The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts (AFGA) is the department responsible for works of art on paper: prints, drawings, and artist books. Selections from the collection are exhibited in rotating exhibitions in specially designated galleries at the de Young and Legion of Honor. Much of the collection is available for research and study by appointment in the George and Leanne Roberts Seminar Room.

The department is named for Moore and Hazel Achenbach, who gave the bulk of their collection to the city of San Francisco in 1948 and the remainder upon Mr. Achenbach’s death in 1963. When they formed the collection, the Achenbachs intended that it would cover the entire development of the graphic arts, from the 15th century to the present day. Through gifts, purchases, and the generous support of additional donors, AFGA curators have worked steadily to realize this goal, filling in gaps and moving the collection forward into the 21st century. Many of these acquisitions form the basis for special collections within the department, such as the Anderson Collection of Graphic Arts, the Reva and David Logan Collection of Artist Illustrated Books, and theater and dance materials. The department is also the repository of a number of living archives, including the archives of Crown Point Press and Paulson Fontaine Press in the Bay Area, and the graphic works of LA–based artist Ed Ruscha. Today, with more than 90,000 works of art, AFGA is the largest repository of works of art on paper in the western United States.

The department is supported in part by the Achenbach Graphic Arts Council, which offers a variety of programs focusing on the world of works on paper.