Harvard Art Museums
APIFree API for accessing Harvard Art Museums' collection and contextual data
Overview
The Harvard Art Museums API provides RESTful access to over 250,000 art objects, exhibitions, artists, periods, and more from the museum’s collection. Key endpoints include /objects (artwork details like title, medium, and provenance), /exhibitions (current/past shows), /people (artist profiles), and /periods (art historical eras). Responses are in JSON format. Use cases include building educational art platforms, interactive discovery apps, virtual galleries, or integrating cultural content into research tools and websites.
Example Integration (JavaScript)
fetch('https://github.com/harvardartmuseums/api-docs')
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data))
.catch(err => console.error(err)); Key Features
- RESTful architecture
- JSON response format
- 250k+ art objects accessible
- Free API key required
- Endpoints for artists, exhibitions, and historical periods
- Filtering and pagination support
Frequently Asked Questions
? Is the Harvard Art Museums API free to use?
Yes, the API is completely free, though you need to register for a free API key to access its endpoints.
? Does it require an API Key?
Yes, a free API key is mandatory. You can get one by following the registration steps in the official documentation.
? What is the response format?
All API responses are in JSON format, which is widely supported and easy to integrate into applications.
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Tool Info
Pros
- ⊕ Free access to high-quality art collection data
- ⊕ Comprehensive documentation with examples
- ⊕ Covers diverse art forms and historical contexts
- ⊕ Supports advanced queries (filter by medium, date, artist)
Cons
- ⊖ Requires API key registration
- ⊖ Rate limits apply to prevent abuse
- ⊖ Some rare items may have restricted metadata
- ⊖ No official SLA for uptime