The artistic print collections of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, and the Imperial War Museum, London, contain many works that offer a critical interpretation of conflict. My thesis presents unique academic research into the history and significance of these two collections, which have not yet been examined. The thesis analyses the main influences on the development of the print collections, including: the vision of individual curators, organisational change within the institutions, the materiality of the prints themselves, and social change. My findings indicate that at key points in the histories of the institutions, print collecting flourished, particularly when prints were in favour in art markets and there were fine art specialists in charge of acquisitions. This thesis places the curator as the creator of the collection, not merely as someone who carries out instructions. At some point in the histories of both collections, prints were acquired as a way to introduce specific narratives and viewpoints into the wider art collection.