Research
The staff of the Department of Prints and Drawings conduct
extensive research as part of their work in cataloguing, preparing
exhibitions and making new acquisitions.
The department also provides access for members of the
public to carry out their own research in its study
rooms, which are open to all. Visitors may ask to see any of
the 50,000 drawings or 2,000,000 prints in the collection - apart
from a fragile sketchbook by Jacopo Bellini which can only be seen
by special request.
The library of about 50,000 books and periodicals on Western
prints and drawings is available in the Study Room to be read
alongside the original works of art. See The Department of
Prints and Drawings in the British
Museum: User's Guide by Antony Griffiths and
Reginald Williams (1987).
As well as records in the Collection
database online, full printed catalogues exist for certain
important parts of the collection and recent exhibition
publications provide much additional information. Microfilms of
certain areas on the collection are available from Mindata.
Projects
Curators and staff in the department are involved in a wide
range of research projects.
Catalogues
There is an ongoing programme of publication in the department,
including catalogues.
WWII Provenance
In line with research across the British Museum the Department
of Prints and Drawings has been conducting a check of its
collections to establish whether any material acquired since 1933
was stolen or forcibly acquired by the Nazis.