Research Guides: Images: Architecture Images

UM Resources

These databases are available to those in the University of Michigan community.

Art, Architecture & Engineering Library Online Images
A growing database of over 85,000 online images in the fields of art & design, architecture, and urban planning. The images are derived in part from our on site 35mm slide collection.
Art, Architecture & Engineering Library Lantern Slide Collection
Digital images created from lantern slides showing architecture, cities, and landscapes from the late 19th and 20th centuries.
U-M Library Image Collections -- Architecture Collection
Collections of architectural images which can be searched singly or in combination (including the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library Image Collection).
Muschenheim Digital Archive
Photographs and Drawings of William Muschenheim's architectural work.
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In association with Columbia University

University of Michigan Database Subscriptions

These databases are subscription-based and can only be accessed on campus or through the Library Databases Search option.

JSTOR Primary Sources
A portal to three collections of primary source materials: one of 19th c. British Pamphlets, one of World Heritage sites in Africa, and one of political struggles and independence movements in S. Africa.
Associated Press Images Collection (via EBSCO)
Hundreds of thousands of images from the Associated Press.
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Associated Press Photo Archives
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
JSTOR / Images
Click on the Images Tab to search JSTOR Images (formerly Artstor), a rich archive of images of art and architectural monuments, landscape architecture, public art, and cultural images.
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.

Free Access Databases

These databases are free to the public and can be accessed anywhere. That does not mean that the images are without copyright -- you may still need to get copyright clearance for publishing.

The Courtauld Photographic Collections
A database of over a million digitized images from the Conway and Witt Libraries of the Courtauld Institute.
360Cities
Panoramic Views of Cities, Monuments and Landscapes.
AirPano
Panoramic views and videos with birds-eye views of cities and monuments around the world.
Architecture Association School of Architecture Photo Library
Searchable database of architecture images.
ArchNet Digital Archive
Online resource for ArchNet, an online community devoted to the study of Islamic architecture, art, and culture. The archive contains numerous collections of images related to Islamic architecture.
ArtServe, Australian National University
This site provides thousands of images (including panoramas) of art and architecture, primarily of the Mediterranean Basin and Japan. Many other countries are represented as well.
Asian Historical Architecture
A database of nearly 20,000 images of Asian architecture compiled by contributors. Check copyright information with each image for use rights.
Athenian Agora Archaeological Excavations Guide
Site with Agora monuments marked and quick-time video of many of the monuments.
Balthazar Korab Collection
Images by architectural photographer, Balthazar Korab, provided by the Library of Congress. The Korab Collection includes a lot of Detroit and Michigan architecture.
Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur (Image Index for Art & Architecture)
Images and data for nearly 2 million pictures of art and architectural monuments from 13 European countries. The index includes the Marburg Index.
Canadian Architectural Archives ImageBank (University of Calgary)
Images of works by Canadian architects.
Chartres: Cathedral of Notre Dame
A collection of over 3,000 images of Chartres Cathedral, including stained glass, sculpture, structure, and views.
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
Flickr : The Commons
Public domain photography collections supplied to Flickr by museums around the world.
Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust Digital Image Collection
(Temporarily unavailable) The Digital Image Collection documents many of Wright's early buildings in the Chicago area. Featured are the Wright home and studio, Robie House, and other Chicago area houses.
Heritage Gateway
Access to records and images of English archaeological, architectural, and martime heritage.
Images of England
Over 300,000 images of England's built heritage, including buildings, bridges, churches, gravestones, lampposts, etc.
Imago Urbis: Giuseppe Vasi's Grand Tour of Rome
An interactive database combining Vasi's views of Rome and Nolli's map of Rome to give a comprehensive and phenomenal view of 18th century Rome.
International Center for Medieval Art's Photostream
The ICMA has initiated a Flickr photostream for members and anyone interested in medieval art to download images of medieval art.
Machiel Kiel Photographic Archive of Ottoman Architecture of the Balkans
Approximately 1300 images of Ottoman-Islamic architectural monuments in Southeast-Europe. Additional images will be added. Sponsored by the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT).
Making of Ann Arbor
A web resource where one can browse and search images and maps relating to Ann Arbor's history and development.
Mapping Gothic France
Images and information about built monuments of 12th and 13th century France.
The Medieval Kingdom of Sicily
A visual resource of historical sites in Sicily, c. 1100- c. 1450. A project created at Duke University.
NYC Municipal Archives Gallery
Over 870,000 images, video and audio files from the New York City Municipal Archives featuring the history of the city. Search by collection or by keyword.
NYPL Digital Gallery
Over 700,000 images from the NY Public Library's image collection.
Pedestrian Bike Information Center Image Bank
Free images relating to walking and biking. The site is sponsored by the PBIC at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.
SkyscraperPage.com
A searchable database with images and statistics to over 80,000 high-rise buildings from around the world. (The images may not be downloaded.)
Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) Image Exchange
SAH Image Exchange is an image database for teaching architectural history. Illustrated monuments span history and geography.
Spatial Agency
Though not purely an image database, Spatial Agency features many images of architecture. One can search or browse various architectural movements and firms of the 20th and 21st centuries.
U. of Minnesota Digital Content Library / Image Bank
The DCL Image Bank contains all the U of Minnesota image collections, including collections related to urban design and landscape issues (focusing on the Twin Cities metropolitan region). Use their Advanced Search form to narrow your search to particular collection(s).
Univ of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Digital Image Collections
Multiple digital image collections with particular emphasis on Milwaukee and Wisconsin subject matter.
Vitruvio
A searchable database of historical and contemporary architecture as well as architectural forums and resources.
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository with public domain and freely-licensed educational media.
World-Architects
Profiles of contemporary architects. Searchable by country or by name.

Architecture Journals Online

Multimedia Architecture Resources

Architectural Association (London) Online Lectures
Public lectures on architectural themes posted by the Architectural Association in London.
BBC Radio3 Architecture Programme
Archived interviews and recordings from several major architects.
Chicago Architect's Oral History Project
Since 1983 this project has documented contributions of architects to Chicago during the 20th century.
SCI-Arc Media Archive
An archive of over 1000 hours of architecture and design lectures and events at SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture).
TV300 Interviews
Interviews with architects produced by TV300 (Chile).