Research Guides: Architectural Studies Research Guide: Find Images and Media

Find Images

Find images in books by searching the Five College Library catalog (see Tip below). The library also subscribes to a variety of image databases and is the home of Amherst College Digital Collections (ACDC), a repository of images, texts, videos, and more from the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections and Art & Architecture Collection.

Access digital images through these library databases or online resources:

Amherst College Art & Architecture Collection (now on JSTOR) This link opens in a new window
Digital image collection of high quality photographs for scholarship and teaching in architecture and the visual arts. This collection was formerly part of the Amherst College Digital Collections repository and is now hosted on JSTOR.
ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Image database including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design as well as many other forms of visual culture.

Avery/GSAPP Architectural Plans and Sections Collection (at ARTstor)
Digital images of architectural drawings, plans, sections, and related materials.
Great Buildings
A searchable, gateway site to plans, drawings and photographs of buildings worldwide throughout history. Most entries include a drawing or plan.
U.S. Historical City Maps
Digitized maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the Univ. of Texas, Austin.
HABS/HAER/HALS (National Park Service/Library of Congress)
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) collections include measured drawings, photographs, color transparencies, written histories, and supplemental materials.
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Tall Buildings Database Contains information on 10,000+ buildings – including height information, number of floors, function, structural material, location, professions involved, building images etc. This information is free for download and searchable by a number of parameters, including year, location, type etc. Users can create their own lists, which can be captured in pdf format, or transferred via graphs and other outputs.

Bridgeman Education This link opens in a new window
A visual resource offering digital images of art, history, and culture from museums, galleries, private collections, and contemporary artists.

Find Film & Video

Find DVD, Blu-ray, and VHS formats on A Level of Frost Library, behind the IT help desk. There are also viewing stations in this area, if you want to watch at the library.

Access streaming video through these library databases or online resources:

Academic Video Online (Alexander Street) This link opens in a new window
Streaming video spanning a wide range of subject areas and including documentaries, films, and demonstrations.
Kanopy Streaming Video This link opens in a new window
Broad selection of thousands of streaming films, documentaries, and theatrical releases covering a wide variety of subject areas, with regular new releases and transcripts.

Tip: Searching for Film & Video in the Five College Libraries

Use the Amherst College Library search box to search for materials by keyword, title, creator, or subject. When you get search results, use the Filter options on the left side of the page, selecting "video" in the Format menu. Check Location, Call Numbers, and Status to see where something's located and if it's currently checked out.