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Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons

Art History Research Sources

Fall 2022

Finding Images

  • Periodical databases store full-text and bibliographic citations to articles published in a wide range of sources:
    • scholarly, research journals
    • general interest magazines
    • newspapers (such as the New York Times)
  • Search them, much like you search Google, to find articles about your works of art, news photos, pop culture images, etc. 
  • Unlike Google, these databases are made available through the Berry Library home page.
    • This means that if you access them from off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your SSU username and password (the same ones you would use for Navigator and Canvas and email) to be allowed to search.
    • This step authenticates that you are a bona fide member of the Salem State community!
  • The page "Accessing Library Databases. from Off-Campus" provides more details!
  • In addition to ArtSTOR, many prominent art museums make open access to images of works in their collections. 
  • See the accompanying page: "Digital Collections in Art Museums."

Academic Search Complete

Art Abstracts

  • Search in the "Advanced Search" template to enter modifying terms:

Art Index Retrospective

  • Suppose I want to read early coverage of Samuel McIntire, architect and "woodcarver" of many houses in Salem, including the Gardner-Pingree mansion. 
  • Art Index Retrospective shows me articles from as far back as 1929:

Arts & Humanities Database

  • Take advantage of drop-down selections in Advanced Search to increase the relevancy of your search:

JSTOR and ArtSTOR

  • Select "All content" to find and read articles about your artist and works of art; select "Images" to browse images: