The New York Public Library is celebrating the centennial of its Picture Collection with a new exhibition in the Wachenheim Gallery at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Since its founding in 1915, the Collection has been an unparalleled and essential resource for artists and designers, students and scholars. Boasting close to 1.5 million images, the collection comprises more than 1,500 linear feet of materials—surpassing even the height of the Empire State Building. Images are organized according to roughly 12,000 alphabetical subject headings, from “Abacus” to “Zoology,” with many more thousands of subheadings. In fact, pictures of New York City alone are broken down into more than 300 different categories. Whether you are looking for pictures of people and objects seen from behind (“Rear Views”) or cats wearing clothes (“Animals as Humans”), the Picture Collection has you covered.

Featured Video

NYPL Picture Collection: Where Do All The Pictures Come From?

Where do all the pictures come from? Billy Parrott, Managing Librarian of the Picture Collection, answers that question in this video, which is one of three in the exhibition. 

Featured Blog Post

a fashion illustration sketch is shown. A figure wears a three piece skirt, shirt and blazer ensemble. Notes from the designer cover the corners of the brown page.

Fashion Illustration Inspiration from Print and Digital Collections

There are a number of books in our collections to help you fine tune your fashion drawing style, but have you also seen our digital collections of original hand colored and reproduced fashion illustrations?

More Exhibitions

  • A Century of The New Yorker

    February 22, 2025–February 21, 2026
    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    This exhibition will survey 100 years of life at The New Yorker, bringing to life the people, stories, and ideas…