Guides: LA 6773 Research Guide: Images

Image Databases and Web Resources

Image Databases & Web Resources

Artstor
Contains over a million images in architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design and more.

Dezeen Magazine
An online magazine providing a "carefully edited selection of the best architecture, design and interiors projects from around the world."
Flickr: Creative Commons
Many Flickr users have chosen to offer their work under a Creative Commons license, and you can browse or search through content under each type of license.
Google Images
The most comprehensive image search on the web.
Internet Archive Book Images
2.6 million images from Internet Archive public domain eBooks that span over 500 years of content. Searchable! Public domain!
Pixabay
A site with hundreds of thousands of photos and clipart free to use for any purpose.
Slanted
Slanted is a weblog about typography, published by MAGMA Brand Design from Karlsruhe, Germany.
Society for Experiential Graphic Design
"... an association of people who create content-rich, emotionally compelling, experiential spaces for a wide range of environments, from hospitals and transit hubs to museums and educational campuses."
Symbols.com
Symbols.com contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics.
more...less...
To explore: Use the Graphic Index to search for the meaning or history of a sign; Use the Word Index to find a sign with a certain meaning; or Check out a random sign if you feel adventurous.
WGSN Blog
The WGSN Blog (formerly known as Stylesight) provides trend forecasting and analysis in multiple design and lifestyle-related markets. Also on Tumblr and Instagram.
Topographical Maps
Published by USGS. They began creating topo maps in 1879. There are various levels of detail (city and region levels) TopoView shows the many and varied topographic maps over time. This can be useful for finding the names of natural and cultural features that have changed over time.
National Map (USGS)
he National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response.

Citing images in different Citation styles

Below are examples in MLA style of citations by type.

Product Details

Image reproduced from a printed source

Artist’s last name, first name. Title of art work, in italics. Date of art work. Medium. Institution where art work is housed (if known), city where housed if not already named. Title of printed source, in italics. By Author of printed source. Place of publication: publisher, date. Page or plate/figure/slide number. Print.

Rousseau, Henri. The Ship in the Storm. 1896. Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris. Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris. By Claire Fresches, et al. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 2006. 232. Print.

Image from an electronic source:

Artist's last name, first name. Title of Art Work in Italics. Date of art work. Institution where art work is housed (if known), City where art work is housed (if not already named). Database or website name. Web. Day month year accessed.

Image from ARTstor

Cassatt, Mary. Denise at Her Dressing Table. ca. 1908-09. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. ARTstor. Web. 18 June 2015. www.artstor.org

Image found on the open Web

Citation includes: Artist. Title of Work. Date of Work. Museum or Collection, City. Database/Web Site. Date Accessed. URL (optional).

Backhuyzen, Ludolf. A Battle at Sea. 1692. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA. The Getty. Web. 18 June 2015. www.getty.edu

Image from a Library Database

If known, the collection which owns the image should be included, along with its location.

De Chirico, Giorgio. Soothsayer’s Recompense. 1913. Philadelphia (PA) Museum of Art. Grove Art Online. Web. 18 June 2015.

Work of Art viewed in person at a Museum

Citation includes: Artist. Title of Work. Date of Work. Medium of Composition. Museum, City where Museum is located.

Atget, Jean-Eugène-Auguste. Boulevard de Strasbourg (Corsets). 1912. Photograph. Art Institute of Chicago.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Oil on Canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

The Chicago Manual of Style cover Include the artist’s name, title of work (italicized), date, medium, measurements, and the institution which houses the work.

Include the source the image came from, preceded by a statement which declares the source (for example “In;” or “Source:” or “Available from:”). If the source is online, include the URL and the date accessed.

Image from a Book:

Alice Neel, Nancy and the Rubber Plant. 1975, Oil on canvas, 203.2 x 91.3 cm. The Estate of Alice Neel. From: Ann Temkin et al. Alice Neel. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. Plate 64.

Image from ARTstor:

Rogier van der Weyden, Saint Catherine of Alexandria. 1430-1432, Diptych panel, 18.5 x 12 cm. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Available from: ARTstor, http://www.artstor.org (accessed June 19, 2015).

Image from Museum Website:

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi). The Musicians. Ca. 1595. Oil on canvas, 36 1/4 x 46 5/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org (accessed June 19, 2015).

Image from Flickr Commons:

Thomas Eakins, William Rudolf O’Donovan. 1981, Black and while photographic print, 6 x 8 cm. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Available from: Flickr Commons, http:// https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/2547841439 (accessed June 19, 2015)

Image from Flickr (personal images uploaded by individuals)

Friedrich von Schmidt, Vienna Rathaus. 1872-1883. Source: -keka-, Rathaus, Vienna. 2014. Digital Image. Available from: Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/88975201@N05/13891404251 (accessed June 19, 2015)

Images from a electronic source

Author (Role of Author). (Year image was created). Title of work [Type of work], Retrieved from URL (address of website)

Kulbis, M. (Photographer). (2006). Men pray [Photograph], Retrieved from http://accuweather.ap.org/cgi-bin/aplaunch.pl

Note: If you can only find the screen name of an author (such as a photographer on Flickr), that will do as the author's name.

If the screen name is all lowercase, keep the name lowercase in the in-text citation and the references list.

Images from a electronic source (No Author, No Title, No Date)

Many images found on the Web are of this category, but you should still look for this missing information: try clicking on the image, and/or looking at the bottom of the image.

[Format and subject of work]. Retrieved from URL (address of website)

[Untitled photograph of a baby chimpanzee]. Retrieved from http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jdtr/struc/chimp3.htm