Kurt Helfrich
Kurt Helfrich is an archivist in the National Gallery of Art’s Gallery Archives where he works with staff to collect, preserve and make available historical records relating to the history of the National Gallery of Art. Materials include analog and born-digital files relating to all aspects of the museum's history and development including its exhibitions, acquisitions, scholarly and educational programs, as well as the design and construction of the West and East Buildings and Sculpture Garden. Previously, he served as archivist and collections manager for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Drawings & Archives collections based at the Victoria & Albert Museum. While at RIBA he organized the 2013 symposium Archiving the Digital: Challenges in Preserving Design Records, which brought together international experts to discuss current preservation efforts and challenges in managing born-digital design records.
Helfrich is an archivist and architectural historian specializing in twentieth-century American and European art and design. He received his MSc in the History of Modern Architecture in 1988 from the University College London, and his PhD in architectural history in 1997 from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists.
