New-York Historical Society

The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, founded in 1804, houses extraordinary collections of historical artifacts, American art, and other materials that document American history as seen through the lens of New York.

Collection strengths include local history of New York City and State, colonial history, the Revolutionary War and Early Republic, American military and naval history, eighteenth and nineteenth century religions and religious movements, the Anglo-American slave trade and conditions of slavery in the United States, the Civil War, American biography and genealogy, American art and art patronage, the development of American architecture from the late eighteenth century to the present, and nineteenth and twentieth century portraiture and documentary photographs of New York City. Our Library collections comprise more than 350,000 books, three million manuscripts, and distinctive collections of maps, photographs, prints, and ephemera. The Museum houses more than 60,000 works and artifacts, including fine art, decorative art, historical artifacts, and ephemera.

The Historical Society’s rich research environment fosters an active intellectual community. The fellowship program is designed to promote and encourage the use of the Historical Society’s unparalleled collections of primary and secondary sources.

Host Institutions: New-York Historical Society Museum & Library