Beyond text...
There are many possible sources of siteplans, elevations, drawings, photographs and other forms of visual representation
For example:
- books
- journals
- films
- websites
- organisations
- searchable image databases
The Library has purchased access to hundreds of thousands of images while many more are freely accessible. There are also companies which sell images.
This guide provides details for a selection of sources. There are many more!
Finding architectural images in journals
![Jacques-Germain Soufflot, Ste Geneviève, Paris (now the Panthéon) [Pierre Chabat 1881, Dictionnaire des termes employés dans la construction, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elevation-Panth%C3%A9on-Lanterne-Paris-France-1881.jpg]](https://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/35255/pantheonparis.jpg "Jacques-Germain Soufflot, Ste Geneviève, Paris (now the Panthéon) [Pierre Chabat 1881, Dictionnaire des termes employés dans la construction, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elevation-Panth%C3%A9on-Lanterne-Paris-France-1881.jpg]")
Some databases allow you to limit (refine) your search so that you only find articles containing certain types of images/drawings.
Avery Index: Advanced Search > Physical Description - limit by selecting one or more of the options (e.g. elevations)
ARCH: Change in Any field (Show all other fields) to NT - Notes and type in one of: photo*, plan*, secn*, map*, graphic*, plan*, axonview*, elevn*, sketch*, model*, port*, siteplan*, drawing*
Licenced databases
![ARTstor logo [Image courtesy of ARTstor]](https://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/35255/artstor_logo_color.jpg "ARTstor logo [Image courtesy of ARTstor]"){kind=logo}
Access ARTstor - provides access to over one million high resolution images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences. Images are relevant to a variety of areas including visual art, architecture, fashion and costume, architecture and design.
Search by title/creator (e.g. artist/architect) or browse by geography, classification (e.g. Prints) and year. Unfortunately you can't search by topic (e.g. face, street). For example:
- images of work by Owen Jones, Frank Lloyd Wright, Kallikrates, Kazuyo Sejima, Zaha Hadid, Francesco Borromini
Features include the ability to zoom in to detail, download images into PowerPoint presentations and export citation data to bibliographic management software such as EndNote. Register for a free account to save images for later use and create image groups. More about ARTstor
Living architecture in
DETAIL inspiration, the database for architects, is a new image and reference database with more than 3000 projects from the last 50 years of DETAIL.
The integrated search function, with numerous filters, allows you to find precisely the right information. Each project described in the database is accompanied by DETAIL project documents, which can be downloaded as PDFs.
Thanks to its large collection of images and project information on all important architectural topics, DETAIL inspiration is ideal for both research and inspiration.
Withall and Wells 1887, Exhibition Building, North Terrace - South Elevation
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Access hereSearch across online content contributed by over 70 cultural agencies (galleries, museums, archives and libraries) for images covering all aspects of Australiana.
Tip- Also search individual art gallery sites for many images not covered by Trove.
Search hints
| Searching for (e1027 OR e-1027) AND gray in the Catalogue finds results including... |
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| The book's contents are listed in the Catalogue, which is why those keywords located the title; not all book records have this level of detail |
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The power of book reviewsBook records in the Catalogue may not list all of the buildings covered, so it can be useful not to limit to book/ebook but also look at articles reviewing books. For example: searching for '(e-1027 OR e1027) gray' in the Catalogue finds the article 'What is greatness?' reviewing 'The Other Tradition of Modern Architecture: The Uncompleted Project'. Searching for this book in the Catalogue finds that we hold it. The book record does not mention either Gray or E-1027 despite the fact that the building is discussed, with accompanying images
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Print may be better...Online articles with images can be very large files, slow to download. They can also have poor quality images. If the Library has the journal in print, this may be a better source. You may need to request a journal issue from the Off Site Warehouse as much of the Library's older print material has been moved off site
Freely available
- Flickr
- Google -World Wonders Project & Image search
- Image Collections
- Single Buildings
- Wikimedia Commons
Search a collection of over five billion photographs on this photo sharing site.![Vitra Fire Station, Zaha Hadid Architects [Wojtek Gurak, 'Vitra Fire Station', CC Licence: CC BY-NC 2.0, Image Source: Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/4121827140/]](https://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/35255/hadid.jpg "Vitra Fire Station, Zaha Hadid Architects [Wojtek Gurak, 'Vitra Fire Station', CC Licence: CC BY-NC 2.0, Image Source: Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/4121827140/]")
Contributors range from individuals to cultural institutions and government organisations such as NASA. Video content is also available.
A significant number of images, such as this one, are available under Creative Commons licenses.
Flickr Advanced Search allows you to refine your search by applying a number of limits. This includes the option to restrict your results to Creative Commons-licensed content.
Google World Wonders Project -Virtually navigate through / around a range of world heritage sites including a selection of buildings. More information here.
Google Image Search - Access images from a myriad of Web sources. The Advanced search can be accessed here.
Individual buildings may have their own dedicated websites. The quality of the sites can vary and as always it's a good idea to evaluate what you find before you use it. Examples of sites:
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Iconic HousesICONIC HOUSES is the international network connecting architecturally significant houses and artists’ homes and studios from the 20th century that are open to the public as house museum.
Search across millions of media files. Most content is either in the public domain or available under a free license. Find out more here.
Browse functionality available from the home page allows exploration by diverse categories such as location, manufacturer, religion and shape.
![[Böhringer Friedrich, 'Kunsthaus Bregenz KUB in Bregenz', CC License CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BregenzKUB3a.JPG]](https://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/35255/zumthor.jpg "[[Böhringer Friedrich, 'Kunsthaus Bregenz KUB in Bregenz', CC License CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en, Image Source: Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BregenzKUB3a.JPG]") |
For example... Search: "peter zumthor" Browse: Categories> Categories by materia> Architecture by material> Glass architecture> Glass facades> Glass facades in Austria > Kunsthaus Bregenz KUB in Bregenz |
