In 1930, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) began collecting modern photography and in 1940, the department was founded. The Museum's collection of over 25,000 works is one of the world's most important collections of modern and contemporary photography. The collection contains work by artists, journalists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and amateurs, and is as diverse as photography itself.
Artists on display
Some of the artists whose works are on display at the MoMA Department of Photography are Ansel Adams, Bernice Abbott, Emmy Andriesse, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Helen Levitt, and Alfred Stieglitz.