Archive

What records are available

Records in the National Gallery Archive relate to all areas of the Gallery's activities, including the:

• Management of pictures in the collection: acquisition, exhibition, picture conservation, scholarship and research
• Development of the building
• Development of curatorial, conservation and specialist professions
• Policies on public access, education of children, students and adults
• Relations with other galleries and museums in Britain and worldwide
• Key members of staff, including Charles Lock Eastlake, Kenneth Clark, William Boxall
• Relationship with the contemporary art community
• State sponsorship of art
• Wartime evacuation of the pictures

Debris following extensive bombing during the war

The archive also includes records relating to the foundation and early administration of the Tate Gallery and its collection. For further information on the Tate Gallery's own Archive Department go to: http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/archive.htm

Further records relating to the administration of the National Gallery are held at the Public Record Office http://www.pro.gov.uk

The records of the National Gallery are public records. All records over 30 years old are available for consultation, and in many cases, records less than 30 years old can also be made available.

Next: Private Papers - former Directors