How do I find information on works of art owned by the RISD Museum?
Begin by looking in the Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design located in the Reference section. The Museum owns over 84,000 objects; this handbook highlights only 290 of them.
RISD Museum exhibition catalogues are often thematic and feature objects from the RISD Museum's collection alongside works from other museum & private collections. Follow this link to an alphabetical list of all RISD Museum publications owned by the library. These exhibitions catalogues are another source for information on museum objects. Some of the exhibition catalogues contain indexes to the title of the artwork, artist's name, and RISD Museum registration number.
RISD Museum Object Registration System
The Museum's registrar assigns each work of art a unique series of numbers. Registration numbers look like this: 30.166. The first number corresponds to the year the work was acquired by the museum. The numbers following the decimal point refer to the work's order of accession within that year. Knowing the museum registration number of your object can help in locating it in an exhibition catalogue. Ask a librarian at the Reference Desk to access our searchable database of RISD objects in RISD Museum Exhibition Catalogs.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Searching For The Messiah
I am interested in finding a painting that is white on white or grey, of The Messiah.
The painting found is "In the Clouds of Heaven," by Harry Anderson, which was found on several sites, including Miracles of Jesus, and Pictures of Jesus 4 You, which also lists other paintings by Anderson.
Information on Harry Anderson was found on BPIB (Been Publishing, I'm Back).
Additional sources on Anderson can be found by searching the ARTbibliographies Modern database.
The painting found is "In the Clouds of Heaven," by Harry Anderson, which was found on several sites, including Miracles of Jesus, and Pictures of Jesus 4 You, which also lists other paintings by Anderson.
Information on Harry Anderson was found on BPIB (Been Publishing, I'm Back).
Additional sources on Anderson can be found by searching the ARTbibliographies Modern database.
Providence Architect Edward Irving Nickerson
I'm looking for any information about Edward Irving Nickerson, a Providence architect during the 1800s.
The RISD Library has several books that contain information about him, Buildings of Rhode Island by William H. Jordy, The civic and architectural development of Providence, 1636-1950 by John Hutchins Cady, Providence : a citywide survey of historic resources by Wm. McKenzie Woodward, Edward F. Sanderson, PPS/AIAri guide to Providence architecture by Wm McKenzie Woodward, and in the American Institute of Architects quarterly bulletin.
An Academic Search Premier search found "Edward Irving Nickerson, F.A.I.A." by Isham, N. M. in the American Institute of Architects Quarterly Bulletin, 1908 Apr., v.9, p. 39, which we have in our library.
FirstSearch and Brown University Library's catalog Josiah both found "Grace Church Needs a Parish House" by John B. Anthony in Livermore & Knight Co.
The RISD Library has several books that contain information about him, Buildings of Rhode Island by William H. Jordy, The civic and architectural development of Providence, 1636-1950 by John Hutchins Cady, Providence : a citywide survey of historic resources by Wm. McKenzie Woodward, Edward F. Sanderson, PPS/AIAri guide to Providence architecture by Wm McKenzie Woodward, and in the American Institute of Architects quarterly bulletin.
An Academic Search Premier search found "Edward Irving Nickerson, F.A.I.A." by Isham, N. M. in the American Institute of Architects Quarterly Bulletin, 1908 Apr., v.9, p. 39, which we have in our library.
FirstSearch and Brown University Library's catalog Josiah both found "Grace Church Needs a Parish House" by John B. Anthony in Livermore & Knight Co.
Fantastic Architecture
A RISD alum wanted information about "fantastic architecture", specifically architectural drawings, the arrangement of columns, and inbuilt architecture. A search in the RISD Library, using the subject headings fantastic architecture, and visionary architecture produced results, as well as a search for the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi.
Coffin search
An undergraduate student was interested in finding information about modern American coffins, specifically their craft (not necessarily their production).
A search with "coffins" in the subject field, and "art" as a keyword in FirstSearch produced some of the following sources: "Caskets and Burial Vaults" in Federal Trade Commission from the Office of Consumer and Business Education, 1992 (8 p.); "Do-It-Yourself Coffins For Pets and People" and "Fancy Coffins to Make Yourself" in the series "Schiffer Book for Woodworkers." An Academic Search Premier search found "Willow Weaving Revival Finds Niche Market" by Sian Ellis in Farmers Weekly, 2/18/2005, v. 142, issue 7, which discusses willow coffins.
A search with "coffins" in the subject field, and "art" as a keyword in FirstSearch produced some of the following sources: "Caskets and Burial Vaults" in Federal Trade Commission from the Office of Consumer and Business Education, 1992 (8 p.); "Do-It-Yourself Coffins For Pets and People" and "Fancy Coffins to Make Yourself" in the series "Schiffer Book for Woodworkers." An Academic Search Premier search found "Willow Weaving Revival Finds Niche Market" by Sian Ellis in Farmers Weekly, 2/18/2005, v. 142, issue 7, which discusses willow coffins.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Frederick William Burton
A public patron was looking for biographical information on 19th century artist Frederick William Burton.
Auction prices were found in Hislops Art Sales Index and Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Biographical information was found in Benezit, Allgemeines Lexikon Der Bildenden Kunstler, and Grove Art Online.
Additional citations were found from Country Life, an article from Irish Arts Review Yearbook, and Irish Watercolours and Drawings.
Auction prices were found in Hislops Art Sales Index and Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Biographical information was found in Benezit, Allgemeines Lexikon Der Bildenden Kunstler, and Grove Art Online.
Additional citations were found from Country Life, an article from Irish Arts Review Yearbook, and Irish Watercolours and Drawings.
Providence Architect Prescott Clarke
I am interested in finding information about Prescott Clarke, a Providence architect from the early 20th century.
His obituary can be found through the database Art Retrospective, in the journal Architectural Forum v. 66 (January 1937) p. sup56. A second source can be found through Academic Search Premier, in the Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition; 5/24/2002, Vol. 239, Issue 102, pW12.
Tip:
*Prescott Clarke's name appears as "Prescotte" in Academic Search Premier.
His obituary can be found through the database Art Retrospective, in the journal Architectural Forum v. 66 (January 1937) p. sup56. A second source can be found through Academic Search Premier, in the Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition; 5/24/2002, Vol. 239, Issue 102, pW12.
Tip:
*Prescott Clarke's name appears as "Prescotte" in Academic Search Premier.
Colonial Kiln Construction
I am looking for information about colonial kiln construction. The following sources were found that might be helpful:
-An initial search found the following source on the Middle Tennessee State website:
Greer, Georgeanna H.
Basic forms of historic pottery kilns which may be encountered in
the United States. In The Conference on Historic Site Archeology
Papers, 1978. Edited by Stanley South. Vol. 13, pp. 133-147.=20
-Art Retrospective cited one source in the journal Archaeology v. 29 (July 1976) p. 158, "Colonial Brick Kiln At Jamestown (Art Reproduction)"
-Other sources were found within the RISD library that might contain information on the subject:
1. Potters and potteries of New York State, 1650-1900 by William C. Ketchum, Jr.
2. The work of the potteries of New Jersey, from 1685 to 1876 / being extracts from "The pottery and porcelain of the United States", by Edwin Atlee Barber and Marks of New Jersey potteries, as reproduced from "Pottery", published by the Thomas Maddock's Sons Company.
3. Ceramics of the world : from 4000 B.C. to the present with editors Lorenzo Camusso and Sandro Bortone.
4. Early American folk pottery by Harold F. Guilland.
5. The history of American ceramics, 1607 to the present : from pipkins and bean pots to contemporary forms by Elaine Levin.
6. Redware : America's folk art pottery by Kevin McConnell.
-An initial search found the following source on the Middle Tennessee State website:
Greer, Georgeanna H.
Basic forms of historic pottery kilns which may be encountered in
the United States. In The Conference on Historic Site Archeology
Papers, 1978. Edited by Stanley South. Vol. 13, pp. 133-147.=20
-Art Retrospective cited one source in the journal Archaeology v. 29 (July 1976) p. 158, "Colonial Brick Kiln At Jamestown (Art Reproduction)"
-Other sources were found within the RISD library that might contain information on the subject:
1. Potters and potteries of New York State, 1650-1900 by William C. Ketchum, Jr.
2. The work of the potteries of New Jersey, from 1685 to 1876 / being extracts from "The pottery and porcelain of the United States", by Edwin Atlee Barber and Marks of New Jersey potteries, as reproduced from "Pottery", published by the Thomas Maddock's Sons Company.
3. Ceramics of the world : from 4000 B.C. to the present with editors Lorenzo Camusso and Sandro Bortone.
4. Early American folk pottery by Harold F. Guilland.
5. The history of American ceramics, 1607 to the present : from pipkins and bean pots to contemporary forms by Elaine Levin.
6. Redware : America's folk art pottery by Kevin McConnell.
Slave Trade Maps
I'm looking for maps of Africa relating to the slave trade. I would prefer maps in color and ones that look old. Digital images are ok if they can be enlarged for my visual presentation.
An advanced Google Image search using keywords "Atlantic slave trade Africa maps" and limited to full color, Large images brings up some source imagery.
An advanced Google Image search using keywords "Atlantic slave trade Africa maps" and limited to full color, Large images brings up some source imagery.
Search for three artists
A public patron was interested in finding information about three artists: Robert Austin, Albert P. Fellows, and Coulton Waugh. Information about Robert Austin and Coulton Waugh can be found through Art Retrospective. Who Was Who in American Art contains information about all three artists. Further information can also be found in Hislor's Art Sales Index CD ROM.
Eva Peron
A student was thinking of researching Eva Peron for her final project. Her biography can be found at the Athenaeum: The Woman With the Whip: Eva Peron by Maria Flores. Articles can be found using Academic Search Premier.
Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother's Day
A student is interested in information about Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day, for her artist's book. The RISD Library has the book Consumer Rites: The Buying & Selling of American Holidays by Leigh Eric Schmidt. The Brown Library has Mother's day, ... official program by Anna Jarvis herself, and Encyclopedia Britannica Online has an article about her and how the holiday began. WorldCat (FirstSearch) turned up several sources about Anna Jarvis as well, by using "Jarvis, Anna" in the subject line.
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