Museum

Thomas J. Watson Library

The Libraries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

  • Watson Library

    Register here to use the Library.

    For Visitors:
    Tuesday 9:30–5:15
    Wednesday 9:30–5:15
    Thursday 9:30–5:15
    Friday 9:30–6:00
    Saturday 10:00-2:00

    For Museum Staff:
    Monday-Friday 9:00–6:00
    Saturday 10:00-2:00

    Paging ends
    at 3:30pm on weekdays
    at 1:30pm on Saturdays
    See paging times.

    See Access and Hours for more detailed information and Holiday Closings.

  • Nolen Library

    Monday (staff only) 9:00-5:00
    Tuesday-Thursday 9:00-5:00
    (visitors: 9:30-5:00)
    Friday 9:00-6:00
    (visitors: 9:30-6:00)
    Saturday 10:00-6:00
    Sunday 10:00-5:00

    See the Nolen Library page for more detailed information on regular hours and holiday closings.

Filed under: Met Libraries

The Photograph Study Collection

The Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

The Photograph Study Collection is part of the Museum’s Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. It seeks to promote research and understanding of traditional arts and cultures, as well as their representation and reception through photography. The Collection contains more than 200,000 images in a wide variety of photographic formats, ranging from nineteenth-century paper negatives to twenty-first century digital images.The Museum’s Collection Database, a searchable database of artworks and related materials from the Museum’s permanent collection, includes many records from The Photograph Study Collection.   Learn more about The Photograph Study Collection.

The Photograph Study Collection is open to the public. Advance appointments are required to view fragile materials and special collections.

Hours and Access

The Photograph Study Collection will be closed until Jun. 15, 2011 or until further notice.
Hours: Tuesday–Thursday 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Hours may be variable. Advance appointments are strongly recommended. (Closed in August.)
Telephone: 212-650-2823
Fax: 212-396-5039