UPDATE: Research Services Suspended Until December, 2009

On site research is suspended until December, 2009.  During this time, the Museum's Department of Collections Access will respond to inquiries regarding the Museum's collections via email and phone.  Staff can conduct a brief search and send you a list of any relevant materials.  However, it will not be possible to schedule on-site appointments to view materials from the Museum's collections until late 2009.

The Department of Collections Access can be reached at research@mcny.org or 212.534.1672 x 3399.  Due to the large number of incoming queries, it may be two weeks before you receive a response to your initial inquiry.

Reproductions from the Museum's collections continue to be available. Please see http://www.mcny.org/sidebars/716.html or call 212-534-1672 x 3375 for more information.

Museum staff look forward to resuming on-site research service beginning in December 2009.


Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Museum of the City of New York
Department of Collections Access

 

General Information

Conducting research at the Museum of the City of New York is centrally coordinated through the Department of Collections Access. Requests are fielded via phone, email, fax and mail.
Telephone: 212.534.1672 x 3399.

Email: research@mcny.org

Fax: 212.534.5974
Mail: Department of Collections Access, Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10029

 

Queries are answered in the order in which they are received. It may take two weeks or more before you receive a response to your initial inquiry.

 

Once your inquiry has been received, Museum staff will review your request to determine what relevant material the collections hold. If it is substantial, staff may recommend that you schedule an on-site research appointment. If the material is very small, staff may make photocopies of the relevant items and mail them to you. If you are unable to visit the Museum, staff can conduct research on your behalf. If the research takes less than 30 minutes, there is no charge. If the search takes longer than 30 minutes, research fees of $25 per hour apply. Charges may be billed to your credit card.

Research appointments are generally available in the Prints, Drawings & Photographs Collection, the Manuscript Collection, and the Theater Collection. Access to the Museum’s collections of Costumes & Textiles, Decorative Arts, Paintings & Sculpture, and Toys is limited to graduate level study and scholarly research by advance appointment with the curatorial department directly.

Research fees apply to all on-site research: $25 for each two and a half hour session; $10 for students and seniors, payable by check or credit card. If research fees are prohibitive, a fee waiver can be requested. Photocopies can be made during appointments and high quality reproductions are available through the Department of Rights & Reproductions. Research appointments tend to book quickly and it is recommended to schedule 2-3 weeks in advance of your planned visit.