During the first half of the 20th century, the Departmental collections only comprised about 20,000 lots. Curatorial operations underwent renewal during the 1960's under Donn Rosen's guidance.

The Bashford Dean Memorial Library is a major ichthyological library that is jointly maintained by the AMNH Library and the Department of Ichthyology.

Now available through the Department of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, for the reduced price of $180.00/set, is a 1993 reprint of Bloch's Allgemeine Naturgeschicte Der Fische published between 1782-1795.

The Museum received its charter in 1869, although it was established as an organization several years earlier. During the early years a few fish specimens were listed in the annual lists of accessions.