Harvard Art Museums

Overview

The Harvard Art Museums API exposes 200,000+ objects — artworks, exhibitions, people, and galleries — from Harvard’s collections. Auth is a free API key (an invalid key returns 401, verified).

Quick Start

Search objects (replace YOUR_KEY):

curl "https://api.harvardartmuseums.org/object?apikey=YOUR_KEY&size=3&classification=Prints"

{
  "info": { "totalrecords": 12345, "pages": 4115 },
  "records": [
    {
      "id": 123,
      "title": "Study for a Self-Portrait",
      "dated": "1962",
      "classification": "Prints",
      "primaryimageurl": "https://nrs.harvard.edu/..."
    }
  ]
}

Authentication

• Register at harvardartmuseums.org → get a free API key.
• Send it as the apikey query parameter (invalid key → 401, verified).

Rate Limits & Notes

• Free tier: ~1,000 requests/day (check the docs); more via agreement.
• Endpoints: /object, /person, /exhibition, /gallery, /publication.
• size= (max 100) and page= paginate; rich filters (classification=, person=, century=).
• Images are served from nrs.harvard.edu (open access for most records).

FAQ

Is the Harvard Art Museums API free? Yes — free key with daily limits.

How do I get a key? Register at harvardartmuseums.org → API key.

What data is available? Objects, people, exhibitions, and galleries from Harvard’s collections.