The Collection | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Design for signpost to be executed in ironwork; an ornamental motif at left edge, the word "ZOOLOGICAL" at top, and figure of a knight holding a sword on horseback below. Grid lines in graphite in background.

(a) Jar, cylindrical shaped, squat, with short broad neck. Irridescent gold. Decoration of flat shapes of green ivy leaves connected by stems. (b) Matching lid, knobbed.

This website represents Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s diverse collection, spanning thirty centuries of historic and contemporary design, including the world's coolest office, a large snail shell, snakes, a dragon and four bearded men, a cone propped up on a bench, a pair of colorful hands, a mysterious tv and a perpetual calendar .

This is a kind of living document, meaning that development is ongoing — object research is being added, bugs are being fixed, and erroneous terms are being revised. In spite of the eccentricities of raw data, you can begin exploring the collection and discovering unexpected connections among objects and designers.

If you'd like to see what we've been up to lately you can start by taking a look at the objects we acquired this year and last year or you can browse the objects currently on display in the galleries or you can see objects we've recently photographed .

You can also see our tallest, shortest, widest or narrowest objects - or just search for yourself.

Welcome to our collection!