A branch of the Smithsonian Institution, the Archives of American Art houses the world's largest collection of primary source documentation on American visual arts. The Archive collection includes approximately 13 million items in 5,000 collections, including personal papers, gallery records and exhibition catalogs, art periodicals, and other documents. In addition, the AAA holds over 3,000 interviews conducted for its oral history program and about 1,000 photos of artists' collections. While the collections range from the mid-eighteenth century to the present, the AAA is strongest in the 1900-1950 period. Would-be researchers at the AAA will want to pay a visit to this site first. It offers access to the online catalog and information on using the collections. Additional resources include a listing of AAA publications, finding aids, and guides available online and for purchase.