Documentation in this record group begins approximately in 1974 when the museum designated a department of "European Decorative Arts after 1700." Most of the records were created or compiled by Kathryn Hiesinger, who has headed the curatorial department since its inception. The bulk of material pertains to two exhibitions, "The Second Empire: Art in France under Napoleon III" (1978), and "Japanese Design: A Survey Since 1950" (1994).