It’s a treasure trove of historical photographs – showing hundreds of artists in their work environment in the late 1950’s and early 60’s.

The rare photos are being donated to five major American and European museums by the New York based Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.

The items include appproximately 200,000 black-and-white prints, negatives and other materials from Harry Shunk and Janos Kender.

The pair formed a photographic partnership in 1958 and over 15 years they photographed visual artists including Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol and Lichtenstein – as well as dancer Merce Cunningham and rocker Lou Reed.

Receiving the works will be : The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Tate in London and the Pompidou Centre in Paris.