About the Library and Archive
Explore an overview of the Gallery’s Library and Archive.
About the Library
The Library was established in 1870 with the purchase of the private library of some 2,000 volumes belonging to the late Sir Charles Eastlake, the first Director of the National Gallery. It now contains around 100,000 printed volumes relevant to the study of the history of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the early 20th century.
The library's holdings include:
- Monographs, catalogues raisonnés, exhibition catalogues, and pamphlets
- Works on iconography
- Permanent collection catalogues from museums and galleries throughout the world
- A fine collection of publications relating to private collections in this country and abroad
- A significant collection of early guidebooks
- A strong collection of early source works consisting of approximately 2,000 titles published before 1850
- Catalogues of picture sales from major auction houses and reasonably complete runs of the catalogues of certain commercial dealers
- Over 250 periodical titles, of which 150 are current.
About the Archive
The Archive holds public records created by the Gallery, that document its activities from the institution’s foundation in 1824 to the present day. It also collects private papers relating to individuals or activities closely associated with the Gallery.
The records are wide in scope and include:
- Minutes of the Board of Trustees meetings
- Annual reports
- Administrative correspondence
- Internal memoranda and reports
- Publications by and about the Gallery
- Exhibition records
- Photographs
- Press cuttings
Private collections include:
- Thos. Agnew & Sons company archive
- Charles Lock Eastlake travel notebooks
- Ralph Nicholson Wornum family papers
- William Boxall personal papers
- Burlington Magazine archive
- Haskell family archive, including papers on the history of collecting
Further material relating to the administration of the National Gallery can be found in Government records, for example in the archives of the Ministry of Works. For more information, visit the website of the National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk [external link].
The National Gallery Archive also includes records relating to the foundation and early administration of Tate and its collection. For further information on the Tate Archive go to: www.tate.org.uk/art/archive [external link].