Library & Archives
Library
The E. Kirkbride Miller Art Research Library has a non-circulating collection of over 95,000 items. The collection includes monographs, reference books and databases, collection and exhibition catalogues, scholarly periodicals, auction catalogues, and over 10,500 artist vertical files.
The Art Research Library is available by appointment only Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with a one-hour break for lunch). Please provide a minimum of two weeks’ notice when scheduling your appointment. To request an appointment please e-mail us at bmalibrary@artbma.org.
A-Z Databases
Access the annotated A-Z Databases guide to more than 300 freely available online art history databases and resources. Visiting researchers may use the following subscription-based electronic databases onsite by making an appointment. Please contact bmalibrary@artbma.org to schedule an appointment.
- Artists’ Signatures
- Artkhade
- Artnet
- Artstor
- AskART
- Grove Dictionary of Art – Oxford Art Online
- JSTOR
- Prices4Antiques
Archives and Manuscripts Collections
The Archives and Manuscripts Collections include the BMA’s institutional records and the personal papers of collectors, former staff members, and individuals with a close connection to the Museum. The Archives’ collection houses primary source material including letters, diaries, meeting minutes, photographs and films, audio recordings, architectural plans, financial documents, and curatorial research notes.
Digital Collections
The BMA Library & Archives Digital Collections contain digitized materials from institutional records and manuscripts, including photographs, audio recordings, videos, receipts, BMA publications, and correspondence. Highlights include photographs of Etta Cone and Claribel Cone, letters from 19th century artists to George A. Lucas, recordings of lectures at the BMA, and photographs of the BMA’s earliest exhibitions.
Finding Aids
To learn more about the materials in the Archives, start by reviewing the published finding aids. You will find general descriptions of categories of materials called series or sub-series—correspondence, financial records, research, etc. When the significance of the materials warrants more information, detailed folder or item descriptions may also be included.
If you spot something that seems helpful to your research, please contact us at (443) 573-1778 or email bmalibrary@artbma.org.