National Art Library, Reference library at Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, United Kingdom.
The National Art Library is a research library within the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, specializing in literature about fine and decorative arts. The collection encompasses books, periodicals, exhibition catalogs, and auction records spanning various artistic disciplines and periods.
This institution was founded in 1837 as the library of the Government School of Design and grew into a public research facility. It received its present name in 1865 and has since expanded continuously to develop its comprehensive holdings.
The library demonstrates its role through specialized collections on crafts and design that artists and makers regularly consult. These holdings reflect a commitment to maintaining the connection between artistic creation and craft traditions.
Visitors need to register online for a reader's card before accessing the collection, and can visit on specific weekdays. Material requests should be submitted early, as submission deadlines close in the early afternoon.
The collection includes handwritten-annotated auction catalogs with historical prices and buyer names, some still partially uncataloged. These documents offer a rare window into historical art market activity and collecting practices.
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