Contemporary Photography Collection

The collection of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography spans more than forty years, from the early 1960s to the present. It has been developed through numerous purchases, assignments and donations of the best documentary and art photography produced in Canada.   Photographers represented in the collection were either born in or are permanent residents of Canada.

The CMCP collection comprises over 160,000 photographic works. The main area of acquisition is prints, with the collection boasting some 16,500 – and growing! Other works include, transparencies, negatives, books, filmstrips, audio-visual presentations, mixed media works, assemblages and installation pieces, video art and other types of art or information media based on still photography.

The variety and range of its collection make CMCP a unique institution in this country, and one of only a few national museums devoted to photography in the world. This body of work offers us a detailed and panoramic view of Canada's recent history and culture, showing us both what we look like and how we see our world.