistoric times to the present. The Wallach Division also serves as the access point to the Spencer Collection of fine bindings and illustrated books. Together, these collections include more than one million works of art in various mediums and formats, complemented by nearly 700,000 monographs and periodicals. The quality, depth and scope of these holdings have earned the Wallach Division an international reputation among a broad variety of scholars and lovers of art.

The Art and Architecture Collection is the primary access point for readers and researchers using the Research Libraries’ materials, which relate to the fine arts, art history, decorative arts, architectural history, fashion, design, and other related subjects. The extensive collections include monographs, exhibition catalogs, auction records, periodicals, monographic series, ephemera, oeuvre and catalogues raisonnés.

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Print Collection

The most accessible print room in New York City, the Print Collection of The New York Public Library encompasses over 200,000 prints along with a specialized reference collection of over 15,000 volumes on the history of prints and printmakers. Please contact us directly with questions about the Print Collection.

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Photography Collection

The Photography Collection of the New York Public Library comprises approximately 500,000 photographs, including examples of almost every photographic process from the earliest daguerreotypes to contemporary digital images. Please contact us directly with questions about the Photography Collection.

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The Spencer Collection

The Spencer Collection surveys the illustrated word and book bindings of all periods and all countries and cultures, from medieval manuscripts, Japanese scrolls, and Indian miniatures to monuments in Renaissance printing, illustration and binding to contemporary livres d'artistes. Materials are available through the Prints and Photographs Study Room (308) by appointment only and with a card of admission, during study room hours.

Please note that the Spencer Collection may be accessed by appointment only. Find out more about accessing the collection.