Pictures, graphics and much more

The origins of the collection go back to the former family library of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, an impressive collection of portrait graphics, books and historic photographs that extend back to the early days of photography. Ownership of the Fideikommissbibliothek passed to the Republic of Austria in 1921, when it was incorporated into the Austrian National Library as the Department of Portraits.

A significant expansion of the holdings occurred when, in 1939, the “Collection of Negatives of the Austrian Photographic and Film Services” (ÖLFD) and the “Austrian Photography Centre” (LST) were transferred to Picture Archives and merged with the Department of Portraits in 1947.

The graphics holdings of the former Department of Leaflets, Posters and Ex Libris of the Austrian National Library were ultimately merged with the Picture Archives and Graphics Department in 2010.

What can you expect of us?

In our beautiful setting in the Corps de Logis in the Neue Hofburg, you can

• Research

• Order reproductions

You can order reproductions of our holdings on site or online via the » web shop digital reproductions.

• Consult specialist literature

A quiet atmosphere invites you to browse through our comprehensive selection of literature from the areas of art, history, photography, architecture, etc.