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Search Engines

Several commercial search engines can locate pictures on huge number of web sites. Some good examples:

Metasites

These sites can be browsed for links to a variety of online image collections.

Metasites: General

Digital Librarian: Images (By Margaret Vail Anderson)

Finding Images on the Web (By Ruth S. Thomas)

Metasites: Arts

ADAM (Art, Design, Architecture & Media Information Gateway) (Primarily UK)

Architecture and Building: Image Resources  (By Jeanne Brown)

Art History Resources on the Web (By Prof. Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe)

Art on the Web (By Prof. Jeffery Howe)

Diotima: Art Collections (Focus on classical antiquity)

Exploring Image Collections on the Internet (MIT Libraries, Rotch Visual Collections)

Mother of All Art History Links: Image Collections and Online Art (by Prof. Patrick Young)

Paper or Microfiche Pictures

Other Tips

Many of the E-Books and E-Journals licensed by the University Libraries contain illustrations. The search systems for several of these resources allow you to limit a search to illustrated material. Or…

Books:

In The CAT, on the Advanced Search screen, you can limit your search to illustrated books two different ways:

  • Type your search terms in the first box. In a box labeled “LC Subject Heading” type “pictorial works.” (This is a standard heading that is used for some books when they are primarily composed of illustrations or photos.)
  • For a broader search, type your search term(s) in the first box. In another box labeled “Keyword” type “ill or illus.” These are two standard abbreviations (for “illustrations” that are used in the catalog.
Indexes to Reproductions:

A more precise method, but with several more steps, is to use an Index to Illustrations. These are special books that list the specific illustrations in other books. Most focus on art work or portraits.

Microfilm Sets:

The Penn State Libraries have some large pictorial microfilm sets that contain thousands of pictures.

ASK:

There are thousands of ways to find pictures. More than can be mentioned here. The most efficient way to explore further may be to ASK.

Articles and Databases

Art Abstracts and Art Index Retrospective

Search


Contact

Katherine Staab
Arts & Humanities Library
W320 Pattee Library
Penn State University
Phone: 814-865-6778
Fax: 814-863-7502
kes304@psu.edu

or Your Campus Librarian.



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