The Oriental Institute Museum Archives is the official repository for documentation related to the Oriental Institute's administration, expeditions, photography, faculty, and staff. It is the mission of the Museum Archives to perform curatorial and information services pertaining to these collections including conservation, preservation, and access. The Museum Archives primary collections consist of the following:
- Correspondence of the Director's office begining with James Henry Breasted
- Papers of Oriental Institute faculty and staff
- Field records of Oriental Institute expeditions
- Curatorial records and correspondence of the museum
A major component of the Museum Archives is the extensive holdings of photographic records, comprised of over 100,000 negatives, prints, and slides. Further information can be found on the Photographic Archives page. The photographic archives consist of the following:
- Documentation of the Institute through time, including photographs of objects in the Museum, exhibits, and special events
- Photographs of archaeological artifacts excavated by Institute projects
- Photographs of monuments and other in situ features at sites where Institute projects have worked
- Historical photographs of objects, sites, and people associated with ancient Near East research
Begin your research by searching the electronic records of the Oriental Institute Museum Archives. These are available through the public Search Our Collections page, where the ongoing and growing catalog of the Museum Archives resides. This may assist in narrowing your request.
The archives are open Monday – Friday from 9:00 – 4:00pm. Please visit our Access the Collections page to arrange a Research Visit.
Search Our Collections
Browse over twenty thousand entries for cataloged Museum Archives materials.
Search Our Collections
Featured Archival Research
2016–2018 IMLS Grant continues to fund essential Museum Archives cataloging projects.
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