Photo Collections of NYPL, The Morgan Library and Private Collections: Learning the HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

As a key component of our curriculum, exploring the history of photography through direct engagement with some of New York City’s most prominent cultural institutions equip residency students with the skills to create work that is both rooted in tradition, and alive with personal vision.

Hands-on visits to Patrick Montgomery’s renowned collection of 19th-century photographs allow students to intimately trace, study, and handle photography’s technical and artistic origins. Partnerships with institutions like the Morgan Library, The Met, and the New York Public Library’s Picture and Photography Collection introduce students to research practices used by professionals, showing how these archives can inspire and elevate artistic work. 

Through these experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of historical and contemporary artists while building the research, critical thinking, and communication skills essential for college, careers in the arts, and informed engagement with the world around them.

NYPL

MORGAN LIBRARY

Patrick montogomery