The Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives ("PMA Archives") is open to everyone, free of charge, and used for all types of research. It is comprised of institutional records, personal papers, research collections, photographs, and audiovisual materials that chronicle the history of the institution since its founding in 1876.
Certain records in the Archives may not be available because of restrictions that protect the privacy rights of individuals or organizations, legitimate proprietary rights of the Museum, or other reasons. However, the bulk of the archival materials are unrestricted and will be made available to researchers on a fair and equitable basis.
The PMA Archives hold a variety of archival materials, over 4,200 linear feet of analog and digital records, from reports, correspondence, photographic prints, to audiovisual items. Some notable collections include the Alexina and Marcel Duchamp Papers, Arensberg Archives, Julien Levy Gallery Records, Fiske Kimball Records, Young-Mallin Archive, and George Grey Barnard Papers.
For information about the Museum's archival holdings, see the Archives Catalog.
The Arcadia Special Collections Reading Room Hours: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (excluding holidays). Access to the reading room is by appointment only.
Note: From Monday, November 20, 2023, to Friday, January 5, 2024, the PMA Archives reference services, including scanning, will be unavailable, and the Arcadia Reading Room will be closed to all researchers. Appointment and scanning request processing will resume the week of January 8, 2024.
If you have questions about the PMA Archives not addressed here, please email us at archives@philamuseum.org.
