Corcoran Archives

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

In the spring of 2016 the George Washington University Libraries received the historical archives of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design. These extraordinary archives consist 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, browse FAQs and collection guides, see samples of digitized materials, and learn about related resources. 

Please contact Elisabeth Kaplan, associate university librarian, with questions about donating materials to the Corcoran Archives.

Please direct research and use related questions to the special collections librarian.