Corcoran Archives

Above image: František Kupka, (Czech, 1871–1957), Untitled, 1912, Oil on canvas

In 2018, The George Washington University was awarded a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation for a year-long project to process the entire Corcoran Archives and create free, digital access to significant sections of the archives. Beginning in September 2018, a dedicated project archivist and two current Corcoran graduate students conducted historical research on the Corcoran; created detailed, online descriptive guides; and prepared key sections of the collection for mass digitization. The digital files, including exhibition catalogs, publications, photographs, curatorial files, and more, are openly available online to interested researchers around the world.  We are grateful to the Luce Foundation for its generous support!

In the spring of 2016 the George Washington University Libraries was selected as the permanent home of the historical archives of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

The collection consists of almost 2000 boxes of documents, plus thousands of architectural drawings, posters, photographs, and oversized ledgers, dating from 1869 to 2014. The Corcoran Archives document the life and vitality of one of Washington D.C.’s oldest cultural heritage institutions and provide almost 150 years of insight into the history of American art museums and art education.

Researchers can get started on our website by learning how to access the collection, and collection inventories, see samples of digitized materials, and learn about related resources. 

Please contact Special Collections for more information

Phone: (202) 994-7549

Email: speccoll@gwu.edu