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An Introduction to Reference Resources
for Graduate Students in Art History

Fall, 2008
Henry Pisciotta, Arts and Architecture Librarian

This bibliography selects and describes reference materials which are frequently of use in the discipline of art history as it is taught in the Penn State Art History Department graduate programs. Hopefully, this list of reference books, databases, and websites will be consulted by graduate students as needed throughout their studies. The subjects in art history covered here attempt to correspond to the course offerings in Art History. For example, Native American art and Pre-Egyptian art are not emphasized in this list. Nonetheless, the list is quite long. The principal reason for its length is that published bibliographies with similar scope have all become outdated. I have organized this bibliography by tool types. Each section begins with an explanation of the type because an understanding of these formats for reference resources can help when your projects take you into some other field of study. The names of these formats are not used consistently by publishers and librarians, nor are the names important. But understanding the type of tool, and how it can be used, is useful indeed. Some formats are:

FAST STARTS: PEOPLE  
  GUIDES TO RESEARCH AND WEB GUIDES 1-12
  .FOR SOME RELATED DISCIPLINES 13-18
  SPECIALIZED ENCYCLOPEDIAS 19-39
  .FOR SOME RELATED DISCIPLINES  40-60
  HANDBOOKS OF ICONOGRAPHY 61-78
  BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARIES 79-87
  CATALOGUES RAISONNE  88
  WEB SEARCH ENGINES 89-93
     
LOCATIONS:  LIBRARY CATALOGUES 94-95
  PERIODICAL INDEXES 96-105
  .FOR RELATED DISCIPLINES 106-114
  CITATION INDEXES 115-116
  POPULAR MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER INDEXES 117-123
  INDEXES TO REPRODUCTIONS 124-141
  INDEXES TO ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS 142-145
  INDEXES TO MUSEUM HOLDINGS 146-151
  DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS 152-157
  DISSERTATIONS 158-160
     
QUICK FACTS:  PICTURE COLLECTIONS 161-174
  DICTIONARIES 175-209
  .FOR TRANSLATING TERMS 210-214
  ATLASES 215-218
  CHRONOLOGIES 219-224
  STYLE MANUALS 225-228

The underlined items below are available via the Internet. Don't be put off if one of the resources mentioned here is not in a language that you are comfortable using. As a rule, reference resources contain concise information that is easily translated and often possible to understand from context. Although this list seems long, it only selects a few items which are frequently useful. For any specific problem something omitted here may be ideal.

A quick way to get started on research, when you are unfamiliar with a topic, is to do two things at once: gather information about where to find things and start learning about them. It doesn't work well to do too much of one without doing some of the other. So the first portion of this bibliography is labeled “FAST STARTS” meaning that these types of resources can give you both kinds of information at once: “LOCATIONS” and “QUICK FACTS.”

PEOPLE

People can give you both kinds of information at once: locations and quick facts. The faculty, other students, and librarians can be good sources. The most relevant group of librarians for your studies will probably be the Arts and Humanities librarians at University Park (who are listed at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/artshumanities/staffdirectory.html) and perhaps also the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts or the University Archivist ( http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/speccolls/staffdirectory.htm). If you are not sure who to contact in the Libraries, I would be happy to make recommendations. See my contact information at the end of this document.


GUIDES TO RESEARCH AND WEB GUIDES

The purpose of a guide to research (also called a bibliographic guide) is the same as this document – to help you determine which reference books, databases, and similar resources might be useful for your work. Web guides usually aim to help you determine which Internet sites might be most useful for your research. The printed guides to research in art history have generally been unable to keep pace with the new electronic resources - while most of the web-based guides tend to ignore useful printed resources. A few of the guides to research listed below (those marked with a ♦) are useful for identifying one or two “classic” scholarly surveys of a fairly broad topic, such as Spanish ironwork, or Byzantine icons.

  1. Arntzen, Etta and Robert Rainwater. Guide to the Literature of Art History. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980.
    Z5931.A67 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    ♦Primarily an annotated bibliography of scholarly surveys of topics as general as “art” and as specific as “eighteenth-century French porcelain.” It begins with sections of reference books, but many of these have become outdated. This guide should be used in conjunction with its supplement, Guide to the Literature of Art History 2 (#7, below).
  2. Brown, Jeanne. Architecture and Building. (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://library.nevada.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/contents.html
    This web site selects, briefly describes, and links to web resources (electronic publications, databases, picture sites, discussion groups, guides, etc.) for all aspects of the built environment. It does not refer to paper resources. See especially the “History” link. This site has been kept current for many years by a small crew -- a rare feat on the web.
  3. Ehresmann, Donald L. Applied and Decorative Arts: A Bibliographic Guide. 2nd ed. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.
    Z5956.A68E47 1993 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    ♦An annotated bibliography covering all periods of the history of the decorative arts and most cultures. Very useful for locating a few recognized classic works of scholarship on a particular medium, period, or culture. Focuses on books published between 1975 and 1991, but includes some earlier works.
  4. Ehresmann, Donald L. Architecture: A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories, and Handbooks. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1984.
    Z5941.E38 1984 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    ♦Same as #3, above, but for architectural history -- periods, national styles, or building types (religious, domestic, etc.) Covers only books published before 1980.
  5. Jones, Lois Swan. Art Information: Research Methods and Resources. 3rd ed. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1990.
    N85.J64 1990 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF. - 2ND FLR, W202 & ARCHITECTURE LIBRARY)
    Offers detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to find information for commons types of art research problems: iconographical research, provenance, finding reproductions of a work, etc. Often “a good first step in research”. (-Carrie Ehrfurth, Penn State MA student)
  6. Kleinbauer, W. Eugene, and Thomas P. Slavens. Research Guide to the History of Western Art. Chicago: American Library Association, 1982.
    N380.K56 1982 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    ♦Although written before a flood of new approaches to art history, this guide is still useful for its essays charting the major writings for pre-1980s methods and issues such as connoisseurship, iconology, formalism, structural analysis, Marxisms, and theories of historical change.
  7. Marmor, Max and Alex Ross. Guide to the Literature of Art History 2. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005.
    Z5931.A672 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    ♦This annotated bibliography is a supplement to the Guide to the Literature of Art History (#1) and like it, describes major surveys, both broad and narrow, and reference books. Don't let the publication date fool you, this supplement focuses on books published between 1977 and 1998, so is also a bit dated, especial as regards reference books and electronic resources. Does not replace the original bibliography and should often be used in conjunction with it. The supplement includes a section on Patronage and Collecting and one on Cultural Heritage that did not appear in the original. The table of contents for this book is posted on the Internet.
  8. McNulty, Tom. Art Market Research: A guide to Methods and Sources. Jefferson: McFarland, 2006.
    N5200.M39 2006 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A guide to researching art works and decorative art objects with focus on the mercantile parts of the problem. Lots of attention to determining values, but also some to provenance, sales records, etc.
  9. Vogelsong, Diana. Landscape Architecture Sourcebook: A Guide to Resources on the History and Practice of Landscape Architecture in the United States. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1997.
    SB470.53.L36 1997 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    ♦Primarily a guide to current practice, but the two sections on history recommend surveys and theoretic treatments of landscape history.
  10. Whitcombe, Christopher L.C.E. Art History Resources on the Web. 1995 - (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at:     http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
    A web site pointing to other web sites. Fairly extensive and well selected. Updated frequently. “A personal website of an extremely ambitious professor [of Art History]… the highlight was a link to the Florentine Baroque art bibliography, a topic I find quite elusive…” ( – Jessica Marie Boehman, Penn State MA student) This site also sports surprisingly good coverage of contemporary art.
  11. Yeide, Nancy, Konstantin Akinsha, and Amy Walsh. The AAM Guide to Provenance Research. Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 2001.
    N3999.Y45 2001 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    This guide was assembled by the American Association of Museums to help museums review their collections to identify works confiscated by Nazis at mid-century and eligible for restitution. Part one provides a good overview of the types of research useful for establishing provenance. Part two deals with research problems specific to the Holocaust era.
  12. Young, Patrick. Mother of All Art History Links Pages. 1996 - (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.umich.edu/~hartspc/histart/mother/
    A web site pointing to other web sites. Fairly well selected and seems up to date, though dates are not posted. The offerings are more scant and less well-organized than Whitcombe's similar site (#10) but this is useful as a “second opinion.”

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GUIDES FOR SOME RELATED DISCIPLINES

  1. Association for Asian Studies. Links and Resources. (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.aasianst.org/links/links.htm
    Links to a variety of web sites selected by members of this professional association for Asianists.
  2. Fritze, Ronald, Brian Coutts, and Louis Vyhnanek. Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004.
    D20.F75 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    Categorizes and describes 930 basic sources of quick historical information, a small portion of which are web sites. The table of contents for this book is posted on the Internet.
  3. Fung, Karen. Africa South of the Sahara: Selected Internet Resources. 1994- (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html
    This site is a project of the African Studies Association and links to other sites with information on Africa.
  4. Halsall, Paul (ed.) Internet History Sourcebooks Project. 1996- (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/
    This site links to certain types of electronic resources for world history from ancient to modern. Includes other sites, primary source texts, and to some secondary sources. Maintained by a group of teachers and students. The medieval portions (Halsall's area) are stronger and more up-to-date than the others. Very few changes to this site after 2001, although bad links were removed in 2006.
  5. Norton, Mary Beth, and Pamela Gerardi (eds.) The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical Literature. 3rd ed., 2 vols. New York : Oxford University Press, 1995.
    D20.A55 1995 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    ♦Best for recommending a few good books on some specific subject of world history. Attempts to select the best books published between 1961 and 1992, by presenting almost 27,000 annotated citations (primarily to English language works) divided into forty-eight sections (by country, period, and themes). The indexing is very detailed. Overwhelmed by the number of books on the French Revolution? This can help.
  6. WWW VL History Central Catalogue. 1993- (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://vlib.iue.it/history
    A well-organized collection of links to other history sites, maintained by an international group of volunteers, but coordinated by well-articulated editorial standards and kept very up-to-date.

The Penn State librarians have compiled many fine guides to reference materials for different topics. Some especially useful examples are found on the homepage for the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library ( http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/architecture.html) and the Arts and Humanities Library
( http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/artshumanities.html).

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SPECIALIZED ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Specialized encyclopedias are fine places to get a quick start on solving many kinds of problems. They synthesize a lot of other published information. Reading a brief summary of a topic, at the beginning of your exploration, can help you make better choices as your research progresses. The best encyclopedias refer you to the essential literature on each subject (usually with brief bibliographies at the end of each entry.) Many large encyclopedias have entries on general topics, and access to more specific subjects through an index at the back. The specialized encyclopedias below feature articles signed by recognized authorities and contain well-chosen lists for further reading. Although the words are often used interchangeably, I am making a distinction between “encyclopedia” and “dictionary”, reserving the latter for books that simply define terms without providing much discussion or recommended readings.

  1. Banham, Joanna (ed.) Encyclopedia of Interior Design. 2 vols. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997.
    NK1165.E48 1997 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Styles, rooms, movements, designers, furnishers, trade names, etc. for all periods. Western, East Asian, and South Asian countries.
  2. Blackwell Companions in Art History. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006-present.
    Volumes in this series cover major epochs and the most important themes in recent scholarship (like “Diaspora” in recent art or “Gender and Medieval Art.”) An essay attempts to survey the scholarship on each theme. Volumes so far are A Companion to Contemporary Art Since 1945 and A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe.
  3. Bostrom, Antonia (ed.) Encyclopedia of Sculpture. 3 vols. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
    NB198.E53 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    Entries on sculptors, countries, periods, styles, issues, and some individual works. Contributors include many noted authorities and some emerging ones such as Penn State graduate student Gabriella Szalay.
  4. Encyclopedia dell'arte antica, classica e orientale. 7 vols. Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 1958-1966. Supplemento, 1973. Indici. 1984. Secondo supplemento, 1994.
    N31.E48 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Covers prehistory to A.D.500.
  5. Grosenick, Uta and Raimar Strange. International Art Galleries: Post-War to Post-Millennium. Cologne: Dumont, 2005.
    N8620.G76 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Separate historical articles on 103 of the most important commercial art galleries from mid-century to the present in the world's modern art capitals. Signed articles. Well illistrated. Sparse documentation but this type of information about galleries is rare.
  6. Grove Art Online Oxford Art Online]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996-present.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A huge compendium of historical information on people, places, major works, styles, periods, techniques, etc. Covers all of the visual arts. Frequently the best place to start. The 34-volume Dictionary of Art, published in 1996 (N31.D5 1996 - PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202 & ARCHITECTURE LIBRARY) formed the primary content of this database. Recently the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (#27) was added, greatly expanding its value for methodological and theoretical topics in the arts. Two smaller dictionaries of terms were also combined into this mix. Updates and corrections are made and dated in the upper-right corner of articles. You can do an enormous amount of work with this one tool.
  7. Hannavy, John (ed.) Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography. 2 vols. New York: Routledge, 2008.
    TR9 .E62 2008(ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Treatment of specific critics, formal considerations, genres, hardware, institutions, movements, photographers, publications, regions, techniques, and styles. Extensively documented.
  8. Harris, Jonathan. Art History: The Key Concepts. London: Routledge, 2006.
    N5300 .H278 2006 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Two or tree hundred oft-heard terms in art-historical discourse defined and discussed in a page or two and accompanied by a few suggestions for further reading. Some of these concepts are relatively straightforward (“baroque”) and others more ephemeral (“look” or “organization.”) Harris's purpose is to help people use these terms with some understanding of their depth, but these topics are often controversial. The prudent student might compare to similar books (such as: Nelson and Shiff, Critical Terms for Art History (#31), Mark Cheetham, Michael Ann Holly, and Keith Moxey (eds.), The Subjects of Art History, 1998; Jonathan Harris, The New Art History, 2001, or Vernon Hyde Minor, Art History's History, 2nd ed., 2001) or methodological review articles, such as those appearing in Art Bulletin and elsewhere. For a list of the well-known Art Bulletin methodological review articles see: http://www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/screens/explain.htm#Bibliography
  9. Kelly, Michael (ed.) Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. 4 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
    BH56.E53 1998 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The articles on methods and issues in art history in the great Grove Art Online (#24) have been criticized for being fewer, and less comprehensive, than those in the earlier Encyclopedia of World Art . But this encyclopedia of aesthetics covers those matters, and others, quite well, so it was recently added to Grove Art Online. “In the entries on individual figures, the emphasis is theoretical rather than biographical...” (–Laura Anderson, Penn State PhD student) “It provides a concise interdisciplinary overview of different individuals, concepts, theories, periods, movements…Instead of the of the old-style narratives, the focus is rather on presenting different views, contemporary debates, various perspectives on a topic (e.g. from the point of view of sociology, philosophy, feminism, etc.)” (Edith Toth, Penn State PhD student)
  10. Lenman, Robin (ed.) Oxford Companion to the Photograph. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
    TR9.O94 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    1600 articles. About half are bios and the others on history, technology, theory, etc. Extremely brief bibliographies.
  11. Muller, Sheila (ed.) Dutch Art: An Encyclopedia . New York: Garland, 1997.
    N6941 .D88 1997 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A rich assortment of topics. The usual media, artists, periods, and genres, but also some cities, historiography, interactions with other countries, etc.
  12. Murray, Christopher John (ed.) Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850. 2 vols. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
    NX452.5 .R64E53 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The culture of Britain, Europe, and the Americas, with an emphasis on art but including architecture, dance, literature, music, philosophy, and science, as well as articles on countries and aspects of social history.
  13. Nelson, Robert, and Richard Shiff (eds.) Critical Terms for Art History. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
    N34.C75 2003 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Lengthy articles on 32 concepts in art theory (representation, context, meaning, primitive, gaze, commodity, post-colonialism, etc.) mostly written by recognized writers (Summers, Mitchell, Preziosi, Carrier, Gibson, etc.) and with their recommended readings. "The best feature of this text is found in the bibliographies." (-Carmen Manuel, Penn State PhD student) Exercise the caution described in #27above.
  14. Oliver, Paul and Simon Bronner (eds.) Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. 3 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997
    NA208.E53 1997 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    A fascinating array of information on the endless variety and revealing similarities in earth's vernacular architecture - defined as the building of and by people using traditional and regional technologies. Articles on broad issues, types, and materials in the first volume. The others arranged by world regions and cultures.
  15. Olmo, Carlo (ed.) Dizionario dell'architettura del XX secolo. 6 vols. Torino: Allemandi, 2000.
    NA680.D5453 2000 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    Fresh entries in Italian on all of the masters of Modernism and Postmodernism.
  16. Romanini, Angiola Maria and Marina Righetti (eds.) Enciclopedia dell'arte medievale. 12 vols. Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 1991-2002.
    N5969.E582 1991 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Exceptionally well illustrated and documented articles on sites, works, media, styles, types, artists, and themes in medieval art.
  17. Summers, Claude (ed.) Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts. San Francisco: Cleis Press, 2004.
    N72.H64Q44 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Entries on the history of Western art emphasizing the contribution or representation of gay, lesbian, bi-, and transgender people.
  18. Taylor, Patrick (ed.) Oxford Companion to the Garden. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
    SB450.95.O94 2006 Q (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Articles on nearly 1000 famous gardens worldwide, from ancient legend to recent land art. Also designers, themes, etc.
  19. Wertkin, Gerard (ed.) Encyclopedia of American Folk Art. New York: Routledge, 2004.
    NK805.E6 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Entries for artists and an assortment of media, genres, and ethnicities.
  20. Warren, Lynne (ed.) Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography. 3 vols. New York: Routledge, 2006.
    TR642 .E5 2006(ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Treatment of specific critics, formal considerations, genres, hardware, institutions, movements, photographers, publications, regions, techniques, and styles. Extensively documented.
  21. Wessel, Klaus and Marcell Restle (eds.) Reallexikon zur byzantinischen Kunst. Stuttgart: A. Hiersemann, 1966 - present.
    N6250.R4 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    So far 6 volumes have been published covering “Abendmahl” through “Nubien”. Well-documented articles on art and architecture but illustrated primarily with line drawings.

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ENCYCLOPEDIAS FOR RELATED DISCIPLINES


  1. Barker, Graeme. Companion Encyclopedia of Archaeology. 2 vols. London: Routledge, 1999.
    CC70.C59 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Concepts, methods, and issues; not places, peoples, etc. For example: “Urbanization and State Formation” not “Athens.”
  2. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church. 17 vols. New York: The Encyclopedia Press, 1913-22.
    BX841.C25 1913 (RARE BOOKS & MSS, 1ST FLOOR PATERNO, REFERENCE)
    Available on the web at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
    For understanding Roman Catholic rituals and traditions, the lives of saints, popes, etc. This older edition has much more historical information than the more recent editions. Thanks to hundreds of volunteers, this useful edition has been hand-typed into an keyword-searchable, electronic text on the Internet as part of a site called New Advent, which also contains many writings of patristic fathers and some historical church documents.
  3. Craig, Edward (ed.) Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 vols. New York: Routledge, 1998.
    B51.R68 1998 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Philosophy and philosophers including aesthetics, semiotics, and other topics close to the arts.
  4. Embree, Ainslee, et al. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Asian History. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1988.
    BL31.E46 1986 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A project of the Asia Society, this scholarly endeavor covers the history of Central, East, South, and Southeast Asia, as well as Iran (but not the Middle East) with articles on places, events, dynasties, people, and the like.
  5. Encyclopaedia Judaica. 2nd ed., 22 vols. Detroit: Macmillan, 2007.
    DS102.8.E4962 1997 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    The history of Judaism as religion and culture, including many artists, patrons, places, etc.
  6. Encyclopaedia of Islam. new ed., 12 vols. in 13 and Supplement. Leiden : Brill, 1954-2004.
    DS37.E523 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    An authoritative source not only on the religion, but also on the believers and the countries in which they live. It offers articles on distinguished Muslims of every era and origin, on tribes and dynasties, on crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries and on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities.
  7. Encyclopedia of American Social History. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1993.
    HN57.E58 1993 (SOCIAL SCIENCES REFERENCE COLL., 2ND FLOOR PATERNO)
    Longer, well-documented articles on periods, issues, movements, subcultures, regions, customs, industries, popular culture, morality, education, science, technologies, and methods of studying all of these.
  8. Encyclopedia of American Studies. John Hopkins University Press, 2005.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Published in conjunction with the American Studies Association, articles attempt interdisciplinary coverage of the American experience, from pre-colonial days to the present - history, literature, art, photography, film, architecture, urban studies, ethnicity, race, gender, economics, politics, wars, consumer culture, and global America.
  9. Farmer, David. Oxford Dictionary of Saints.. 5th ed. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003.
    BR1710 .F34 2003 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages. (Choose Oxford Reference Online)
    More than 1700 saints in considerable detail and with substantial bibliographies. All entries by D. Farmer.
  10. Grendler, Paul (ed.) Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. 6 vols. New York: Scribner's and the Renaissance Society of America, 1999.
    CB361.E52 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    People, places, organizations, and concepts of the Renaissance in Europe. “A bibliography of primary and secondary sources accompanies each entry.” (-Stacey Howell, Penn State MA student) “displays a chronological table incorporating politics, religion, society, the visual arts, and other significant categories. Lists of maps and genealogical tables…” (–Elizabeth Hoorneman, Penn State MA student)
  11. History of Humanity. 5 vols. London: Routledge Reference and Unesco, 1994-present.
    CB25.H57 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Not many books set out to review the history of all places and times. A massive undertaking tackled by an international crew. But they seem to have run out of gas at the end of the 18th century. Extensive bibliographies.
  12. Jones, Lindsay (ed.) Encyclopedia of Religion. 2nd ed., 15 vols. Detroit: Macmillan, 2005.
    BL31.E46 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Tries to cover all world religions and their deities, proponents, common themes, etc. “For each religion, an overview, practices, key tenets, and important people in the religion's history are covered. I would use this resource to fill in background but also as a bibliographic source.” (–Carrie Ehrfurth, Penn State MA student) This is the new edition of the encyclopedia edited by the noted anthropologist Mircea Eliade.
  13. Kazhdan, Alexander, et al. (eds.) The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. 3 vols. New York: Oxford, 1991.
    DF521.093 1991 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    With the support of Dumbarton Oaks and with our own Prof. Anthony Cutler as Editor for Art History, this work covers the 4th through 15th centuries in all places that were part of the constantly resizing Byzantine Empire as well as some places bordering the Empire that were very closely tied economically or culturally. All aspects of political and cultural history are included, with an attempt to emphasize social history -- including an article on “Hair.”
  14. Meyers, Eric (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East. 5 vols. New York: Oxford, 1997.
    DS56.O9 1997 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Very detailed and lengthy articles. Includes both Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations.
  15. Page, Willie. Encyclopedia of African History and Culture. 3 vols. New York: Facts on File, 2001.
    DT32.P27 2001 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Covers pre-history to 1850. For more recent history try: Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History, 2003. (DT29.E53 2003 ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
  16. Pauly, August Friedrich von. Der neue Pauly: Enzyklopadie der Antike. 19 vols. (in 16) Stuttgart: Metzler, 1996-2003.
    DE5.P33 1996 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    All aspects of classical antiquity. Reception of antiquity in later epoch and historiography are in the separate “Rezeption” volumes. The online version has English translation of many of the articles. “This is a comprehensive starting point for those interested in researching the ancient Mediterranean world. (- Andrea Vera, Penn State graduate student)
  17. Pendergast, Sara and Tom (eds.) St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. 5 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000.
    E169.1.S764 2000 (SOCIAL SCIENCES REFERENCE COLL., 2ND FLOOR PATERNO)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages. (Choose “History”)
    Nearly 300 brief articles, mostly on mass media and entertainment, but including many other aspects of pop culture.
  18. Ring, Trudy (ed.) International Dictionary of Historic Places. 5 vols. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1995-1996.
    CC135.I585 1995 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    “Gives a brief general history of specific cities or historic sites around the world.” (–Kimberly Ivanovich, Penn State MA student)
  19. Shaw, Ian, and Paul Nicholson (eds.) The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. New York: Abrams, 1995.
    DT58.S55 1995 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Brief articles and many good illustrations.
  20. Stearns, Peter N. (ed.) Encyclopedia of European Social History: From 1350 to 2000. 6 vols. Detroit: Scribner's, 2001.
    HN373.E63 2001 (SOCIAL SCIENCES REFERENCE COLL., 2ND FLOOR PATERNO)
    Articles on periods and methods and a large number of entries on slippery topics such as health, street life, death, marriage, trades, social protest, crime, madness, charity, gender, family, sexuality, gestures, emotions, magic, humor, travel, fairs, toys, clothing, food, domestic interiors, etc, etc. "Enriches my understanding of influences that fall beyond the artistic..." - Roberta Chapman, Penn State MA student.
  21. Strayer, Joseph (ed.) Dictionary of the Middle Ages. 13 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1982-1989.
    D114.D5 1982 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Written for both specialists and beginners. Aims to cover all aspects of medieval studies (history, literature, art, etc.)

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HANDBOOKS OF ICONOGRAPHY

These describe conventional subjects depicted in art. They usually list examples of specific artworks representing the theme and often provide references to writings on that theme. Some also list primary textual sources related to the subject.

  1. Chandra, Lokesh. Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography. 15 vols. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture and Aditya Prakashan, 1999 - 2005.
    BQ4620.L65 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Includes the Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan traditions of Buddhist iconography. In English but quoted inscriptions and texts are in their original languages and scripts. Closely documented. Now complete “An endeavor of half a century to identify, classify, describe, and delineate the bewildering variation of Buddhist icons…” (– Chandra)
  2. Dittritch, Sigrid and Lothar. Lexikon der Tiersymbole: Tiere als Sinnbilder in der Malerei des 14.-17. Jahhunderts. Petersberg: Michael Imhof, 2005.
    ND1383 .E85D58 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Animals in Western European pictorial art of the 14th through 17th centuries. Long entries by type of animal typically include the basic zoology, a paragraph on each of the most typical symbolic uses, and discussions of specific works as examples of each use. Indexed by artists. Detailed footnotes and bibliography.
  3. Duchet-Suchaux, Gaston, and Michel Pastoureau. The Bible and the Saints. English trans. by David R. Howell. Paris: Flammarion, 1994.
    N7825.D8313 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Includes more than saints; biblical themes and characters are also included. Very handy for introductory information: the name in major Western languages and Latin, relevant biblical references, a few examples in art, and often some key bibliography.
  4. Frederic, Louis. Buddhism. Paris: Flammarion, 1995.
    N8193.A4 L6813 1995 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Less detailed than Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography (#61, above) but easier for providing a more general context for a symbol.
  5. Friedman, John and Jessica Wegmann. Medieval Iconography: A Research Guide. New York: Garland, 1998.
    NX449.F75 1998 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    This one is really more of a bibliography. It's an extensive list of descriptions of books and articles on common themes in medieval art. Arranged in some general chapters which are subdivided by alphabetical entries.
  6. Halleux, Elisa de. Iconographie de la renaissance italienne. Paris: Flammarion, 2004.
    N6915 .H24 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The name of the motif, in several languages, followed by an explanation of its traditions and discussion of important Italian Renaissance examples, references to relevant primary texts, and a selection of the secondary literature.
  7. Index of Christian Art.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    This is the computerized version of the famous “Princeton Index” to the iconography of Christian art from apostolic times to 1400 (and now with some manuscript images being added to the end of the 16th century). Since 1917, scholars at Princeton have analyzed, in great detail, the subject matter of approximately 200,000 photographs of medieval works of art in most media, producing a room filled with card files. Automation began in 1991, and now offers this detailed indexing for about 80,000 works of art and nearly 100,000 digitized pictures of those works (many heretofore unpublished). Many of the records include bibliographies of scholarship on the object indexed. Images are not available for every work. Not simple to use, but rich in discovery.
  8. Kirschbaum, Engelbert and Wolfgang Braunfels (eds.) Lexicon der christlichen Ikonographie. 8 vols. Rome: Herder, 1968-1976.
    N7825.L4 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Signed articles on general and specific themes. Indexed by more specific terms and attributes. Contains a German-English glossary of specialized terms.
  9. Knipping, John B. Iconography of the Counter Reformation in the Netherlands. 2 vols. Nieuwkoop: B. de Graaf, 1974.
    N6946.K513 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A continuous survey, but well-documented and indexed so that it is useful as a locator of themes, examples, and bibliography.
  10. Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae (LIMC). 9 vols. in 18. Zurich: Artemis, 1981-1999.
    NX650.M9L48 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The mythological subjects of Greek and Roman art. Detailed articles in the language of the contributor (German, Italian, French, or English). Closely documented and heavily illustrated. Thoroughly indexed.
  11. Pasquinelli, Barbara. Il gesto e l'espressione. Milan: Electa, 2005.
    N8217 .H8217G47 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Notable gestures and facial expressions from Western (Classical to Modern) art are discussed with lots of examples and illustrations. Documentation is thin -- limited to a single bibliography at the back -- but any systematic access to these types of depictions is helpful.
  12. Pigler, A. Barockthemen: Eine Auswahl von Verzeichnissen zur Ikonographie des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts. 2 vols. Budapest: Verlag der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1956.
    N6410.P5 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Long lists of Baroque examples of Christian or secular themes.
  13. Read, Jane Davidson. The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1990s. 2 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
    NX650.M9R45 1993 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Sources and lists of post-classical representations of Greek and Roman myth.
  14. Reau, Louis. Iconographie de l'art chretien. 3 vols. in 6. Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1955-1959.
    N7949.R42 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The subjects span early Christian through early 20th century, but most of the material is medieval. Headings for entries are listed in several languages so also useful for translating these terms.
  15. Roberts, Helene (ed.) Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998.
    N7560.E53 1998 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Essays on very broad themes (such as “death” or “hunting”) with substantial lists of works and bibliographies.
  16. Rochelle, Mercedes. Post-Biblical Saints Art Index: A Locator of Paintings, Sculptures, Mosaics, Icons, Frescoes, Manuscript Illuminations, Sketches, Woodcuts, and Engravings, Created from the 4th Century to 1950.Jefferson: McFarland, 1994.
    N8079.5.R63 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    An alphabetical list of saints with lists of depictions of each. Indexed by attributes.
  17. Schiller, Gertrud. Ikonographie der christlichen Kunst. 3 vols. In 6. Gutersloh: Mohn, 1966-1991
    -----. Iconography of Christian Art. 2 vols. Greenwich: New York Graphic Society, 1971-1976.
    N7830.S353 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The first two volumes of this German handbook (the ones on Christ's life up to the passion) were translated into English but not that last volume (on the crucifixion, the Church, and the Virgin).
  18. Waal, H. van de. Iconclass: An Iconographic Classification System. 17 vols. Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1973-
    N7565.W315 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A complex numerical scheme for pictorial subjects. It can be used to find bibliography on a specific theme or prints depicting it. Especially strong on northern European themes. Tricky to use. These classification numbers can also be used to find examples of a specific motif in many picture collections, some published and in the Penn State Libraries collections.

 

Many of the titles in the DICTIONARIES section, below, can be used for basic information on an iconographic theme, motif, character, symbol, or attribute. They seldom provide lists of art works or bibliographies, but some include a brief reference to a source document or useful illustrations, etc..

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BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARIES

Biographical dictionaries can be similar to encyclopedias, except that the only type of entries in biographical dictionaries will be the names of people. Like encyclopedias, the best ones refer you to some other sources of information. There are many possible biographical dictionaries for the artist, patron, or author that you might want to find. A handy way to figure out which one to use is to search Biography and Genealogy Master Index (one of the databases on the Libraries web pages). It doesn't tell you anything about the person, but it will tell you which biographical dictionary contains the information. As a matter of fact, it points to about 10 million brief biographies. A similar index to biographical dictionaries is designed specifically for artist's names (see below, the Bio-Bibliographischer Index of the Allgemeines Kunstlerlexicon #81). So start with these. Also remember that Grove Art Online (#23) is largely comprised of biographical entries and is not indexed in either of the above. With these three resources you can find brief biographies of most artists. But if they disappoint you, read on.

  1. Dictionary of Artists [“Benezit”], 14 vols. Paris: Gründ,2006.
    N40 .D5213 2006 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    This is a translation and revision of Emmanuel Bénézit´s Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs – a massive biographical dictionary that has existed in many French editions. Mostly painters and sculptors. Entries often include a facsimile signature and examples of sales. This constitutes the largest collection of artists' bios in English.

The two most thorough biographical dictionaries for artists are both in German (and not indexed in the Biography and Genealogy Master Index):

  1. Thieme, Ulrich and Felix Becker. Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Kunstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Leipzig: Seeman, 1907-1950.
    N40.T4 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The most thorough biographical dictionary for visual artists. To decode the abbreviations use the little pamphlet that shelves nearby (N40.T4 Index). The contents are all indexed in the new Bio-Bibliographischer Index of #81.
  2. Allgemeines Kunstlerlexicon. Leipzig: Seeman, 1983-
    N40.A66 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    N40.A66 INDEX VOLUMES (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Another huge German biographical dictionary, slowly expanding and replacing the one above. Now at 56 volumes, “Aa” through “Goepfart”. However, the additional 10-volume Bio-Bibliographischer Index (on the ready reference shelves) covers all of the 500,000 names that will eventually be in the finished dictionary. Rather than providing biographies, however, it lists other biographical dictionaries (about 200 of them) where the name can be found.

Finding biographical information on art historians or critics is more difficult. For basic data on the living, try:

  1. Who's Who in Art. Havant, England: Art Trade Press, 1927 - present.
    N40 .W6 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)

  2. Who's Who in American Art. New York: Bowker, 1936 - present.
    N6536 .W5 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)

For critical perspectives on critics or art historians of the past, or of considerable fame, try Grove Art Online (#23) or:

  1. Costello, Diarmuid and Jonathan Vickery (eds.) Art: Key Contemporary Thinkers. Oxford: Berg, 2007.
    N7475 .K49 2003 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Living or recently dead theorists, aestheticians, and historians of the paradigm-shifting sort. The importance of, key ideas from, selected writings by, and a few writings about each person. Each article is by a differnt, and accomplished art historian or philosopher.
  2. Murray, Chris. Key Writers on Art, 2 vols. London: Routledge, 2003.
    N7475 .K49 2003 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Critics and historians. Significance, key ideas, bio, main writings by, and chief writings about each writer. The second volume is for the 20th century and the first volume covers other eras.
  3. Sorenson, Lee. A Biographical Dictionary of Historians, Museum Directors and Scholars of Art, 1996- present. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/
    Check this database that culls biographical and critical information about art historians from an array of books and articles on art history and its historiography. Bibliographies of works by and about the scholar can also be found. New entries are added steadily. But also consult the “Bibliography” portion of the site that lists other biographical dictionaries for art historians, most of which can be found at Penn State.

Or browse the subject heading “Art Historians” in a library catalogue, or the Bibliography of the History of Art (#102).

And, for a completely different kind of art participant, seldom documented well:

  1. Jiminez, Jill Berk (ed.) Dictionary of Artists' Models, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001.
    N7574 .D48 2001 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The person posing. Entries include biographical information, an illustration, a list of other depictions, and bibliography.

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CATALOGUES RAISONNE

A catalogue raisonne attempts to provide comprehensive documentation of all of the works by a particular artist, or some defined portion of the artist's work such as the prints or all works within a specific time span. The entry for a work usually includes title, date, media, dimensions, signature, location, provenance, exhibition history, and bibliography for the work. Often description, critical analysis, or discussion of attribution are also present. In the more recent publications, each entry is usually illustrated. In addition to including all certain works, some catalogues raisonne include descriptions of spurious or uncertain attributions. The term catalogue raisonne is often used synonymously with oeuvre catalogue. But technically, an oeuvre catalogue contains less extensive information on each work. To find these handy publications, try combining the keywords “raisonne” or “oeuvre” or “oeuvres” with the artist's name in LIBRARY CATALOGUES below. However, this search won't work on some titles, so it is wise to also check:

  1. Freitag, Wolfgang. Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists, 2nd ed. New York: Garland, 1997.
    N40 .F731 1997 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    A selection of important books on roughly 2000 important artists of all eras and countries -- choices made by the former head of the art library at Harvard. “CR” at the end of an entry indicates a catalogue raisonne.

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WEB SEARCH ENGINES

Web search engines can also provide fast starts on a research problem. In fact, in a few short years World Wide Web search engines have become the most popular tools by far for finding information because they are convenient, can be used without much skill, and frequently produce useful results. Remember these important points about search engines:

Search engines cannot see the contents of most databases. They are only designed to find html and similar “pages.” They usually can't retrieve the contents of databases such as library catalogs or Art Abstracts or any of the nearly 400 databases that the University subscribes to. (There are a small number of exceptions to this rule. See for example Google Scholar, below #93.)

Most web resources are self-published and vary widely in quality, so you have more work to do in evaluating them than you would with other publications. Trade and academic publishers put effort into assuring the quality of their books and magazines in order to assure that they are profitable. Only a very small percentage of web sites attempt those standards. When you use web sites you are taking on extra responsibility for judging quality. Generally, graduate students in art history are pretty good at this type of critical evaluation. Even so, checklists of considerations (such as the ones posted at http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/alastair_smith/evaln/evaln.htm) can be helpful reminders for you or for your students.

Using search engines well requires skills that are very similar to the ones needed for searching databases. Because search engines scan millions of items, they almost always return some results even if poor search statements are entered. But search engines usually have powerful features that are not invoked unless you specify them. Use the most unique terms that relate to your topic and learn how to search phrases – “usually surrounded by quotes like this.” Learning to read and shorten URLs (web addresses) is an important skill. Another is choosing the right search engine for the right job. One easy way to learn these tricks quickly is to use the guide posted by a non-profit group called Infopeople. Their Search Tools Chart (http://www.infopeople.org/search/chart.html) selects a small number of good search engines and web guides, explains what they are searching, and describes the search features of each. A more inclusive guide to search engines, and what jobs they are suited for, is Noodle Tools' Choose the Best. (http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html) Try opening the Search Tools Chart or Noodle Tools in one window and experiment with different search engines and techniques in another.) Never settle for just one search. Experimentation is very important in web searching. For example, type any 3 unrelated search terms (frog metal wheat?) as a search statement in Google (http://www.google.com) then change the order of the three terms a few times and see how the results of the search change. Or try Googlewhacking! (It's a sport. Look it up.) Trial-and-error learning is especially important with search engines since search engine companies they tend to be so secretive about their workings and features change frequently.

Google is not the best choice for every task. Some new search engines have specialties which can make them much more effective than Google for a particular need. Here are some examples related to academic research:

  1. A9 Open Search.
    Available on the web at: http://www.a9.com/-/home.jsp.
    This convenient “aggregator” or “meta-search engine” run by Amazon.com searches several sources simultaneously and returns the results in separate columns running down the screen. You can also select from dozens of non-Google sources and combine your selections into one search. The speed is impressive.
  2. Clusty.
    Available on the web at: http://clusty.com/.
    This search engine clusters the results into groups based on their similarity. So the hundreds of results from a term like "architecture" are grouped into categories such as: architects, schools, networking, software, etc. Searches can be focused on images, blogs, and other forms.
  3. Google Book Search.
    Available on the web at: http://books.google.com/.
    This is a very important project. Google has been working with large research libraries to digitize books in their collections. Google has also been working with a number of publishers regarding the texts of their books. A large number of books has already been posted with Google-style searching of their complete texts. Usually you can read a passage from the book that contains your keywords. Often you can read all of the passages in the book that contain the words. With older titles you can sometimes read and download the entire book. Once you discover a book that you want, Google Book Search can check World Cat (#95) to find copies of the book in nearby libraries. If Penn State is one, it can open The Cat (#95) to show you the call number and location. Even though only a fraction of the planned books are completed, search results can be very impressive for some topics.
  4. Google Image Search.
    Available on the web as: http://images.google.com/.
    Becoming the first place most people go for pictures. The most common complaint is that the picture retrieved is too small. Use the advance search features to limit to larger sizes.
  5. Google Scholar.
    Available on the web as: http://scholar.google.com/.
    Also important. Uses the technology of the Google search engine but tries to concentrate on reliable sources that meet scholarly expectations for quality. It seems to do this in two ways: 1) By focusing on the official postings of research organizations and university departments. 2) By taking advantage of a new protocol for making the contents of a few databases visible to Google. The databases selected for inclusion include World Cat (#95) and also include a few of the databases of electronic journals that we subscribe to at Penn State. By connecting to these resources, Google Scholar can offer to search the Penn State library catalogue for you or can find an article in one of Penn State's electronic journals. However, it only can see a handful of the more than 400 databases the library has. Also, we have discovered that Google Scholar, still a “beta test,” is very incomplete. For example, sometimes it finds one article in an electronic journal, but not another – even though both should be available. It is very useful, but don't trust it.

For another special method of web searching see Marketleap Link Popularity Check (#116).

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LIBRARY CATALOGUES

Of course library catalogues contain records describing the books they own. Note that most library catalogues only have a single record for each magazine title; they do not include records for each of the articles in a magazine. (For that, see the section on PERIODICAL INDEXES below.) But in addition to books and magazines, library catalogues may contain records for archival materials, audio-visual materials, vertical file ephemera, electronic books, software, and even selected web sites.

  1. “The Cat”.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    The Penn State Libraries' catalogue contains nearly all of the holdings of the University Libraries at University Park as well as those of the many other campuses of Penn State. Searches for a specific author or title are usually easier if you click the “Begins With” button. As with any database, you may need to try several methods of searching in order to get good results. If the book you want is charged out, owned only at another campus, or simple not where you expect it to be, click on the “I Want It” button and complete the information on how to contact you. The book will be retrieved and held for you at a library service desk. If you want to find materials not held at the Penn State Libraries, try:
  2. World Cat.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A combination of the data from most of the automated library catalogues in the United States and includes some from other countries as well. It includes many millions records for books, periodicals, magazines, and any other type of material catalogued its member libraries. Indicates Penn State's holdings. Inter-Library loan requests may be placed while in this database. “Ridiculously convenient.” (–Jessica Boehman, Penn State MA student) You may have heard of a source similar to Worldcat called the RLG Union Catalog (or RLIN.) In 2006 that data was loaded into Worldcat and the RLG Union Catalog was discontinued.

Sometimes it can be handy to search a distant library catalogue. Library websites are easy to find using a web search engine. But don't depend too much on a single library's specialty or reputation. No library has everything about anything. Usually, you'll find a better selection in World Cat (#95). However, it is less thorough for the holdings of European libraries. To browse European library websites, try the site maintained by librarians who specialize in European studies: Western European Library Catalogs on the Internet (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/wess/eurocats.html). For Asian library catalogues, see the Association for Asian Studies web site (#13) and for African ones, see the Africa South of the Sahara web site (#15).

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PERIODICAL INDEXES AND CURRENT BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Periodical indexes are designed to direct readers to articles and reviews in magazines and journals. Each of the ones listed in this section can be used to find articles on a particular topic or by a particular author. Abstracts are simply periodical indexes which include a few sentences summarizing the contents of each article indexed. In many of the electronic periodical indexes, you may see a “Get It“ button next to the description of a specific article. Click “Get It” and the software will determine if Penn State has access to an electronic version of the article, will look the magazine up in The Cat (#95), or will offer to place the information about the article in an Inter-Library Loan request for you. When the “Get It” button is not available, check the title of each magazine in The Cat to find out if it is held in our library and to get the classification number so that you can find it on the shelves. Although periodical indexes always emphasize journal articles, some of them also index dissertations, exhibition catalogues, collections of essays, dig reports, and other types of books. When they contain lots of these other types of publications the term “current bibliography” is often used rather than “periodical index”.

  1. AATA Online. (Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts.)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A database of more than 100,000 abstracts of technical literature related to the preservation and conservation of art and other material cultural heritage. More than 470 journals and additional collections of essays are included. Most indexing began in 1955 but some publications were indexed back to 1932.
  2. ABIA Index: South and Southeast Asian Art and Archaeology Index. (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.abia.net/.
    A new database with several thousand abstracts to publications in all languages on the history of the material culture of South and Southeast Asia and culturally related regions. It grows very slowly and continues the paper Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (1926-1972). (Z5133.I4I6 Q PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES, 2ND FLOOR, Paterno Humanities Reading Room)
  3. Archaeologische Bibliographie. Berlin: Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut, 1914-1993.
    Z5132 .A67 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    An international bibliography of classical, early Christian, Byzantine, early Medieval, and ancient Middle Eastern art and archaeology. The subject categories are in German. No abstracts. The more recent indexing is included in the Dyabola database (#103) where English subject headings are available. For coverage before 1914, use the Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archaeologischen Instituts, v.1-3,1886-1888, and in the Archaeologischer Anzeiger, Beiblatt zum Jahrbuch des Archaeologischen Instituts,1889-1912.
  4. Art Index.
    Available as two databases on the Libraries web pages.
    The most commonly used periodical index for the visual arts (painting, sculpture, graphic arts, photography, decorative arts, crafts) and, to a lesser degree, related disciplines (including some architecture, design, cinema, scenic design, museology, cultural criticism, and critical theory). Most of the journals indexed are published in English, but a selection of French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Dutch titles are included. In addition to articles and reviews, individual works on art unaccompanied by text (often gallery ads) are indexed. The indexing goes back to items published in 1929. This index has been divided into two separate databases: Art Abstracts, which covers roughly 1984 to present, and Art Index Retrospective, covering 1929 to 1984. These two databases may be combined and searched simultaneously. After entering either one, you will see a list of databases available from this supplier. Choose both databases from the list and click on “Start Searching.” For indexing with a similar scope, preceding 1929, use the paper Chicago Art Institute Ryerson Library Index to Art Periodicals (Z5937.C55 ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR – ABSTRACTS & INDEXES)
  5. ARTbibliographies Modern.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Brief abstracts of journal articles and exhibition reviews and some books, essays, exhibition catalogues, dissertations, and exhibition reviews. The scope extends from artists and movements beginning with Impressionism in the late 19th century, up to recent trends. Indexing began in 1974. Click "Specific Databases" to combine this with BHA (#102), the Avery Index (#101), FRANCIS (#111), or others.
  6. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Selectively indexes journal articles and reviews on all periods of architecture (including archaeology, decorative arts, interior design, furnishings, landscape design, city planning, and housing) which appear in more than 2,500 journals. Modern architecture and current practice are covered more thoroughly that pre-modern eras. Indexing began in 1934, but certain important journals were indexed back to their beginnings in the 1860s. Recently, the old Burnham Index to Architectural Literature was added to the Avery database, extending the coverage for many journals back to 1919. “Valuable when trying to find contemporary, “of the period,” information on building projects. This will be especially important when searching for architectural criticism.” (–Julie Mutmansky, Penn State MA student) “May be especially helpful for biographical research, since it documents approximately 13,000 citations of Architects' obituaries....and especially important feature is the capability to search for illustrations of particular projects, i.e. plans, sections, elevations.” – Gretta Tritch, Penn State MA student. Click “Specific Databases” to combine this with BHA (#102), Artbibliographies Modern (#100), FRANCIS (#111), or others.
  7. Bibliography of the History of Art.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Indexes and provides abstracts for articles from 4300 periodicals as well as some books, conference proceedings, dissertations, and exhibition catalogues. Handles subjects from Late Antiquity (4th century A.D.) to the present, though treatment of contemporary art is minimal. Coverage is from roughly 1973 to the present. For earlier indexing use its paper predecessor, Repertoire d'art et d'archeologie, which contains indexing back to 1910. (Z5937.R4 ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION) Click "Specific Databases" to combine this with Artbibliographies Modern (#98), the Avery Index (#99), FRANCIS (#XX),or others.
  8. DYABOLA, 1993-present.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    DYABOLA is a suite of databases of information on archaeology, with some focus on classical antiquity but including selected pre-classical cultures and the Renaissance interests in classical antiquity. It's tricky to use. Select “IP Access” before clicking “Start.” Then you will see a list of the DYABOLA databases. Only those in darker type are accessible from Penn State. At present they include: the important Archäologische Bibliographie (#98, above) and others (which come free with the subscription) including the Eurasienbibliographie des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts(a catalog which seems to focus, at this stage in its development, on the archaeology of Russia and central Asia, as well as Russian language publications), and the Monographien der Bibliographie zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte Europas (RGK), 1992-2004 (which lists tens of thousands of books and articles from a library specializing in European civilization from prehistoric through early medieval times.) Click on one of the little language flags next to the database to enter. Only one database may be searched at a time. You may enter search terms or browse. The browsing categories are usually in English. The interface is maddening. For help, try the instructions posted by an enterprising librarian at: http://web.library.emory.edu/subjects/studies/jewish/BibArch/dyabola.html
  9. Fasti archaeologici: Annual Bulletin of Classical Archaeology. Florence: International Association for Classical Archaeology, 1946 - present.
    GN700 .I552 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Archaeology and art of the classical world, including early Christian period. Many of the citations have abstracts. Subject categories are in English. Abstracts in the language of the item described. The paper version ground to a halt, but in 2000, an online substitute appeared with a novel interface based upon maps: Fasti Online http://www.fastionline.org/. “The user can also browse for sites by type - e.g. house, bath, etc.” - Matthew Isner, Penn State MA student.
  10. Schmidt, Mary Morris. Index to Nineteenth-Century American Art Periodicals. 2 vols. Madison: Sound View, 1999.
    N6510.S35 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Indexes, in great detail, the contents of each article in 43 art magazines published in the U.S. during the 19th century. Start with volume 2 which is the subject and author index. Volume 1 has the complete citations.

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PERIODICAL INDEXES AND CURRENT BIBLIOGRAPHIES FOR RELATED DISCIPLINES

  1. America: History and Life.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Annotated or abstracted references to American and Canadian history from more than 1700 journals and some dissertations and collections of essays. Indexing began in 1964. This system has exceptionally good features for searching date ranges in history. Select “Choose Databases” to combine this with Historical Abstracts (#112).
  2. L'annee philologique, bibliographie critique et analytique de l'antiquite greco-latine.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Indexes journals and selected books on all aspects of Greek and Roman literature, archaeology, history, mythology, religion, epigraphy, numistmatics, and paleography from 1949 to 2005. “I was impressed with the number of periodicals it searches…ones that I had never heard of before.” (– Robin Gonnam, Penn State MA student)
  3. Annual Egyptological Bibliography. vol 1 - 1947 -. Leiden: Brill, 1948 to present.
    Z3656.A2A6 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Z3656.A8E39 [CD-ROM] (ARTS & HUMANITIES, WEST PATTEE, 2ND FLR - MUSIC & MEDIA CENTER)
    Citations and abstracts, usually in English, of articles and reports found in journals, conference proceedings, and books of essays. These are listed under 56 subject categories. A CD-ROM version combines with the earlier Bibliographie Altägypten to cover 1822 through 1997.
  4. Bibliography of Asian Studies.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Produced by the Asian Studies Association, this index treats the history and current cultures of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. It includes extensive indexing from 1971 to 1991 and more selective indexing for 1992 to the present. For indexing from 1956 to 1970 use the paper version with the same title (Z3656.A2A6 ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
  5. Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Covers journals and collections of essays on the history of women, sexuality, and gender from 450 to 1500. Indexing from 1990 to the present is available.
  6. FRANCIS.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A convenient source for interdisciplinary perspectives and especially European scholarship, FRANCIS indexes multilingual, multidisciplinary information published in over 4,300 academic journals covering the humanities (67%) and social sciences (33%). FRANCIS is strong in religion, the history of art, psychology, and literature. It contains bilingual (English - French) subject descriptors and abstracts in either English or French. The database covers journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, French dissertations, exhibition catalogs, legislation, teaching materials, and reports. Coverage is from 1984 to the present. Click "Specific Databases" and combine FRANCIS with BHA (#102), Artbibliographies Modern (#100), the Avery Index (#101), or others.
  7. Historical Abstracts.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Annotated or abstracted references to world history from 1450 to the present in about 2,000 journals and some dissertations and collections of essays. Indexing began in 1954. This system has exceptionally good features for searching date ranges in history. The United States and Canada are excluded, but click "Choose Databases" to combine this with America: History and Life, #106)
  8. International Medieval Bibliography.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Indexes articles in journals and some in collections of essays. Covers all aspects of medieval (e.i. the period 400-1500) studies: history, literature, art, etc. for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa in publications since 1967. “It has multiple search capabilities including free, author, and classification fields. I personally found the author and classification fields the most useful. On the right side are fine-tuning buttons which are excellent...” - SaraLouise Howells, Penn State MA student.These now include limiting by century.
  9. Women's Resources International.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages
    A combination of historical and current information from a variety of databases on women's studies. Usually provides brief abstracts. The earliest indexing is for 1972.

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CITATION INDEXES

Citation indexes are a special type of periodical index. They index a magazine article three ways: by its author, by the keywords in its title, and also through each of the footnotes from the article. This data is made searchable by author and, to some extent, by title. If you have a publication which is important to your research, you could use a citation index to find more recent articles which have cited it. This can be a good way to find responses to the important publication. Also, specific mention of a work of art is treated like a footnote (whether or not a footnote is used). So this can also be a good tool for locating articles that mention a particular art object. Citation indexes are a little tricky to use. It's a good idea to ask for help the first time you try.

  1. Arts & Humanities Citation Index.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Indexes about 1200 journals in these disciplines -- back to about 1976. To enter, follow the “Web of Science” links until you have a search form, then deselect any unwanted databases. “Extending beyond the confines of one field, this index directed me to one of the most useful articles on an ancient Roman project. I doubt I would have found it by using a strictly art-historical or archaeological reference.” (-Denise Costanzo, Penn State PhD student)

The principal of citation indexing can also be applied to the web. If you have found a web site that is of particular value to your research, you can use search engine tools to determine what other web sites have linked to it. You can do this on Google by searching “link: [the URL of interest].” Or to be more thorough, use:

  1. Martetleap Link Popularity Check.
    Available on the web at: http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/.
    Type in the URL of the site you are interested in and follow the instructions. The software creates a table of results with the results for your site in the top row. That row shows the number of linking web sites found on each of several search engines. Click on the numbers to see the actual list of web sites.

Note that Google Scholar (#93) has some of the properties of a citation index. For example, part of the relevancy ranking of search results is the "citedness" of an article (that is to say, the popularity of the article as measured by the number of other articles citing it.)

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POPULAR MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER INDEXES

For modern topics popular magazines and newspapers can provide fascinating and fresh primary sources. (If used carefully. There were at least as many errors in the news then as there are now.) Browsing a few newspapers or magazines is practical if you have a specific date that is important for your research. But if your research does not focus well on a specific event, you need to consult an index to a newspaper or to popular magazines, or perhaps one of the new full-text databases of news or mags. Most of the full-text databases focus on recent publications, but those listed below have significant historical backfiles. Here are some indexes and full-text databases for American popular magazines:

  1. American Periodicals Series, 1740-1900.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Contains searchable full-text of over 1100 American magazines and journals that originated between 1741 and 1900. If an magazine continued publication after 1900, it is all included, so lots of early twentieth-century articles can be found.
  2. Periodicals Archive Online.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A huge, full-text hodge-podge of humanities and social sciences journals from the 19th- and 20th-centuries, mostly academic but with some more popular titles
  3. Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. 8 vols. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1882-1908.
    AI3.P7 1963 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES INDEXES - 2ND FLOOR, W206)
    Coverage of turn-of-the-century popular and literary magazines - the boom period for magazines as visual culture. The subject access is not very systematic. Try many terms.

Older articles in European newspapers and popular magazines are much more difficult to find. One tool that can sometimes help is:

  1. IBZ: Internationale Bibliographie der Zeitschriftenliterature aus allen Gebeiten des Wissens. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1896-.
    AI9.B5 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Indexes a few popular and literary magazines along with a MUCH larger number of scholarly journals. This index has changed titles and scope many times over the years, but, with patience, can be used to find articles published from 1861 to the present. IBZ indexing since 1984 is available as a database.

Newspaper indexes for historical research tend to focus on a single newspaper. Often these indexes only exist in local historical societies or public libraries. Some have been published. Recently, some newspapers have been converted into full-text databases including:

  1. America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1922.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Full-text for more than 1,000 U.S. historical newspapers published between 1690 and 1922, including titles from all 50 states.
  2. The New York Times Historical.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    The full-text of the New York Times from its beginning (in 1851) to 2005. All words are searchable or you may browse the paper for the day of your choice. Page images retain the layout and illustrations. The results are really quite amazing.
  3. Times of London, 1785-1985 (Digital Archive).
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Ditto for the major newspaper of England. Full-text.

For an overview of both current and historic newspaper research see, for example, the “Finding The News” guide at the Cornell University Libraries: http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill21.htm

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INDEXES TO REPRODUCTIONS

An index to reproductions (also called an illustration index) is a device for finding a picture of a particular work of art in a book or exhibition catalogue. All of the following examples list color and black-and-white reproductions by the artist's name and the title of the piece. So, for example, you might use this type of tool to discover that a photograph of Lincoln visiting his troops, by Alexander Gardner, can be found as figure 142 of Gernsheim's History of Photography. Some also list works by subject matter and can be very handy for iconographical investigation. Here is a selection. More are available.

  1. Bryce, Betty Kelly. American Printmakers, 1946-1996: An Index to Reproductions and Biocritical Information. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1999.
    NE508.B76 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  2. Cahill, James. An Index of Early Chinese Painters and Paintings: T'ang, Sung, and Yuan. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980.
    ND1040.C34 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  3. Clapp, Jane. Sculpture Index. 3 vols. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970.
    NB36.C55 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  4. Eliason, Craig. Art Historian's Guide to the Movies. (as viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://personal1.stthomas.edu/cdeliason/ahgttm.htm
    Contributions of art historians who have identified various works of art in films, and...have found their film presence useful for teaching purposes. Arranged by era (ancient, medieval, etc.)...according to the work portrayed. The entries are submitted by members of the Consortium for Art and Architectural Historians, an electronic mailing list based at Rutgers." (-Denise Costanzo, Penn State PhD student.)
  5. Havlice, Patricia. World Painting Index. 8 vols. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1977. First Supplement, 1982. Second Supplement, 1995. Third Supplement, 2003.
    ND45.H38 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  6. Laing, Ellen Johnston. An Index to Reproductions of Paintings by Twentieth-Century Chinese Artists. Rev. ed. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 1998.
    ND1045.L35 1998 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  7. Moss, Martha. Photography Books Index: A Subject Guide to Photo Anthologies. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1980, Index 2, 1985, and Martha Kreisel (ed.) Index 3, 2006.
    TR199.M67 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  8. Parry, Pamela Jeffcott. Contemporary Art and Artists: An Index to Reproductions. Westport: Greenwood, 1978.
    N6490.P3234 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  9. Parry, Pamela Jeffcott. Photography Index: A Guide to Reproductions. Westport: Greenwood, 1979.
    TR199.P37 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  10. Parry, Pamela Jeffcott and Kathe Chipman. Print Index: A Guide to Reproductions. Westport: Greenwood, 1983.
    NE90.P17 1983 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)


  11. Rochelle, Mercedes. Historical Art Index, A.D. 400-1650: People, Places, and Events Depicted. Jefferson: McFarland, 1989.
    N8210.R6 1989 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  12. Rochelle, Mercedes. Mythological and Classical World Art Index. Jefferson: McFarland, 1991.
    N7760.R63 1991 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  13. Rochelle, Mercedes. Post-Biblical Saints Art Index. Jefferson: McFarland, 1994.
    N8079.5.R63 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  14. Smith, Lyn Wall and Nancy Wall Moure. Index to Reproductions of American Paintings. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1977.
    ND205.S575 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  15. Teague, Edward. Index to Italian Architecture: A Guide to Key Monuments and Reproduction Sources. New York: Greenwood, 1992.
    NA111.T4 1992 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)


  16. Teague, Edward. World Architecture Index: A Guide to Illustrations. New York: Greenwood, 1991.
    NA202.T4 1991 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)


  17. Thomison, Dennis. The Black Artist in America: An Index to Reproductions. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1991.
    N6538.N5T46 1991 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  18. Williams, Lynn Barstis. American Printmakers, 1880-1945: An Index to Reproductions and Biocritical Information. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1993.
    NE507.W53 1993 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)

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INDEXES TO ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS

The primary source materials found in archives can often provide excitingly fresh material for your research. Even though we usually think of traveling to do research in archives, it is not always necessary to do so. If your needs are specific enough, many archives will mail photocopies of small amounts of materials. However, this requires some preliminary research into the specific documents you need. This type of preparation also helps even when you plan to travel to an archive, so you can get the most from your visit. Indexes to archival holdings can help figure out what exists and where to go for it. World Cat (#95) also contains many records for archival materials. It is important to remember that most archival collections are described in what might be called “chunks”. For example, if you want a specific letter from Andy Warhol to Richard Nixon (wouldn't that be nice) the collection with such a letter in it might be described as “Andy Warhol papers. Correspondence, 1959-1978.” Sometimes the names of some of the most frequent or important writers or receivers of letters are listed. The level of detail can vary widely.

  1. ArchiveGrid. Mountain View: Research Libraries Group, 2000-.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A large gathering of finding aids and inventories of nearly 4000 archives, all but a few in the United States, together with about 45,000 collections from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
  2. Archives U.S.A. [now Archive Finder.] Arlington: Chadwyck-Healey, c1997- present.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    A database indexing 160,000 collections of archival documents from more than 5,500 archives in the United States. These include the records from the Archives of American Art and many others.
  3. Oral History Online. Arlington: Chadwyck-Healey, 2004- present.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    The database collects information and often the full transcript for oral history interviews conducted in English with nearly 10,000 people worldwide and held in archives. Often the full text of the interview is keyword searchable.
  4. Tulane University Libraries. Special Collections Division. Ready, 'Net, Go! Archival Internet Resources. (As viewed 8/13/08) 8/20/06)
    Available on the web at: http://www.tulane.edu/~lmiller/ArchivesResources.html
    Not an index, really, but perhaps the best listing of the websites of archives world-wide, particularly useful for its European and other foreign listings. Some of the archives have posted partial inventories, most have not. Some useful archival "search engines" are also listed.
For useful tips on how each European country's governmentally managed archives are organized, see the website of the Council on European Studies: http://www.europanet.org/resources/archives.html

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INDEXES TO MUSEUM HOLDINGS

Indexes to museum holdings attempt to list the works, usually of a certain type, held in several art museums. The paper versions are usually alphabetical lists of artists, then titles of works. The newer databases that are replacing these inventories often include a digital image of the work.

  1. France. Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication. Base Joconde. 1995- present. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/joconde/fr/pres.htm. (Choose “Recherche experte.”)
    Cataloguing for more than 366,000 works of art (back to the 7th century) from 270 French museums. Roughly 200,000 images are provided, all for works in the public domain.
  2. Fredericksen, Burton B. and Federico Zeri. Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1972.
    ND611.F73 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  3. Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture. 1995- present. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at http://americanart.si.edu/art_info/inventories-intro.cfm.
    Data on 360,000 works by artists active in America before 1914. This is particularly good for discovering works held in small museums, historical societies, and other organizations with relatively small collections. It also includes lots of public sculpture in the U.S. from all time periods.
  4. Schweers, Hans. Gemalde in deutschen Museen / Paintings in German Museums. 2nd ed. 10 vols. Munich: Saur, 1994.
    N2210.S27 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  5. Wright, Christopher. Paintings in Dutch Museums: An Index of Oil Paintings in Public Collections in the Netherlands by Artists Born Before 1870. London: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1980. N2450.W74 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  6. Wright, Christopher. The World's Master Paintings: From the Early Renaissance to the Present Day: a Comprehensive Listing of Works by 1,300 Painters and a Complete Guide to Their Locations Worldwide. London: Routledge, 1992.
    ND40.W75 1992 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)

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DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

For more than a decade, many libraries and archives have been digitizing portions of their collections and posting them on the web. Because of copyright considerations, these efforts have usually focused upon special collections -- rare and archival materials. Many digital library collections are heavily pictorial. Historic photos, popular illustration, posters, and other visual ephemera are often found in these collections. Unfortunately access to these resources is still disorganized -- scattered across the web sites of each library. Since this information is usually organized in databases, it is often invisible to web search engines. (Search engines can index the contents of web pages, but not usually the records within a database.) The sources below attempt to provide access to multiple digital library collections.

  1. American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library. (As viewed 8/13/08.)
    Available on the web at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html.
    With the goal of promoting access to primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States, this Library of Congress site offers more than 9 million digital items from more than 100 collections.
  2. Arts and Humanities Data Service. (As viewed 8/13/08.)
    Available on the web at http://ahds.ac.uk/.
    A government supported service to coordinate access to electronic collections in the United Kingdom. It currently features 5 discrete Data Services: Archaeology, History, Literature and Language, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. The Visual Arts section is strongest on design and decorative arts image collections.
  3. OAIster. (As viewed 8/13/08.)
    Available on the web at http://oaister.umdl.umich.edu/o/oaister/.
    Often the best place to start a search for digitized library or archival materials. This site uses a new “harvesting” technology to gather information on more than 17 million items held at about 1000 sources worldwide. Searches retrieve catalogue records with links to the item in the contributing institution's database or web site. Digital library collections are included with many other types of sources.
  4. Women's History Online, 1543-1945. (Gerritsen Collection)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Full text books, pamphlets and periodicals reflecting the evolution of feminist consciousness and the movement for women's rights through 1945. Includes materials from continental Europe, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.
  5. Yahoo! Directory, Reference > Libraries > Digital Libraries > Projects and Collections. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at:. http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Libraries/Digital_Libraries/Projects_and_Collections/.
    There are several web sites that attempt to link to the best digital library projects. This one focuses on the content of the collections rather than projects that emphasize new delivery technologies.

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DISSERTATIONS

Some references to doctoral dissertations can be found in library catalogues and many periodical indexes. However some resources focus specifically on dissertations and are more thorough. When selecting a thesis topic, doctoral students are frequently asked to verify that the topic has not been handled in an earlier dissertation and that it is not currently chosen by another student. These are the main sources to check in that case:

  1. Dissertation Abstracts [now Proquest Dissertations & Theses A & I.]
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    This database provides bibliographic access to more than 2 million doctoral dissertations and some masters theses. Full citations and abstracts are available for most dissertations published since 1980 and 24-page previews are available for those produced since 1997. “Has helped me narrow down my dissertation topic.” (–Ilenia Colon, Penn State PhD student)
  2. College Art Association. Art Bulletin (June issues).
    N1.A39 (PATTEE, WEST WING - 3RD FLOOR)
    Topics of dissertations in progress are collected from art history departments and published annually in the June issue of Art Bulletin. Recently, this information has been cumulated on the College Art Association's web site at: http://www.collegeart.org/artbulletin/diserts.html
  3. Nicoletta, Julie, Dissertations Underway and Recently Completed (Since 1994) on Architectural History.
    Available on the web at: http://faculty.washington.edu/jn/diss.htm
    Assembled for the Society of Architectural Historians and based upon the Art Bulletin listings, above, and "word-of-mouth."

Since only one or two copies of each dissertation is collected in a library, some libraries choose not to lend them through Inter-Library Loan. The publishers of Dissertation Abstracts offer fairly inexpensive copies of the dissertations in their database in a variety of media (paper, microfiche, or electronic). Other sources for electronic copies (some free) are listed in a library guide posted at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/artshumanities/dissertations/index.html

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PICTURE COLLECTIONS

There are many ways to find large collections of pictures in books or on the Internet. I wrote a number of suggestions on one of the University Libraries web pages under “Find Other Materials:” (http://www.libraries.psu.edu/artshumanities/art/images.html). Here, I simply want to emphasize two types of picture collections: large pictorial microfiche sets and a few of the many collections of digital pictures. The microfiche sets deserve some attention because they contain so many unusual images, often of works of art which have little or nothing written about them – fresh material. (The pictorial microfiche are currently housed in cabinets near the Arts and Humanities Library Reference Collection 2nd floor of Pattee.) The digital picture collections are a mixed bag - but often extremely convenient to use. Of course, there are many other ways to search for pictures on the web, including some excellent image search engines. But search engines do not penetrate into most of the pictorial databases listed below. Additional sources for digital images are listed in the art and art history web guides listed in the first section of this bibliography and in the Society of Architectural Historians site described below (#173).

  1. America 1935-1946. England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1980.
    87,000 photographs, most taken by important photographers of this era, for the Farm Security Administration or the Office of War Information to document American sociological and economic conditions during the depression and World War II.
  2. ARTstor.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    This database holds more than 700,000 images of art works and is growing rapidly. It consists of dozens of sub-collections. One is a general “Image Gallery” that might be described as a typical large slide collection from an art history department. Another collection is a set of core works (core, meaning illustrated in more than one textbook for art history survey courses). High quality images are also contributed by about 30 art museums. More specialized sets include two for Asian art, one for American art and architecture, one with photographs relevant to American women's history, a collection of European master prints from the 15th through 19th centuries, a modern design collection, and others added each year. "Fairly easy to search, the ARTstor collection is still growing and may not have every image needed..." - Kristin Dean, Penn State PhD student. 95% of the images may be downloaded in a medium size (1024 pixels on the longest side.) Larger images may be downloaded only into a special image viewer -- called the Offline Image Viewer. This viewer is freeware designed for classroom presentations with features similar to PowerPoint or Safari.

Base Jaconde. (See #146)

  1. Bildarchiv Foto Marburg. Marburger Index: Bilddokumentation zur Kunst in Deutschland. Munich : Verlag Dokumentation, 1976-1987.
    We have a good portion of this enormous set of pictures from this important pictorial archive. Covers any type of art and architecture found in Germany.
  2. Decimal Index of the Art of the Low Countries. The Hague: Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, 1950-
    These are not microfiche. They are actually small black and white photographs of Dutch and Flemish paintings portraying biblical, mythical, allegorical, and historical scenes and arranged by iconographic subjects. The subjects are keyed to the numerical system used in Iconclass (#78). This was a subscription service producing about 500 “photocards” each year. Our set is incomplete, but has proven useful.
  3. The Early Alinari Photographic Archive of Art & Architecture in Italy. London: Mindata, 1980.
    From the Victoia and Albert Museum's collection of 19th-century photographs of Italian art and architecture taken by the famous Alinari firm.
  4. Flicker.
    Available on the web at: http://www.flickr.com/
    Flickr is essentially a place where anyone can park some digital pictures and make them available to others. Millions of photos seem to be available. You can search the descriptions, the “social tagging,” and the profiles of the contributors. Stronger on architecture and urbanism but also contains some great shots from museum collections. Quality varies but many people seem to post the largest files their camera saved. Rights and permissions vary, but if you want to use Flickr images to illustrate lectures, you could play it safe by limiting searches to “Creative Commons” images, a feature of the “Advanced Search” screen. Groups may be created to limit access to a set of images to a list of participants -- like maybe your students, etc..
  5. Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. Trade Catalogues at Winterthur. New York: Clearwater,1984.
    From this important collection of 19th-century merchandizing catalogues, we have the sections on agricultural, architectural, and furniture products, which comprise the complete contents of about 450 catalogues.
  6. Index der antiken Kunst und Architektur: Denkmäler des griechisch-römischen Altertums in der Photosammlung des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts = Index of Ancient Art and Architecture: Monuments of Greek and Roman Cultural Heritage in the Photographic Collection of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome. New York: K.G. Saur, 1988.
    Roughly 250,000 black and white images on microfiche of classical antiquities of all types.
  7. Index of American Design. Cambridge: Chadwyck-Healey, 1979-1980.
    Color microfiche of roughly 15,000 watercolor paintings of objects of decorative, folk and popular arts in America from settlement to 1900. The paintings were done as part of the Federal Arts Project W.P.A., and are now stored in the National Gallery of Art.
  8. Newspaper Photos (AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive).
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Roughly half-a-million photos, primarily comprised of the Associated Press photographic archives (which includes some materials from its beginning 150 years ago), and supplemented by other contemporary and historical sources. Both back-and-white and color photos of, literally, all sorts of things. A fascinating source of popular imagery and comparative material for art history. Images may be downloaded and used for most educational purposes, but not for posting on open web sites. Select “Newspaper Photos” on the “A-Z List of E-Resources” list of databases.
  9. Penn State University. Art History Department Visual Resources Selections.
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Contains more than 8,000 images from Penn State's Art History Department Visual Resources Centre. All may be downloaded and used for Penn-State-only, educational purposes. Choose “Advanced Search“ to combine this with other Penn State image collections.
  10. Penn State University. Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures .
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages.
    Contains nearly 20,000 images of the architecture and landscape architecture. Most are major historical monuments but also some contemporary examples. All may be downloaded and used for Penn-State-only, educational purposes. About 2000 may be used more broadly (as indicated in the description of the image.) Choose “Advanced Search“ to combine this with other Penn State image collections.
  11. Society of Architectural Historians. Image Exchange. 2000-present. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the Web at: http://www.sah.org (Choose "Image Exchange")
    A closely edited collection of images of monuments included in the major texts surveying architectural history. The shots are contributed primarily by architectural historians. This site also includes a list of good quality image sites for art and architecture (choose “Resources” then “Net Resources”).
  12. The Witt Library, Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Surrey: Emmett, 1979-1980.
    Photographs of paintings, drawings, and engravings of Western art from 1200 to the present day. An enormous microfiche grab bag from this famous research collection.

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DICTIONARIES

Getting the meaning of a specialized term often requires a specialized dictionary. There are many which may be useful for art history. Here are a few examples:

  1. Arnold, Dieter. Encyclopedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.
    NA215 .A7513 2003 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Sites, important monuments, building types, techniques, materials, elements, etc. With bibliographic references.
  2. Atkins, Robert. Artspeak: A Guide to Congemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1945 to the Present. 2nd ed. New York: Abbeville, 1997.
    N6490.A87 1997 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  3. Atkins, Robert. ArtSpoke; A Guide to Modern Ideas, Movements and Buzzwords, 1848-1944. New York: Abbeville, 1993.
    N6447.A85 1993 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  4. Baird, Merrily. Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design. New York: Rizzoli, 2001.
    N7350.B233 2001 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  5. Bell, Doris. Contemporary Art Trends 1960-1980: A Guide to Sources. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1981.
    N6490.B44 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  6. Belton, Robert. Words of Art. 1996-2005 (as viewed 8/13/08).
    Available on the Web at: http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/creative/links/glossary.html
    Not as good as the paper dictionaries, but convenient for critical terms.
  7. Biebuyck, Daniel, Susan Kelliher, and Linda McRae. African Ethnonyms: Index to Art-Producing Peoples of Africa. New York: G.K. Hall, 1996.
    GN645 .B53 1996 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Helps untangle the myriad names for African cultures and language groups. Gives locations for each and often details sub-groups. Also indicates the subject headings used in library catalogues. You say Bambara, I say Bamana...
  8. Burden, Ernest. Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
    NA31 .B83 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES REFERENCE - STACKS 2)
    So thoroughly illustrated that you can often figure out the name of an architectural element even if you only remember what it looks like.
  9. Campbell, Gordon. Renaissance Art and Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
    N6370 .C32 2004 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES REFERENCE - STACKS 2)


  10. Carr-Gomm, Sarah. Dictionary of Symbols in Western Art.. New York: Facts On File, 1995.
    N7740 .C29 1995 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Scanty explanations of characters and objects, but footnotes always indicate where to look in a very early source – – “ur texts” such as Livy, Pliny, Ovid, the Bible, and others.
  11. Chaturachinda, Gwyneth. Dictionary of South and Southeast Asian Art. 2nd ed. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2004.
    N7300 .C53 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Brief entries and line drawings.
  12. Chevalier, Jean, and Alain Gheerbrant. A Dictionary of Symbols.. trans by John Buchanan Brown. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.
    GR931 .C4413 1994 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Usually brief, scholarly, multicultural, and interdisciplinary. An array of characters (The Naga) and things (dust!).
  13. Chilvers, Ian. Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art.. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
    N6490 .C528 1998. (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages. (Choose Oxford Reference Online)
    Primarily painting, sculpture, and graphic art - the issues, terminology, and major players.
  14. Chilvers, Ian. Oxford Dictionary of Art.. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
    N33.O93 2004. (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages. (Choose Oxford Reference Online)
    Classical times to the present -- painting, sculpture, and graphic art.
  15. Delahunt,Michael. ArtLex. 1996-present (as viewed 8/13/08).
    Available on the web at: http://www.artlex.com/
    Not as good as the paper dictionaries, but convenient for technical terms.
  16. Edwards, Cile. Visual Dictionary of Chinese Architecture. Mulgrave: Images, 2002.
    NA31.G86 2002 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Pictures, Chinese terms, pinyin romanizations, and English definitions.
  17. Fang, Jing Pei. Symbols and Rebuses in Chinese Art: Figures, Bugs, Beasts, and Flowers. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2004.
    N7340.F36 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  18. Guide to Imagery. Getty Publications, 2003 - present.
    This series of small handbooks each focuses on a category of common imagery in the art of the past. Entries for specific motifs include a definition, brief discussion, references to primary sources and, at the back a selected bibliography to scholarship. Light weight (literally and figuratively) but handy, especially if browsing for ideas. Titles thus far are: Angels and Demons... (2005) Artist's Techniques and Materials (2006) Food and Feasting... (2008) Gardens... (2007) Gods and Heroes... (2003) Gospel Figures... (2003) Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church (2006) Nature and Its Symbols (2004) Old Testiment Figures (2003) Saints... (2003) Symbols and Allegories.. (2005.) Check The Cat (#95) for locations.
  19. Guo, Qinghua. Visual Dictionary of Chinese Architecture. Mulgrave: Images, 2002.
    NA31.G86 2002 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Pictures, Chinese terms, pinyin romanizations, and English definitions.
  20. Hansford, S. Howard. A Glossary of Chinese Art and Archaeology. 2d ed., rev. London: China Society, 1972.
    N7340.H3 1961 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Glossary in Chinese characters and in Romanization, with definitions in English.
  21. Harris, Jonathan. Art History: The Key Concepts. London: Routledge, 2006.
    N5300.H278 2006 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    An exceptionally sophisticated dictionary. Many important critical terms in the art historical discourse are defined so that readers may "have some insight into the range of meanings and contexts" of the term. Selected readings for each concept point to important examples of its use.
  22. Höcker, Christoph. Metzler Lexikon antiker Architektur: Sachen und Begriffe Stuttgart: Metzler, 2004.
    NA210 .H63 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Sites, building types, techniques, materials, elements, etc. With bibliographic references and good line drawings.
  23. McArthur, Meher. Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs and Symbols. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2002.
    N8193.M39 2002 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Arranged in thematic chapters (deities, objects, and sites). Good for introducing the broader context for each item.
  24. Munsterberg, Hugo. Dictionary of Chinese and Japanese Art. New York: Hacker Art Books, 1981.
    N7340.M78 1981 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  25. Osborn, Harold (ed.) The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
    NK1165.O85 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  26. Patin, Thomas, and Jennifer McLerran. Artwords: A Glossary of Contemporary Art Theory. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1997.
    N71.P32 1997 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  27. Pronunciation Dictionary of Artists' Names. 3rd ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1993.
    N40.K3 1993 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  28. Room, Adrian. Dictionary of Art Titles: The Origins of the Names and Titles of 3000 Works of Art. Jefferson: McFarland, 2000.
    N33 .R56 2000. (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  29. Scheub, Harold. Dictionary of African Mythology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
    BL2400.S24 2000 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Myths of most African cultures under the names of the principal characters and with extensive thematic indexing. Sources for each are provided.
  30. Speake, Jennifer. The Dent Dictionary of Symbols in Christian Art. London: Dent, 1994.
    N7825.S68 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Includes many specific motifs, like “cup” or “triangle”.
  31. Stutley, Margaret. Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985.
    N8195.A4 S78 1985 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    The complex of characters and attributes detailed.
  32. Thesaurus des objets religieux: meubles, objets, linges, vêtements et instruments de musique du culte catholique romain = Thesaurus of religious objects: furniture, objects, linen, clothing and musical instruments of the Roman Catholic faith = Thesaurus del corredo ecclesiastico. Paris : Editions du Patrimoine, 1999.
    BX1925.T48 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    All imaginable church implements pictured, defined, and categorized by their functions. In English, French, and Italian. Very pretty too.
  33. Vergine, Lea. Art on the Cutting Edge: A Guide to Contemporary Modern Movements. Milan: Skira, 1996.
    N6490.4 .V47 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Covers only a selection of modern movements, but good for including many pithy quotations from the participating artists.
  34. Walker, John Albert. Glossary of Art, Architecture, and Design Since 1945. 3rd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1992.
    N34.W34 1992 (ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCH, STUCKEMAN BLDG - REFERENCE)
    N34.W34 1992 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Especially useful for locating the articles or books that first codified a movement or coined a term.
  35. Werness, Hope B. Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and Native North America. New York: Continuum, 2000.
    E98.A7 W49 2000 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Types of artifacts, rituals, symbols, places, and peoples. Illustrated with line drawings.

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DICTIONARIES FOR TRANSLATING TERMS

  1. Apelt, Mary L. German-English Dictionary: Art History--Archaeology. 2nd ed. Berlin: E. Schmidt, 1990.
    N33.A557 1990 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    See also her English-German Dictionary: Art History--Archaeology (N33.A5575 1987 ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
  2. Michaux, Jean Pierre. Elsevier's Dictionary of Art History Terms in French-English and English-French. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2005.
    N33.E49 2005 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    Brief definitions. Includes related fields like religion, dance, heraldry, and other depictable stuff.
  3. Multilingual Glossary for Art Librarians: English With Indexes in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish. 2nd ed. Munich: Saur, 1996.
    N34.M84 1996 (PATTEE, ARTS & HUMANITIES READY REF - 2ND FLR, W202)
    Know how to say “keyword” in Dutch? “Photocopy” in German?
  4. Reau, Louis. Dictionnaire polyglotte des termes d'art et d'archéologie. Paris : Presses Universitaires de France, 1953.
    N33.R42 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)
    French terms translated usually translated into German, Italian, and English and often other languages.
  5. Yahoo Directory. Online Language Translators..
    Available on the web at: http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Linguistics_and_Human_Languages/Translation_and_Interpretation/Online_Translators/
    Provides a selection of free electronic translators for the major languages. All can do blocks of text that you paste in. Some can do whole web pages by URL. All provide extremely rough translations.

Convenient and good-quality bilingual dictionaries can be found as part of the Oxford Reference Online database (on the Libraries web pages.)

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ATLASES

A historical atlas can show you where places were, other geographical information about them, and how they relate to modern places.

  1. Haywood, John. Cassell Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 - 500 BC. London: Cassell, 1998.
    G1005.H39 1998 (MAPS LIBRARY, B-LEVEL PATERNO)

  2. Onians, John. Atlas of World Art. London: Laurence King, 2004.
    N5300.A85 2004 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  3. Shepherd, William R. Shepherd's Historical Atlas. 9th ed. Totowa: Barnes & Noble, 1980.
    G1030.S401 (MAPS LIBRARY, B-LEVEL PATERNO)

  4. World Maps
    Available as a database on the Libraries web pages (choose "Oxford Reference Online" and "World Maps")
    Roughly 800 political or physical maps of the world's countries and major cities as color digital images. Small but often sufficient for illustrating lectures.

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CHRONOLOGIES

These are lists of events in chronological order. Don't take the dates as exact ones. Use these for an easy way to note what else was happening at a particular time - in politics, literature, science, etc.

  1. Art Libraries Society of North America. Timelines of Art History: Print Sources and Web Sites. 1997. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.arlisna.org/resources/onlinepubs/timelines.html


  2. Boccola, Sandro. Timelines - The Art of Modernism 1870-2000. Koln: Taschen, 2001.
    N6465M63B6 2001 Q (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  3. Mellersh, H. E. L. Chronology of World History. 4 vols. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1999.
    D11.M39 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  4. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Timeline of Art History. 1997. (As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available on the web at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm


  5. Paxton, John and Sheila Fairfield. Calendar of Creative Man. New York: Facts on File, 1980.
    NX447.5.P38 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)


  6. Steinberg, S.H. and John Paxton. Historical Tables: 58 BC to 1985. 11th ed. New York: Garland, 1986.
    D11.S83 1986 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, STACKS 2 - REFERENCE COLLECTION)

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STYLE MANUALS

In writing a paper for publication, authors must adhere to a style manual which indicates how the many variables of writing should be handled to create a useful consistency in the publication. Some style manuals only dictate the details of how to format footnotes and bibliographies. There are many of these -- each profession's literature seems to have a preference. A few other manuals indicate many more subtle matters of grammar and usage. (Warning! Please do not use this bibliography as a guide for your footnotes or bibliographies. Style-wise, it is a mess.) For art history and related disciplines the following style manuals are commonly used:

  1. Chicago Manual of Style. 14th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
    Z253 .C5701 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    A comprehensive guide to details of usage, punctuation, and much on grammar. A few examples of typical footnotes are posted on the Manuals website under “Tools” (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools.html). “I prefer the Chicago Manual of Style. I own it and I use it.” (–Courtney Jordan, Penn State MA student)
  2. College Art Association. Art Bulletin Style Guide. 2000-present.(As viewed 8/13/08)
    Available at: http://www.collegeart.org/caa/publications/AB/ABStyleGuide.html
    The major professional society for our field has always published their style manual (limited to the details of referring to works of art, footnotes, etc.) annually in Art Bulletin, but now the rules have been posted on their web site.
  3. Gibaldi, Joseph, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1999.
    LB2369.M165 1999 (ARTS & HUMANITIES, PATTEE, 2ND FLOOR - READY REFERENCE)
    A comprehensive guide similar to those above, but preferred by many humanities journals. Some portions on citing Internet resources have been excerpted to answer frequently asked questions at: http://www.mla.org/style_faq

If your writing is criticized, read:

  1. Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
    PE1408.S772 2000 (MANY LOCATIONS)
    Powerful thoughts on writing clearly.

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OTHER FORMATS

Many other formats could have been listed here. Perhaps national inventories or corpi. But there will be another day and another revision.


Compiled by: Henry Pisciotta
Arts and Architecture Librarian
Pennsylvania State University Libraries
320 West Pattee
865-6778
henryp@psu.edu
henrylibrarian (AIM screen name)

With helpful suggestions from graduate students and Prof. Anthony Cutler.

Send comments to Henry Pisciotta, Arts Librarian, at hap10@psu.edu
last updated: 6/15/09
©2005 The Pennsylvania State University
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