Study Rooms
The museum’s two Study Rooms—one for Costume and Textiles and one for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs—not only provide visitors with the opportunity to research and learn more about objects in the collection, but also allow them to view objects that aren’t currently on display.
Costume & Textiles Study Room
The Costume and Textiles study room in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Center provides access to the museum’s collection of more than 30,000 costume and textile objects. One of the oldest and largest in the country, the collection encompasses art from across the world, spanning many diverse eras. While only a small percentage of the museum’s extensive collection is on display at any time, many objects not on view are available for study by appointment.
Prints, Drawings, & Photographs Study Room
The Abigail Rebecca Cohen Study Room provides access to the museum’s collection of more than 160,000 prints, drawings, and photographs spanning the thirteenth century to the present. Works on paper are displayed on a rotating basis throughout the year in the Korman Galleries (221–223), Honickman Galleries (156-57), the Keyes Gallery (256), and elsewhere throughout the museum’s main building. As only a small selection from the department’s collection is on display at a given time, visitors may schedule an appointment to study works on paper that are not on view in the galleries.