In the museum proper are numerous objets d'art, military paraphernalia, ship models, uniforms, weapons models, and medallions, as well as textual materials. Among the paintings are portraits of all Russian monarchs from Peter the Great to Nicholas II and also of most important figures in Russian naval history (e.g., Count F. M. Apraksin, co-founder of the Russian navy with Peter I). 18th c. engravings and lithographs portray people and incidents related to Russian history. The large photograph collection covers such topics as the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, World War I, the Revolution and Civil War, and emigre Russians.
The museum has an impressive documents and autographs collection as well. A manuscript letter to Prince Romodanovsky, 30 December 1715, and an ukaz addressed to Brigadier Francis Lefort, 1 December 1718, are both from Peter I. There are 2 holograph letters of Catherine the Great, one an imperial rescript to Prince Alexei G. Orlov, 23 February 1773, and the other, fragmentary only, to Rear Admiral Prince Nassau-Siegen. A signed letter of Paul I to Eugene of Wurttemberg is dated 17 October 1796, in French. From Alexander I there are an ukaz to the Lithuanian militarygovernor General Rimsky-Korsakov, 21 April 1812, and citations issued to Prince Vorontsov and Peter Nadgoft for service against Napoleon I. The signatures of Nicholas I and Alexander II also appear on documents in the museum collections.
Other items include an incomplete letter dated 14 November 1709 of Count F. M. Apraksin; an ukaz of 30 September 1788 to Governor Piel of Pskov; a letter to Baron Grimm, 30 September 1785; and a letter to the elector of Trier announcing the birth of the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna, 23 May 1788.
The archives hold materials divided into 20 sections. The first 7 are office/business files of the association, and the last comprises correspondence and papers relating to the library and archives. Sections 8 and 9 hold letters, manuscripts, and illustrations from Morskiia zapiski, the association's own journal, and from S beregov Ameriki (New York, 1939), a commemorative publication. Section 10, with personal and family papers, is arranged alphabetically by donors' names. It fills several file drawers currently. Among these letters and documents are data on the education of Russian naval officers and sailors, the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Revolution and Civil War, and emigre life. Further items in section 11 (originals and copies) concern the Romanovs, naval voyages, Russian naval history (arranged chronologically), the history of military-educational institutions, ships' histories, naval and other military biographies, history of the army and air force, classified official publications, and other topics. Sections 12–15 contain items about the Russian naval emigration. Newspaper and journal clippings are in section 16. The Naval Bibliography section (17) has indexes, catalogues, and other bibliographic aids for naval research. Finally, there are graphic materials (portraits, paintings, photographs, albums) in sections 18 and 19.
Arrangements for use of the collections must be made in advance with the curator. John W. Long has published a description of the museum ("The Russian Naval Museum, Lakewood, New Jersey") in the Slavic Review (June 1971), from which the above details come directly.
