With some 15 million pieces, the Prints and Photographs Division (P&P) is the repository of an interesting array of Polish graphic material, including photographs of prominent persons, rural and urban landscapes, the German campaign in World War II, families in traditional folk costume, and aspects of Jewish life. The Nazi Collection from the F. M. J. Archiv in Munich contains many powerful images of life in occupied Poland, including a photograph titled Blick in ein polnisches Gefangenlager [A Look Inside a Polish Prison Camp]. P&P also houses an excellent collection of about 3,000 Polish posters, including some extremely rare pieces, such as one by Poland's first professional poster artist, Tadeusz Gronowski, hailing Pilsudski's victory over Soviet forces titled X rocznica odparcia najazdu Rosji sowieckiej. Among printed illustrations, the work of seventeenth-century engraver Stephano Della Bella showing Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus discussing astronomy is particularly handsome (92-516411).
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..
