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Suggested Research Process
This guide supports Digital Photography students in researching photographers, using primarily electronic resources.
Below you will find four suggested steps for researching your photographer, with links to relevant resources and some directions and tips.
Please don't hesitate to be in touch with me to request assistance with research for this project. My email address is rkrause3@ewu.edu.
Best of luck with your assignment!
Rose Krause, Librarian for Art
Step 1 - Search in Grove Art (Oxford Art Online)
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new windowArt reference works, including Grove Art Online (Dictionary of Art) and the Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Featuring articles, images, and bibliographies written by scholars in the field of visual culture.
Grove Art: Access restricted to 8 users at a time.
Benezit: Access restricted to 1 user at a time. Try again later if you cannot access these resources.
- Search for your photographer's name to see if there is an entry in Grove Art.
- View the Grove Art video tutorial available on Canvas (sign in with your EWU SSO).
- Use the PDF icon in the upper right area of the window to export a copy of the entry.
- Use the bibliography and publications list at the end of the entry to identify additional sources of information.
- Use the External Resources section at the end of the entry to link to works by the artist in museum and gallery online collection databases and catalogs. **Note: When I was using these links, I frequently encountered "Page Not Found" (404) errors. You may need to search the museum or gallery website to locate the information that was linked.
Step 2 - Search in ArtStor
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowImages of art, architecture, photographs and videos from art museums from around the world. Keyword search or browse by collection, type, or geography. Create an individual account to download the images. Downloaded images can be used in the classroom and non-commercial educational use.
NOTE: The Artstor website will be retiring August 1, 2024 and all content will be available on JSTOR at jstor.org/images.
- Search by photographer name.
- The results you see will be works by the photographer, not a biographical entry about the photographer.
- Each work will include some information in the detailed view. View the How to Search, View Images and Data in ArtStor video to learn how to search and navigate in ArtStor.
- Look to see which museum or gallery contributed the image to ArtStor. There may be additional information about the work or photographer on the museum or gallery's website. See Step 3 below for tips on searching museum and gallery websites.
- Suggestion: Create an Image Group for images you want to use for your presentation. View the Image Groups video to learn how to create an Image Group. You must have an ArtStor account to use Image Groups. View the Introduction to ArtStor video to learn how to create an account.
Step 3 - Search Museum Websites
Many museums and galleries include information about artists and artworks on their websites. Below are links to museums and galleries that provide substantial information about artists on their websites.
Also try searching the websites of museums and galleries that were listed at the end of the Grove Art entry for your photographer (see Step 1) and in the ArtStor artwork records (see Step 2).
- Met Museum Timeline of Art History - Artists and MakersSearch for the name of your photographer to locate information about the photographer, as well as links to objects related to your photographer in the Met's collections.
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) - CollectionsIn-depth biographical information for artists in the V&A collection.
- J. Paul Getty Museum CollectionNot a lot of biographical information about artists, but a good source of images.
Step 4 - Search the EWU Library Catalog
Use the EWU Library catalog to locate electronic articles and books on your photographer. You may find an interview with the photographer or a useful overview of the photographer's work.
Search by photographer name and limit to "Available online". This will allow you to see only content available online. You may also want to limit the language to English. Also use the Format facet to exclude Reviews. See the "How do I search the catalog?" page for instructions. Please contact me for help searching the catalog and accessing resources.
- EWU Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Search for books, videos, articles and more at EWU Libraries, Summit Libraries and beyond. While not required, if you want the full functionality (save or request items, etc.), please sign in with your NetID.
Step 5 - Search Photography Enclyclopedias
Search the Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography (2008) by John Hannavy (Editor) and/or the Encyclopedia of twentieth-century photography (2006) by Lynne Warren (Editor)