Most valuable from the historical point of view are about 70 prints by the 17th-century Czech artist Václav Hollar (1607-77), the creator of splendid etchings showing landscapes, cities, and portraits.
The Prints and Photographs Division also houses six posters by Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), including one rare item made for Sarah Bernhardt's American tour in 1896, and 23 by the noted contemporary artist Zdeněk Ziegler (born 1932). Another poster in the custody of the Division shows the 1941 German blueprint for the destruction of the village of Lidice.
The 14 posters by Vojtěch Preissig (1873-1944), who spent a part of his career in the United States, deserve special attention. Most of these posters were created in support of the Czech and Slovak resistance efforts against Austria-Hungary and Germany during World War I.
Unique in their scope and richness, the picture collections number more than 16 million images. These include photographs, historical prints, posters, cartoons, documentary drawings, fine prints, and architectural and engineering designs. While international in scope, the collections are particularly strong in materials documenting the history of the United States and the lives, interests, and achievements of the American people..
