Searching Tips:

 

Limit search to graphics: Select "graphics" in "collection to search" or select "visual materials" as a format qualifier under “limit search to.”

 

Locate digital images:Enter “lcpgraphics” as a search term in the “URL” field in “field to search.” For additional digital collections visit ImPAC.

 

Locate works by a particular artist or photographer: Enter the name in the “author” field under “field to search” in basic or advanced search or in the “personal name” index in “browse.” The “illustrator” index in “browse” contains book illustrators only and links to records for the book collection rather than to images in the Print & Photograph Department.

 

Locate images depicting works by a particular architect: The Library Company attempts to index local architects, engineers, builders, and sculptors whose work is depicted in the print and photograph collections. Enter the name in the “associated names” field under “field to search” in basic or advanced search or in the “Architect/Engineer/Builder/Sculptor” index in “browse.”

 

Locate images of a specific location in Philadelphia : The Library Company attempts to index street locations in the city of Philadelphia as geographic subjects. Locations indexed as subjects are always given as post-1858 addresses (reflecting the changes in street numbering that occurred after the consolidation of the city and county of Philadelphia) with historical addresses appearing in other note fields. Whenever possible the Library Company uses authorized addresses established by the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project. Images focusing on more than one building are generally indexed using the number of the block rather than the exact street numbers. Older records may index two streets indicating the corner depicted. Enter the street name in the “subject” field in “field to search” in the basic or advanced search or in the “subject” index in “browse.”

Examples:

Broad Street ( Philadelphia, Pa.) – North – 200 block

Locust Street ( Philadelphia, Pa.) – 1300 block.

 

Locate Photographs: The Library Company does not use the genre term "photograph" to describe its photographic images. The overwhelming majority of photographs are catalogued under the term "albumen prints" – the most common type of 19 th-century photographic print. Additional headings are assigned describing the typical cardboard mounts to which these images are attached – stereographs, cabinet card photographs, and cartes-de-viste. Other frequently used genre headings for photographic images in our holdings include daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, salted paper prints, gelatin silver prints, and platinum prints. Genre terms may be searched by entering the term as "form/genre" in "field to search" in the basic or advanced search or in the “form/genre” index in “browse.” Term definitions are available by searching the graphics thesaurus.

 

Locate Prints : The Library Company does not use the genre term “print” to describe relief, intaglio or lithographic prints. The most commonly used genre terms are woodcuts, wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and chromolithographs. Genre terms may be searched by entering the term as "form/genre" in "field to search" on the search page. Term definitions are available by searching the graphics thesaurus.