The National Gallery of Canada began collecting photographs in 1967. The Photographs Collection contains almost 22.000 outstanding examples of both 19th and 20th century photography, including work by widely recognized photographers as well as emerging artists. Photographs are exhibited periodically in the gallery spaces shared with the prints and drawings collection.

The museum owns an extensive collection of 19th-century French photographs, including work by Eugène Atget, Nadar and Gustave Le Gray.

Part of the National Gallery is the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Marc Mayer is the NGC’s director.