The Franke Reading Room is currently open for onsite, in-person research, but please note that access is available by advance appointment only; walk-in appointments are not possible. Find additional information about our new policies and procedures here.
Questions related to all Art Institute archival collections—including the Institutional Archives, Imaging Archive and Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives—may be directed to Archives staff at archives@artic.edu.
Many questions related to works of art in the museum’s curatorial collections, Art Institute exhibitions and the history of the Art Institute or the School of the Art Institute may be answered using the information provided in our Research Guides, exhibition archive, annual reports, or press release archive. More detailed inquiries—such as those related to staff, students, or faculty—may be directed to the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries’ reference desk at reference@artic.edu.
Other general resources—such as how to research a work of art, uncover the history of a Chicago building, locate art market prices or a professional appraiser, or find information on works exhibited at the Paris salons—are also available in our Research Guides.
What is the Research Center?
The Art Institute’s Research Center, founded July of 2020, brings together the divisions of Academic Engagement and Research, the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, and the Art Institute of Chicago Archives to expand access to the museum’s rich educational and research offerings.
What is the Art Institute of Chicago Archives?
The Art Institute of Chicago Archives is the official archival repository for the Art Institute of Chicago. We provide a foundation for institutional memory by collecting, organizing, and preserving unique materials of enduring historical value created by and about the museum and School, as well as art, architecture, and design resources that complement and extend the museum’s curatorial collections. Most importantly, we offer and encourage access to our collections to support the work of the museum, the research needs of its staff, users and community, and to advance the reputation of the Art Institute for high-quality scholarship.
What is in Archives?
The Archives comprises four primary collections or categories of service, including: the Institutional Archives, the Imaging Archive, the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, and the museum’s digital preservation and records management program.
The Institutional Archives collects and preserves over 13,000 linear feet of records created or received by AIC/SAIC in the course of its everyday operations, including: museum records, School records, affiliated organizations, and personal papers. The Imaging Archive—also an institutional collection—contains approximately 300,000 negatives, slides, and photographic prints as well as several hundred thousand digital files, all of which document the history of the museum, its collections, exhibitions, and events. Our digital preservation and records management programs help ensure that important documents created today will be accessible to staff and researchers long into the future.
The Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives (RBA) consists of roughly 5,000 linear feet distributed over 250 collections. Its primary mission is to gather, preserve, and make accessible research materials which enhance the scope of the libraries’ existing collections; that are pertinent to the research and preparation of Art Institute exhibitions and publications; and/or which complement, support, or create context for objects acquired by curatorial departments within the museum. The collections of the RBA are diverse, though predominantly focused on documenting the development of art and architecture in Chicago and the Midwest from the 1870s to the present. The built environment is documented through the papers of architects, urban planners, landscape architects, engineers, and industrial designers. The role of art in the Midwest is documented through the papers of artists, photographers, educators, arts organizations, and galleries. Thematic groupings of the collections can be browsed here.
What is an “archival collection”?
Within the context of the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives, the term “archival collection” refers to any group of related documentation that has been collected and identified as a distinct administrative entity. Each archival collection is identified by both a name and an accession number (i.e., call number). These collections typically include a mix of primary (e.g., letters, manuscripts) and secondary (e.g., magazine articles, criticism) source materials. Institutional records are more typically organized according to department of origin, though “personal papers,” such as those donated by former staff or directors, will be grouped by creator.
What is a “finding aid”?
Finding aids are inventories or indices that describe the contents and context of an archival collection. Finding aids are the primary method of accessing information about any given collection. Please note that, because some archival collections are very large, finding aids do not necessarily describe every item or object within each collection. Therefore, description may only be offered at the folder level (e.g., “letters, 1940”).
We currently have publicly-accessible finding aids for the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives collections only. Please review this page for more information on the Institutional and Imaging Archive.
Are there relationships between the museum’s curatorial and Archival collections?
The Institutional and Imaging Archive document many core aspects of the museum, including the curatorial collection. Please contact archives@artic.edu for more information on related holdings.
Many collections in the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives (RBA) are associated with works of art held in the museum’s curatorial collections. This is especially true with regard to the Department of Architecture and Design (A&D). However, other collections do not and reflect, instead, our efforts to document the development of art and architecture in Chicago and the Midwest from the 1870s to the present.
Broadly speaking, the A&D curatorial collection contains drawings, models, and 3-D materials, such as building fragments, while the RBA archival collections contain mostly papers, photos, and project documents. The RBA also collects some drawings, models, and 3-D materials, though to a lesser extent. Because many collections are split between the two departments, it may be necessary to contact both in order to find all relevant materials. Selections of A&D’s collection can be searched online here and their staff can be contacted at adstudy@artic.edu.
What formats do you have? Do you have video or audio in your collection?
Our collections include a wide variety of physical formats including: photographs, slides, drawings, letters, manuscripts, printed materials (e.g., newspapers, magazines, brochures), scrapbooks, ephemera, memorabilia, posters, postcards, and maps. We also have a wide variety of audio and video formats (e.g., cassettes, VHS tapes, 16mm film, phonograph records) as well as born digital materials (e.g., Word documents, PDFs, etc.).
Can I see all of these materials online?
Portions of the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives collection are digitized and available for online viewing. However, given size and copyright considerations, it is impractical to digitize everything. Some small collections have been scanned in their entirety, while for other collections, only the most commonly requested items—such as photographs, drawings, and other visual materials—are available online. This information is also noted in the introduction to each finding aid. A list of digitized collections is available here.
A selection of exhibition images from the Institutional and Imaging archives is available in our exhibition archive. Some additional institutional records, such as annual reports and press releases are also available for review. However, the majority of our institutional records are not available for remote access.
Where can I submit a comment or correction to something I saw online?
All comments and correction requests can be sent to archives@artic.edu.
Does the Archives accept donations?
Yes, the Art Institute of Chicago Archives does accept donations that fall within the scope of our mission and/or current collection policy. Please email us at archives@artic.edu with information on your donation.
Can I come in and see these materials in person?
The Franke Reading Room is currently open for onsite, in-person research, but please note that access is available by advance appointment only; walk-in appointments are not possible. Find additional information about our new policies and procedures here.
Visitors to the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives’ Archival Images & Media database may download study images with a maximum dimension of 1000 pixels using the “Download” button found in the upper right quadrant of all database object pages. Larger, high-resolution versions of images and/or new photography may be requested through this order page or by email at archives@artic.edu.
Please also contact the Archives for information on rights and reproductions from the museum’s Institutional Archives or Imaging Archive collections.
Researchers may be permitted to publish images of objects from our collection, pending staff approval and payment of any applicable reproduction or licensing fees. Also, in addition to permission from the Art Institute, permission of the copyright owner (if not the Art Institute) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distribution, and any other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any object and securing all necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the object. The Archives reserves the right to decline reproduction and publication requests if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would cause damage to the material or involve violation of copyright law.
For image rights and reproductions of works of art from the museum’s curatorial collections, please review this information on imaging licensing and contact Art Resource accordingly. The Archives does not manage such requests and cannot provide information or guidance regarding any such inquiries.
Can you help me research an architect, building, or work of art?
We’re happy to help answer simple questions about architecture and the arts in Chicago and the Midwest though we are limited in the amount of time we can spend per question. For more in-depth inquiries we may only be able to provide you with potential research sources. Out of town researchers may wish to hire a freelance researcher; a list is available here. Broad questions about non-local art and architecture topics, auction results or a work of art you wish to identify can be sent to the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries reference staff at reference@artic.edu.
Can you help me find information on an Art Institute exhibit or SAIC alum?
Questions about the history of the museum and the School of the Art Institute can be directed to the Institutional Archives at archives@artic.edu. More information, including digitized exhibition catalogues, may be found here.
Can you tell me how much my artwork is worth?
Research Center staff cannot evaluate or appraise works of art. However, the libraries do subscribe to a number of art price indexes and other databases that search auction results. Please email reference staff at reference@artic.edu for more information. Information on how to locate art appraisers in the Chicago area is available here.
Does the Archives lend original documents for research purposes?
No. The Research Center’s collections, including the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and the Art Institute of Chicago Archives, are non-circulating. The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries is a member of SHARES, the Research Libraries Group Shared Resources Service, and some library materials may be lent through interlibrary loan to other SHARES institutions. The Archives does not participate in any interlibrary loan services.
Does the Archives lend original documents for exhibitions?
Yes, original documents or artifacts may be loaned to qualified institutions for exhibition when the purpose of loan is consistent with the mission of the Research Center and the Art Institute of Chicago. Borrowers should submit a written request a minimum of 12 (twelve) months in advance of the exhibition opening. Loan approval will be subject to security, fire protection, environmental, and transport requirements and will require a facility report and light exposure questionnaire to be completed for consideration.
Where else can I find Chicago art and architecture research materials?
Local and regional institutions holding complementary collections include:
Chicago Public Library (Harold Washington Branch), Archival Collections
Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections
University of Illinois at Chicago Manuscripts and Rare Books
The Chicago Collections Consortium also maintains a searchable list of regional archives and special collections.
