The Document Archive

The Document Archive comprises private archives related to Finnish visual arts and the history of the Finnish National Gallery: archives and documents related to artists, artist groups, museum workers, associations and various art institutions as well as collections acquired through documentation projects on visual arts.

The archive collections accumulate continuously. New material is received mainly through donations and through the Central Art Archives’ own documentation activity. Art historical document archives are available to researchers in the Central Art Archives’ research room. Some archive entities are subject to limited use.

Basic information on the art historical document archives is available in Finnish in the National Art Archive Database maintained by the Central Art Archives. In particular, information on private archives related to visual arts and in the custody of museums is collected into it.

The Central Art Archives’ collection of artists’ correspondence contains approximately 5,000 letters and other documents, mainly from the period between the 1830s and the 1950s. The collection has been digitised, and visitors can read the letters through the self-service terminal in the Central Art Archives’ Reading Room. Summarised list of the collection of artist correspondence.pdf, 381 kb

Microfilm cardspdf, 54 kb can also be used to read materials related to the Finnish Art Society and its drawing school, the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design and the Craft School, in addition to the Central School of Applied Arts.

Letters related to Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff’s art collection acquisitions have been gathered into Paul Sinebrychoff’s electronic letter archive from the years 1895 to 1909. The letter archive contains correspondence with several experts and collectors. The letters are part of the Finnish Art Society archive (1846–1939), which is kept in the premises of the Central Art Archives.