Research Guides: Researching and Writing an Architecture Paper: Images

Quick Links

Art, Architecture & Engineering Library
ARTstor
Collection of nearly one million images of visual and material culture
Architectural Image Collections
Image collections maintained by the University of Michigan Digital Library

Finding Architectural Images

AAEL Images Guide
For more information about finding images and other visual resources (for architecture and other disciplines), see the LibGuide for Images.

There are several resources available for finding architectural images. You can access these resources using the links below or by searching for them in Library Databases Search.

Associated Press Images Collection
All Associated Press photos, graphics, and audio clips from the current year, plus selected historical photos since 1844, and selected publicity photos.
Architecture Collections
Allows users to search a range of architectural image collections available through the University of Michigan Digital Library.
Archivision Architectural Images
A rich archive of images of architectural monuments, landscape architecture, public art, etc.
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Also available through UM Image Services
ARTstor
Provides access to nearly one million images of visual and material culture, including architecture, art, photojournalism, and other materials.
Building Types Online
850 searchable case studies of buildings: expertly authored texts, architectural drawings and photographs selected from Birkhäuser manuals.
DETAIL Inspiration
A database of visual and textual content of the German architectural magazine, Detail, from 1987- present.
Sanborn Maps
Includes 660,000 large-scale maps of more than 12,000 American towns and cities from 1867-1970.

Architectural Image Resources on the Web

Here are several freely available image resources on the Web.

360Cities
Panoramic Views of Cities, Monuments and Landscapes.
The Architecture of Northwest Ohio
Browsable collection of drawings and illustrations from the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
ArchNet
Online resource for ArchNet, an online community devoted to the study of Islamic architecture, art, and culture.
Catena: Digital Archive of Historic Gardens & Landscapes
Searchable collection of historic and contemporary images of landscape design centered on the Italian Villa.
Cities Around the World
A database of over 6,000 digital images representing over 450 cities from the photographic collections of the American Geographical Society Library.
Diarna
Images of endangered Jewish sites across the Middle East and North Africa.
Digital Imaging Project (Mary Ann Sullivan)
Images of architecture from around the world -- provided by Prof. Sullivan, Bluffton College.
Housing Prototypes
Browseable and searchable database of multi-family housing types with photographs.
Making of Ann Arbor
Images of the history and architecture of Ann Arbor.
Mapping Gothic France
Images and information about built monuments of 12th and 13th century France.
Muschenheim Digital Archive
Photographs and Drawings of William Muschenheim's architectural work.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Access to hundreds of thousands of images crossing many disciplines.
Pacific Coast Architecture Database
Searchable, information-rich database of architects and architecture of the Pacific Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California).
Reuther Library (Wayne State) Image Galleries
Several thousand images from collections of the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs and the relating the history of Detroit; including urban development, politics, civil rights, ethnic communities, etc.
Views of 20th Century Canada: the Canadian Architectural Photography Digitization Project
Over 10,000 images of 20th-century Canadian architecture.
Vitruvio
A searchable database of historical and contemporary architecture.
World-Architects
Profiles of contemporary architects. Searchable by country or by name.