Library & Archives
Library, The Baltimore Museum of Art, circa 1930. Photograph Collection, Archives and Manuscripts Collections, The Baltimore Museum of Art. LS1.19
Hours
Due to limited staffing, beginning January 1, 2016, only the Archives and Manuscripts Collections will be open for appointments.
To schedule a visit to the Archives, call (443) 573-1778 or email bmalibrary@artbma.org.
Library
The E. Kirkbride Miller Art Research Library has a non-circulating collection of over 71,000 items. The collection includes:
- monographs
- reference books and databases
- collection and exhibition catalogues
- scholarly periodicals
- auction catalogues
- vertical files
Electronic Resources Available On Site
- Art Full Text and Art Index Retrospective
- Artists’ Signatures
- Artnet
- Artstor
- Davenport’s Art Reference & Price Guide
- FirstSearch
- Gordon’s Photography Prices
- Gordon’s Print Prices
- Invaluable
- JSTOR
- Lawrence’s Dealer Print Prices
- Oxford Art Online
- P4A Antiques References
Archives and Manuscripts Collections
The Archives and Manuscripts Collections include the BMA’s institutional records and the personal papers of collectors, former staff members, and individuals with a close association to the Museum.
What’s in the Archives?
The Archives’ collection comprises of primary source material including:
- letters
- diaries
- meeting minutes
- photographs
- films
- audio recordings
- architectural plans
- research notes, such as curators’ research for exhibitions
- financial documents
Guidelines for use (PDF)»
BMA Records Access Policy (PDF)»
Digital Collections
The BMA Library & Archives Digital Collections contain digitized materials from institutional records and manuscripts, including photographs, audio recordings, videos, receipts, BMA publications, and correspondence, Highlights include photographs of Etta Cone and Claribel Cone, letters from 19th century artists to George A. Lucas, recordings of lectures at the BMA, and photographs of the BMA’s earliest exhibitions.
How do I find resources and materials?
To learn more about the materials in the Archives, start by reviewing the finding aids, which are keyword searchable with your browser’s find function (Ctrl+f). You will find general descriptions of categories of materials called series or sub-series—correspondence, financial records, research, etc. When the significance of the materials warrants more information, detailed folder or item descriptions may also be included.
Use Digital Collections Use Finding AidsContact Us
If you spot something that seems helpful to your research, please contact us. You don’t need to be a BMA member to visit the Archives.