Architectural History

The CAT - Penn State Library Catalog
-- The CAT is the online library catalog for the Penn State University Libraries and contains bibliographic records for materials owned by the Libraries in all formats -- books, videos, etc. It tells you which journals the Libraries have but does not list the articles in the journals. For that see the periodical indexes (Articles & Databases) listed above. If the book you want is charged out or at a distant location, click the "I Want It" button. A window will open instructing how to have the item  retrieved for you within a few days.

Tips for finding books:
Most buildings do not have entire books written about them. Search the library catalog by the building name. If that doesn’t work, search by the architect’s name (for a book on the architect’s works). Many buildings and architectural firms may be known by multiple names. Try variant names. Be certain that you are spelling the names correctly. Many architects and firms do not have entire books written about them, but they will often appear in various periodicals. If The CAT does not provide what you want, try a periodical index (Articles & Databases) listed above or ask the library staff for assistance.

Pictorial collections focus on high-quality graphics. For example, books in the various Global Architecture (GA) series have lots of excellent color photos and useful drawings. Nearly all of the books and journals in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library are well-illustrated. However the over sized books (with a “Q” at the end of the call number) often have the best quality illustrations. Some good advice on finding pictures in any format is on the Picture Sources web page.

Image Databases at Penn State
-- The University Libraries maintain and subscribe to several digital image databases. Together they provide Penn State people with nearly 2 million images – all considerably larger than the average size posted on free web sites and with more reliable descriptions.

One Image Database at Penn State that has lots of architecture images is:
Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures


Of course there are many free sites where you can find digital images, but many of them have the images in databases that cannot be found through Google or Google Images. Here are two (of several) good ones for architecture:

SAH Net Resources
Society of Architectural Historians
-- Includes a selective list of image sites for architecture, including the Society's own "Image Exchange."

Cities and Buildings Image Archive
University of Washington Libraries - Digital Collections
-- Scans from old lantern slide images from 1850 to 1920, representing the work of an assortment of landscape architects throughout the United States.


There are also many reference type books that contain a wide array of architectural images. Some of our most popular titles are:

A History of Architecture (book)
Fletcher, Banister, Sir
--  First published in 1896 and now in it's 20th revision, this classic tome is well illustrated with photos and crisp line drawings. Given the numerous changes in this book over the years, it is sometimes helpful to look look at some of the older editions for different illustrations. Also contains an extensive bibliography for further research.

Architecture, from Prehistory to Postmodernity (book)
Trachtenberg, Marvin, and Isabelle Hyman
--  Another heavily illustrated survey of world architecture. Also contains an extensive bibliography for further research.

Twentieth Century Architecture : a Visual History (book)
Sharp, Dennis
--  A decade by decade illustrated jaunt through Twentieth Century Architecture.

World Architecture 1900-2000 : a Critical Mosaic (book)
Frampton, Kenneth (general editor)
--  This heavily illustrated ten volume set compiles 1,000 iconic works world wide. Each volume focuses on one geographical region with 100 significant works arranged in chronological order by date of completion.


"Indexes to Reproductions" are reference books that point to the exact page of sources where illustrations of architectural works can be found. Think of them as a phone book for locating images in other books.

Index to Italian Architecture : a Guide to Key Monuments and Reproduction Sources (book)
Teague, Edward H.
-- Indicates exterior view, interior view, plan, section, elevation. Indexed by location, architect, type, and building name.

World Architecture Index : a Guide to Illustrations (book)
Teague, Edward H.
-- Same as above, but for Western cultures of all periods (with no chronological index).


Periodicals are also good sources of images. The Avery Index may also be used to locate specific types of illustrations of buildings (such as plans, sections, etc.)

For questions concerning this Subject Guide, contact:
Henry Pisciotta
or
Tim AumAn