Conducting research is an important aspect of the work of any museum and directly supports the mission of the Seaport Museum to preserve and interpret the origins and growth of New York City.
The Museum is actively engaged in a complete inventory of all its collections, works of art, artifacts, and archival materials. This ongoing project will improve future public access to the materials in our care and ensure that items are preserved for many generations to come.
Research Inquiries
Research requests are handled in the order in which they are received. If there is a large volume of requests at a given moment, it may take a minimum of 10 business days for a response.
Seaport Museum members at the Dual level and higher are entitled to a discount on all research fees.
Image Services
You may request access to Museum images for personal, scholarly, or commercial purposes. The fastest and most efficient way to submit requests for high-resolution images is through the Museum’s Collections Online Portal.
Requests are processed in the order they are received, and staff makes every effort to respond promptly, but please allow up to 10 business days for a response. A request to use or have access to an image does not guarantee such use or access, and the Museum reserves all rights in granting and revoking permissions in regards to images.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the South Street Seaport Museum, in which case the customer is responsible for securing permission from those parties.
Digital images for lecture, publication, exhibition, public space, films, or web/blog/digital use are subject to reproduction and licensing fees. Please contact the Collections and Archives Department for more information at collections@seany.org.
Public Access to the Collections
In-person access to Museum’s collections and archives is granted on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Director of Collections and Exhibitions.
Requests will be approved or denied after careful review of the following criteria:
- Support of the Museum’s mission
- Availability of staff and Museum spaces
- Physical condition of the objects requested
- Availability and accessibility of the requested objects
- Number of objects requested
Furthermore, the Director of Collections and Exhibitions, in consultation with the Archives and Special Collections Specialist and the Associate Registrar will determine whether outside individuals will be allowed to handle objects. Handling of objects will be directly supervised by a designated collections staff member.
Research fees depend on the nature of the request. A cost estimate can be provided once a research request is submitted. Click below to inquire.