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MoMA Photography Department | Museum of Modern Art | NYC

The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA, is widely considered as one of the world's largest and most prestigious institutions, having played a key role in the development and acquisition of modern art. The MoMA Library houses over 300,000 publications and exhibition directories, over 1,000 periodical papers, and over 40,000 files of materials about individual artists and entities.

MoMA Departments

The Museum of Modern Art is well-known for its extensive art collection. At MoMA, there are six curatorial departments. Each of these departments is in charge of the field's progress, recovery, and exhibition. Architecture and Design, Drawings and Prints, Film, Media and Performance, Painting and Sculpture, and Photography are the departments at MoMA.

MoMA Photography Department

Visitors viewing modern art exhibits at MoMA, New York City.

In 1930, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) began collecting modern photography and in 1940, the department was founded. The Museum's collection of over 25,000 works is one of the world's most important collections of modern and contemporary photography. The collection contains work by artists, journalists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and amateurs, and is as diverse as photography itself.

Artists on display

Some of the artists whose works are on display at the MoMA Department of Photography are Ansel Adams, Bernice Abbott, Emmy Andriesse, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Helen Levitt, and Alfred Stieglitz.

MoMA Photography Study Center

Researchers can consult images from MoMA's collection at the Erna and Victor Hasselblad Photography Study Center. This is one of the greatest contributions of the MoMA Department of Photography to the academic research in this field. MoMA Photography Study Center also allows group tours of up to 15 people from educational institutions.

MoMA Photo Club

The MoMA Photo Club celebrates this collaborative, competitive attitude, connecting us all to the accomplishments of amateur photographers throughout history. The club has seen the artwork of individuals who were active participants in a vibrant worldwide network of amateur galleries in the mid-twentieth century, and their prints moved around the world, collecting stamps and badges of approval.

Frequently asked questions about the MoMA Photography Department

The MoMA Photography Department was established in 1940.

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