The archives of the Universität der Künste Berlin hold collections of educational images and models that are unique in Germany. They were used by the institutions that preceded the University, the Art Academy and the earlier School of Applied Arts Berlin, which formed part of the Kunstgewerbemuseum, as models and teaching aids. The material largely consists of original photographs that date back to around 1850, when the medium first emerged.

For spring 2020, the Münchner Stadtmuseum is preparing an exhibition featuring around 280 exhibits, which will then be shown in the Museum für Fotografie in Berlin. The project pays particular attention to the photographic images that were used as teaching aids, and investigates the emergence, structure and use of the collections. The exhibition foregrounds these educational photographs as a largely unexplored form of applied image-making.