| In 2007 The Frick Collection established the Center for the History of Collecting in America at the Frick Art Reference Library. In founding the Center, the Frick wished to stimulate the study of the formation of collections of fine and decorative arts, both public and private, in the United States from Colonial times to the present.
The Center plays an active role in this growing field of art-historical inquiry that merits greater attention in academic curricula and scholarly publications than it has yet received. The Center brings together scholars already working in this area of research, as it fosters the exchange of views on collecting in America among researchers engaged in the many facets of cultural history. A growing number of recent museum exhibitions have emphasized the motivations of collectors, their relationships to art dealers, and the historical record of the formation of great art collections.
To serve this community of scholars, the Center hosts symposia and colloquia and creates the tools needed for access to primary documents generated by art collectors and dealers. The Frick Art Reference Library’s bibliographic and photographic resources, archives, technological and human resources, name recognition, and location in New York City all combine to provide an unparalleled foundation for scholarly research into the history of collecting in the United States.
The Center's Four Program Areas
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